Content
Blue Free plum is an American variety with average transportability and harvest time. Small fruits are sweet, dense, like a summer resident or a farmer. Particularly highlight is the care of the Blue Free - the older the tree, the more worries with it.
Breeding history of the variety
American selectors have created the amazing BlueFree plum, which is a cross between Stanley and President. At the end of the last century, the Blue Free plum began to be imported to the CIS countries, after which it was entered into the Register of varieties of Ukraine in 1994. It is permissible to grow BlueFree plums in the Central Black Earth Region, where there is a lot of groundwater, moisture and heat.
The variety of this plum is immune to heat, but not very resistant to frost. It tolerates the cold of middle latitudes well enough, but the crop cannot be stored for a long time. From this, the demand for the Blue Free is small, since it is impossible to create conditions for transportation.
For private traders, the Blue Free plum is suitable as a tree in an orchard. She loves calm weather, is immune to serious diseases, does not require much attention and care.
Description of the Blue Free plum variety
The BlueFree plum variety has a rare crown type. It is oval in shape, the height of an adult Blue Free plum reaches almost 2 meters. Self-fertile, only needs one of the pollinating varieties. BlueFree fruits ripen quickly, which is an advantage for many gardeners. The harvest begins to bring already by 3-4 years of life, although every year it only grows more and more. Cold plums of the Blue Free variety are not terrible.
Plums have a mass of 80 g, which is considered a rather large fruit. They are oval in shape, but wide enough, and the color includes purple and black shades. There are also subcutaneous points, which are scattered throughout the fruit in a chaotic manner. The waxy coating is very dense - to get rid of it, you need to rinse the fruit several times, rubbing well.
Inside, the BlueFree plum variety has a soft and delicate filling - sweet, juicy and very tasty. For this, both adults and children love her. In the open air, the color practically does not change, which indicates the absence of acids and metals. The stone is small, easily detaches from the pulp. In early autumn, you can expect the first fruits, which ripen until the end of September. BlueFree plum is resistant to diseases and pests, as well as to frost or drought. Diseases of bark and wood are also absent. Fungal lesions never show up on the BlueFree variety.
From one tree of the Blue Free variety, you can harvest about 100 kg of the crop - not very much, since the fruits themselves are large and massive. Although the shape is asymmetrical, the grade score was 4.6 points. The dessert taste of the BlueFree variety attracts not only domestic summer residents, but also citizens of overseas countries. There is a kind of sourness. Most often you can find it in countries with a temperate climate. Blue Free plum grows better in the middle lane, although it is immune to cold.
Variety characteristics
Gardeners love the BlueFree plum variety for its benefits and ease of care. Of course, there are pitfalls, since the difficulty lies in preserving the plum variety. At the time of fruiting, the crown weakens.And in order for it to bear fruit further, farmers prune the branches so that two-year-old shoots remain. In addition, for a larger harvest, summer residents plant plum varieties Opal, President, Stanley or Anna Shpet.
Where the summer is hot and there is a minimum of rain, the plum ripens quickly - in a week, but the main thing is that the harvest does not spoil the branches. BlueFree plum in the Moscow region will also grow well, especially on the south side. The winds are not terrible, but it is better to avoid them.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
The BlueFree plum has good commercial qualities. For transportation, it is enough to create a comfortable temperature. It will stay in the refrigerator for several months without spoiling. It is advisable to put it on the bottom shelf.
It is preferable to choose warm areas in the garden for growing, but the BlueFree variety will not freeze in winter. It does not require additional insulation in freezing, which is convenient for mass planting.
Plum pollinators
The BlueFree variety is self-fertile, therefore, next to the plum, you need to plant a variety of Vision, President, Opal, Stanley, Empress, Rusch or Verita. The more pollinators there are, the higher the yield for the next year.
Productivity and fruiting
BlueFree yield depends on planting time and pollinators. The more of them next to the Blue Free plum, the greater the chance of getting a big harvest. Plum homemade BlueFree loves feeding.
Scope of berries
Blue Free is a variety of plum, which is suitable for the production of prunes, dryers, canned food. Transportation and storage is allowed. This is a versatile variety that is convenient to use for home purposes (compotes, jams, freezing) and industrial - products canned in its own juice, dried fruits and preparations.
Disease and pest resistance
Homemade Blue Free plums never get sick, but prevention is required to protect against weeds and rodents. There is also a need for top dressing so that the yield is better in terms of characteristics.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Of the disadvantages of Blue Free, one can single out the need for constant pruning of the crown to increase the growth of new branches and the yield, respectively. The advantages here are obvious - large sweet fruits of high quality, unpretentiousness to weather conditions.
Planting and caring for a BlueFree plum
The Blue Free plum needs care before and after planting. To carry out the planting process correctly, you need to be guided by the rules. Then you can hope for the best result in at least 3 years.
Recommended timing
It is best to plant BlueFree plums in the fall, when October rolls around, but there is still no frost. If cold weather has come, disembarkation is postponed to spring, when the thaw period has passed.
Choosing the right place
The soil for the Blue Free must be fertile and with groundwater. This is a feature of Blue Free plums. The rootstock is necessary due to the growth of the tree, as it tolerates both heat and cold. The feeding zone is in the range of 4-6 m for adult trees, and for semi-dwarf trees, it is enough to create a 3-4 m area.
What crops can and cannot be planted nearby
It is advisable to avoid other varieties of plum besides pollinators near the Blue Free. You can limit yourself to only two varieties, if desired.
Selection and preparation of planting material
If the pits are not prepared in the fall, the digging algorithm is carried out in the spring. For this you need:
- Clear the land of weeds.
- Fill the pit bottoms with warm earth to warm up.
- The dimensions of each seat are 60 x 70 cm.
- Bad land requires preparation.
You can fertilize the soil for Blue Free with wood ash, humus, compost. Mixing of all substances is allowed for uniform feeding of the tree. Substituting elements are considered to be superphosphates and potassium salt in a 1: 1 ratio in the amount of 1-2 tablespoons. This is enough for a seedling for 4 years.
Landing algorithm
After planting the seedlings of the Blue Friar plum, the ditch is covered with soil. Damaged branches and roots are cut off so that they do not get burned. After that, you need to stamp the ground with your foot so that the sock looks towards the trunk. Further, a hole is formed from the "rollers" of the earth, where water is poured. You need to prepare about 50 liters of water, 3-4 buckets for each tree. The hole should be mulched, that is, it should be covered with peat or humus. A layer of up to 12 cm is quite acceptable for BlueFree plums.
Thus, the soil will not dry out in the heat, and the tree will not need additional watering. If trees are inoculated, then the place should be 15 cm above the soil level.
Plum follow-up care
In winter, the seedlings do not need to be watered, only pruned. It is carried out without fail by removing unwanted branches. Shoots are damaged, deteriorate - they must be removed from the tree. In the spring, loosening of the earth is carried out - a place is dug around the seedlings over the next 2 years. Weeds are also needed.
Crown formation at the Blue Free plum
The crown of young trees is formed within 2-3 years. This event takes place every season, especially in the spring. It is necessary to carefully remove dry shoots from the BlueFree plum, create a round crown. If the temperature in spring (in May) is below +10 0C, the sap flow stops, which means that a transplant is required.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
BlueFree plum is immune to diseases and pests. There is no need to treat the tree with drugs or protect it from rodents and pests in the garden.
Conclusion
Blue Free plum is a combination of unpretentiousness and quality of the fruit, which becomes more and more with each fruiting year. If the trees are watered correctly, the Blue Free variety will not only yield stable yields, but will also increase fruit size by 10-20%.
