Red-leaved spreading plum - an elegant decoration of the garden
The beautification of suburban areas with ornamental crops is gaining popularity. For this purpose, splayed plum (cherry plum) with dark red leaves, bark and fruits is ideal. Graceful trees with a purple crown bring a special flavor to the garden space and become an accent in landscape design.
All purple varieties of cherry plum easily tolerate pruning, so the crown can be formed for any landscape design idea. A separately growing red-leaved plum looks great, standing out favorably against the background of the surrounding greenery. Intensive planting creates an original hedgerow with an added advantage of height.
After massive pruning, the decorative plum ceases to bear fruit.
Red-leaved plum - description
To achieve the best aesthetic effect, the red-leaved plum variety is selected according to the planting intensity. With a high density of stands, trees with a small crown volume are required.
General description of the red-leaved plum:
- Average height is 6 m.
- It lends itself well to large pruning.
- The fruits are small, not juicy, without a pronounced taste.
- Flowering begins in April.
- Harvests ripen late - before autumn frosts.
- Resists drought and frost well.
- Does not get sick, but is attacked by aphids.
- The average life expectancy is 50 years.
- It has two growing options: in the form of a multi-stem bush and a standard tree.
In landscape design, a decorative plum with red leaves is used to balance the arrangement of the garden, to create a focal element. A single tree is shaded rest zone, and a group planting creates a high fence.
Spread plum - popular decorative varieties
The spreading Nigra plum is very popular. The variety has won universal love for its amazing combination of decorative and taste characteristics. Sweet and juicy plums are a great bonus to a lush purple crown. Nigra takes root well in any climate.
The Cistena variety grows as a beautiful pyramidal shrub that is fast growing. The fruit does not taste particularly good.
Pissardi is another popular variety of decorative plum with red leaves. The tree has a densely branched crown. The leaves are distinguished not only by a rich burgundy color, but also by an unusual shape; the harvest does not carry nutritional value.
Hessei is a slow growing variety. Leaves from the beginning to the end of the growing season change color from green to purple with a cream edging. In terms of the quality of the fruits, the Hessei cannot be equated to the spreading Nigra plum, but their taste is quite pleasant.
Planting and caring for decorative red-leaved plum
A seedling from 1 to 5 years old is suitable for planting on a site. A biennial plant should reach 1.5 meters in height and have an average of four main roots of 30 cm. The main stem should have at least three side shoots.
After planting, a 5-year-old seedling does not necessarily outstrip a 2 or 3-year-old in development. Damage to massive roots can stop crown development for a long time.
For a splayed plum, a place with the following characteristics is suitable:
- lack of winds;
- good soil drainage;
- high illumination.
Planting red-leaved cherry plum takes place in several stages:
- Soil preparation. A few months before planting, the selected area is cleaned, deep cultivation and soil disinfection are carried out. A mixture of sand, manure and superphosphate is introduced. A week before planting, a hole is dug 60 cm deep and 1 m wide. The excavated soil is mixed with compost and wood ash, poured back and watered abundantly. A peg deepens in the center.
- Seedling preparation. Two hours before planting, the roots of the spread plum are immersed in the solution fungicide.
- Planting cherry plum. The roots are placed in the hole so that, as a result, the root collar of the seedling is at a distance of 2 cm from the ground. The earth should be compacted and watered abundantly, the drain should be tied to a peg.
After planting the ornamental red-leaved plum, it is important to take care of proper care. It includes watering three times a month, which each time should end with mulching the soil. Top dressing is introduced in the third year. Suitable periods for fertilization: before bud swelling, fruit formation, one week after harvest.
Experienced gardeners recommend alternating mineral fertilizers with organic fertilizers every year.
Pruning of red-leaved plums in order to form a crown is carried out in the spring a year after being transferred to open ground. It is important to remember about the need for regular sanitary pruning, including the removal of crooked shoots.
The number of fans of the spreading plum with red leaves is constantly growing, because it gives high aesthetic pleasure in exchange for simple care. An elegant plant is capable of ennobling the most simple suburban area to design.