Content
Chinese plum Vika is one of the varieties of Siberian selection. Its main features are high winter hardiness and early ripening.
Breeding history of the variety
The Chinese plum Vika was obtained at the Scientific Research Institute of Horticulture of Siberia named after V.I. M. A. Lisavenko. The work was carried out in the Altai mountains. The author of the variety was M.N. Matyunin.
Several seedlings were obtained by free pollination of Skoroplodnaya plum. The most persistent specimens were registered under the name Vika. In 1999, the Vika variety was entered in the state register.
Description of the plum variety Vika
Vika plum is a low-growing tree with a compact rounded crown. The stem is poorly expressed. Shoots are thin, straight or slightly curved, brown-yellow in color, with small lenticels. The branches grow at an acute angle relative to the trunk.
The leaves are dark green, of medium size, 5 cm wide and 11 cm long. The shape of the leaves is elliptical, the base is conical, the tip is pointed. The sheet is uneven, looks like a boat. The petioles are medium in size.
Flowers are collected in buds of 2-3 pcs., Bloom before the leaves. The corolla of the flower is cupped, the petals are small, narrow, white.
Description of Vika fruit:
- ovoid plum is elongated at the top;
- height about 40 mm, thickness - 30 mm;
- weight 14-15 g;
- color is bright yellow;
- rough skin;
- light yellow pulp, fibrous, medium juiciness;
- the stone is small, easily separated from the pulp.
Tasting assessment of Vika variety - 4.2 points.
The fruits contain:
- dry matter - 14.6%;
- sugar - 10.6%;
- acids - 0.9%;
- vitamin C - 13.2 mg /%.
Variety characteristics
When choosing a variety of Chinese plum, attention is paid to its characteristics: resistance to drought, frost, yield, advantages and disadvantages.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
The yellow vetch plum has a low drought tolerance. The irrigation scheme is chosen taking into account precipitation. Watering is especially important when flowering and pouring fruits.
Winter hardiness of fruit buds and wood is satisfactory. Additional cover of the plum helps to increase this indicator.
Plum pollinators
The Vika variety is self-fertile; to obtain a harvest, the planting of pollinators is required: home or Chinese plum. For cross-pollination, it is necessary that the trees bloom at the same time.
Best pollinators for Vetch plum:
- Altai Jubilee;
- Peresvet;
- Goryanka;
- Ksenia;
- Drooping.
Vika plum blossoms and bears fruit early. The harvest ripens in the first half of August. Fruiting is annual.
Productivity and fruiting
The Vika plum variety is characterized by abundant fruiting. The first fruits ripen 3 years after planting. The yield of the tree increases with age.
10-12 kg of fruit are removed from the tree. The plum is held by a short stalk: it takes effort to separate it. The Vika variety is characterized by resistance to fruit shedding. Therefore, a ripe plum hangs on the branches for a long time.
Scope of berries
The Vika variety has universal application.The fruits are used fresh as a dessert, as well as in home canning for compote, jam, jam.
Disease and pest resistance
Vika plum is weakly susceptible to clotterosporium disease. Fungicides are used to protect the tree from fungal diseases.
Pest resistance is average. The plum rarely attacks the moth, but the tree is often attacked by the seed eater.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Benefits of Vika plum:
- early maturity;
- fruits do not crumble for a long time after ripening;
- high productivity;
- good taste.
Disadvantages of plum wick:
- low resistance to damping and drought;
- susceptible to pest attacks.
Planting and caring for Vika plum
Vick plum is planted in spring or autumn, depending on the climatic conditions in the region. A landing pit is prepared in advance, if necessary, the composition of the soil is improved.
Recommended timing
In the southern regions, the Vika plum is planted in October, when the sap flow slows down in the trees. The plant will have time to take root and will tolerate winter cold well.
In cold climates, planting is transferred to the spring, when the soil warms up enough. However, the work is performed before budding on the trees.
Choosing the right place
The place for the drain is chosen taking into account a number of conditions:
- constant natural light;
- lack of moisture stagnation;
- south or west facing;
- fertile, drained soil.
What crops can and cannot be planted nearby
Good neighbors for plums are cherry, cherry, cherry plum. The culture is removed from the apple and pear by 5 m or more. Neighborhood with large trees is also undesirable: birch, poplar, linden. It is also not recommended to plant Vick plum next to raspberries and currants.
Selection and preparation of planting material
For planting, choose annual Vika plum saplings. Before purchase, the plant is assessed visually. A healthy seedling has a strong root system, there are no traces of rot, mold, cracks and other damage. If the roots of the trees are overdried, they are kept in water for 4–5 hours before planting.
Landing algorithm
A hole under the Vika plum is dug 1–2 months before the tree is planted. If work is planned for the spring, you need to take care of the pit in the fall. This is necessary due to soil shrinkage.
The order of planting plum Vika:
- A pit 60 cm in diameter and 70 cm deep is prepared in the selected area.
- Then a wooden or metal stake is driven in.
- In equal amounts, combine fertile soil and compost, add 200 g of superphosphate and 40 g of potassium salt.
- The substrate is poured into the pit and left to shrink.
- When the time comes for planting, fertile soil is poured to form a hill.
- Plum is planted on top. Its roots are spread and covered with earth.
- The soil is compacted and watered abundantly.
Plum follow-up care
- Vika plum is watered 3 to 5 times per season, including during flowering and ripening of fruits. However, excess moisture in the soil is more detrimental to the crop. 6-10 liters of water are poured under the tree. The older the plum, the more moisture it needs. Mulching the soil with peat or humus helps to reduce the amount of watering.
- If fertilizers were applied to the planting pit, then full-fledged top dressing begins 2 years after planting the plum. Watering is combined with top dressing: 50 g of potash and phosphorus fertilizers are added to 10 liters of water. In early spring, the tree is watered with slurry. Every 3 years, they dig up the soil and add 10 kg of compost per 1 sq. m.
A set of simple measures will help to prepare a Vika plum for winter: abundant watering and mulching of the soil with compost. For young trees, frames are erected and burlap is attached to them.From above, the planting is covered with spruce branches. So that the trunk is not damaged by rodents, it is closed with a casing made of a metal pipe or sheet metal.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
Diseases of the culture are listed in the table.
Diseases | Symptoms | Ways to fight | Precautions |
Clasterosporium disease | Brown spots on the leaves with a dark border, cracks in the bark. | Trees with copper sulfate or Hom fungicide. | 1. Preventive spraying. 2. Pruning plums. 3. Cleaning of leaves on the site. |
Coccomycosis | Small brown spots appear on the upper part of the leaves, and a powdery coating on the lower part. | Spraying plums with a solution of the drug "Abiga-peak" or "Horus". |
The main pests of the Chinese plum are shown in the table.
Pest | Signs of defeat | Ways to fight | Precautions |
Seed eater | The seed eater caterpillars eat the fruits from the inside. As a result, the plum falls off. | Spraying trees with Actellik solution. | 1. Removal of root growth. 2. Clearing old bark from trees. 3. Whitewashing the plum trunk. |
Plum aphid | Aphid colonies live on the back of the leaves. As a result, the foliage curls and dries up. | Treatment of trees with a solution of the drug "Nitrofen". |
Conclusion
Vika plum is a reliable Siberian variety with a high yield. Crop care is reduced to watering and feeding. In order for the tree to better endure the winter, it is provided with shelter.
Reviews of gardeners about Vika plum
