"The Kuban comet" - cherry plum. Reviews, description and care

What is a plum? Most recently it was called a wild plum and treated fairly scornfully. Indeed, it is the ancestor of all modern varieties of plums, but the attention of breeders has attracted not so much this, but boundless opportunities for crossing and obtaining new varieties. One of the results of this work was the variety "Kuban comet" - cherry plum, the reviews of which spread far beyond the Caucasus, its historical homeland. However, let's try to follow the whole way - as no known plant in such a short period has become universally loved.

History of Plums

Around the 1920s, it was a wild plant widespread in the Caucasus, the Crimea and Central Asia. More recently, alychu began to be used as a garden culture, and breeders started breeding new varieties. But their first species were not too different from their wild relatives in taste. However, in a short time the plant was very popular. This is due to the unpretentiousness of culture, as well as the highest yield. A year after planting, you can get the first berry, and in three years - a stable crop of 40 kg. By ten years the tree will give 300 or more kg per year. However, those first varieties were not too different from wild, from which it was possible to make homemade preparations and specific Caucasian dishes, but they were not suitable for eating. This can not be said about the grade "Kuban comet". Alycha, whose reviews are full of laudatory epithets, has juicy large berries that are great for food and billets. A peculiar sourness gives a certain piquancy, due to what the plum became used in traditional cuisine. However, we have not yet told you how this variety appeared.

Crossing Species

A new stage in the history of cherry plum trees was the discovery of its most valuable property, namely, the opportunity to interbreed with a variety of fruit crops. Among them are not only different varieties of plums, but also cherry, cherry, apricot and peach, that is, almost all stone. Of course, this gave rise to the emergence of a variety of hybrids. There were varieties, giving a huge harvest of large and delicious berries. One such was the "Kuban comet" - cherry plum, the reviews of which are called its most delicious and unpretentious plum. The variety safely tolerates the harshest winters, and the fruits do not crumble when overripe, are resistant to cracking and perfectly tolerate transportation. Let's take a closer look at what this variety is.

Appearance

Today it is a favorite plum in the whole of Russia. In stores, the "Kuban comet" - cherry plums - is very popular, reviews of experienced gardeners about which are beyond praise. This is a sort of plum of the early ripening period. That is, the harvest has time in any climatic zone of our vast country. The brand was brought back in 1980 and since then has not lost its popularity.

The adult tree is rather small, with a rare crown. This small toiler gives such a rich harvest that the trunks often break down under the weight of the fruit. Stamp smooth, gray color, lenticles are rare. Shoots are horizontal, medium thickness, gray with a pale tan on the sunny side. The leaves grow vertically, flower buds are small, scales when blooming pink. Blossoms in the very beginning of July, the yield of the variety is very high. The plant is resistant to most diseases, winter frosts, can hold out for a while in drought conditions. Such is the plumage of the "Kuban comet". The description will not be complete without characterizing the conditions of maintenance and care.

Choose a place

The most sunny and bright place in the garden will be just in time. Any shadow greatly impairs the quality and quantity of the fruit. First of all, the shadow affects the sweetness of the berry: the more sunny the summer, the more delicious the fruits will be. Despite the resistance to frost, it is still southern cherry plum - the "Kuban comet". The description suggests, as an alternative to the mild climate of the Caucasus, a landing near the dacha construction, which will serve as a natural protection against the wind. For example, between the house and the fence. The ideal place is a sunny area, closed on the north side by a brick wall. Be sure to check the future landing site for waterlogging. If there is a possibility of water stagnation, it is better to choose another site for planting or to build a hill. The level of groundwater must be at least 2 meters. Note that the variety of cherry plum "Kuban comet" likes light sandy soil. It is not very choosy, but it does not tolerate heavy clay and loamy soils.

Landing

In the spring among other seedlings must be sold and cherry plum. "The Kuban comet" (photo is in the review) involuntarily draws attention - a small tree, entirely strewn with huge berries. It is not difficult to grow it at all. You only need to choose the correct time for planting. In early spring, you can buy a seedling with a bare root system. If in the store you meet a container plant, then its purchase is better to postpone until the fall.

So, your choice is cherry plum "Kuban comet". Planting and leaving are not difficult, as already mentioned, but several rules must be observed. First: the seedling can not be buried when planted in the ground. The root neck should be 5-7 cm above ground level. Roots before planting should be slightly spread out, but they can not be traumatized. The greater the number of vitality, the faster the plant will grow. But pruning branches can be done immediately, even before planting.

Features of care

This variety, like many others, is partially self-fertilized. What does it mean? That is, in order for fruits to become involved, pollen of another plant is necessary. If there is no second tree in the neighborhood, then the harvest will be at least worse. That is, you need to buy and plant a neighbor. It can be a plum or the same plum "the Kuban comet". Pollinators at the same time best come out of the sink. But too close to plant them should not be, the area of supply of one tree is about 9 square meters. M.

Top dressing

When planting plums in the planting pit, put organic fertilizer, most often it is a feathered horse manure. A good result is also provided by humus, potassium sulfate and superphosphate. But nitrogen only worsens the result. Further top dressing is performed before flowering in spring. Once the tree has fertilized, it is necessary to feed it with potassium sulfate and superphosphate. Late fall, under winter, and also in early spring, organic fertilizers should be introduced every year.

The first flowering and harvest

What first of all do we pay attention to when choosing a seedling, whether it's an apple tree, a pear tree or a plum "Kuban comet"? The photo on the promotional brochure primarily reflects the branches bending under the weight of the fruit. That you have grown the same tree, it is necessary in the first year of his life to cut all the flowers. This will allow the plant to get stronger, to winter well and give a lot of fruit for the next year. However, it is necessary to regulate further the flowering of such a fruitful variety, like cherry plum "Kuban comet". The description of the variety indicates that half of the crop must be cut off at the stage of green fishes, that is, only the fruits that have formed. This will allow them to grow large and tasty, and also give the tree a good preparation for the winter. If you do not cut the harvest in this way, then the tree, which has lost all its strength, will bear fruit only in a year.

Watering

Like all the others, the "Kuban comet" is a very moisture-loving alycha. Description (photo shows a well-groomed tree) recommends watering 4-5 times a month, at the rate of 2-3 buckets per tree twice a day. Lack of water can cause loss of crops, especially this is important from early June to late July. But in August it needs to be completely canceled. Rains at this time are extremely undesirable, since they lead to a strong growth of shoots, which means that the tree risks to freeze to cold.

Fruit

Very large, weighing up to 50 g each. The shape of the berry is round-ovate. Their color is from red to dark purple. The skin is thin, strong, with a slight waxy coating. The flesh usually has to everyone's liking. It is yellow, dense, juicy, fragrant, sweet and sour taste. Not cloying. Fruits are consumed fresh, and also prepare a fine jam, compotes and jelly. The fruits ripen at the end of July, while they do not crumble for a long time, but due to dense skin they tolerate transportation well. When you remove from a tree in green form, ripen perfectly and acquire the color of a ripe fruit.

Formation of the plant

Pruning of plum blossoms "Kuban comet" is an important technique in the care. The plant forms bunches of flowering buds along the entire length of a year's growth. It is not small at all, about 1-1.5 mm. That is, without proper pruning, the plum blossoms will touch the ground next year. Of course, the longer they are, the greater the yield, but nevertheless, in order for the crown to be stronger, it is necessary to trim the annual increment to flowering buds. When pruning stone fruit varieties, it is very important to cover the sections with oil paint after 15 minutes.

Graft

Like any gardener, each of us can have an interest in a new variety. Not necessarily at the same time immediately buy a seedling, just ask for a small cut for vaccination. It is easy to carry out: just a pointed twig is inserted into the tree branch, fixed with an insulating tape, and the cut is processed by a garden vine. Usually in a year you can see the results of your labors. Fruits will appear on the grafted branch. Thus, it is possible to grow branches of apricots or peaches, which on their roots will not grow on most of the territory of Russia.

Advantages of the variety

First of all, they note his amazing yield. A small adult tree can give a hundred kilograms of fruit per season. The second undoubted advantage is early ripeness. Among similar varieties, it gives fruits almost a month earlier. And finally, an important fact. The variety is characterized by outstanding adaptability. Almost all of Russia already grows it on its home gardens, and this is the distance from Transcaucasia to Moscow and St. Petersburg, Chelyabinsk and Vladivostok. This gives a guarantee that the purchased seedling will get accustomed to your site and will not freeze out in the next winter.

Most gardeners note the absolute unpretentiousness of this variety. It grows under very different conditions, forgiving even significant errors and shortcomings. The only thing to observe is the regime of watering and top dressing of the tree, otherwise you can stay completely without harvest.

Disadvantages of the variety

As already mentioned, the "Kuban comet" is inclined to give a huge harvest. This is both a plus and a minus. Overload leads not only to mechanical damage (branches and trunks of trees break), but the quality of the fruit is severely affected. They become small, sour and dense, the tree does not have enough strength, so that everyone is filled with juice and matured. In addition, lovers eat fresh fruits note such a drawback as poor separation of the pulp from the stone.