Japanese plum: description of varieties and cultivation. Japanese apricot flowering time Japanese plum apricot name

The first flowers of spring in Japan are blooming not from the famous sakura, but from ume - Japanese plum, or Japanese apricot.

The tradition of viewing flowers plums - hanami- has its roots in ancient times, ume flowers are considered a symbol of spring, because they are among the very first to bloom (from February 20 to March 31). Back in the 8th century, admiring plum blossoms was even more popular than admiring cherry blossoms.

Plum viewing is a particularly popular place among young people: it is believed that this will bring good luck in entrance exams. Plum trees there are various types, many of which have been cultivated by the Japanese for centuries. In Japan, ume grows in every garden. According to tradition, it is planted in the north-eastern corner of the garden to protect the house from evil that supposedly comes from that direction.

Didn't pass by Japanese plum and our latitudes. True, we grow not exactly classic ume, but somewhat modified ones. Promotion of the Japanese plum throughout the open spaces post-Soviet space contributed to the selection achievements of Eremin G.V. But still about types of Japanese plum we know little, although in our conditions middle zone she showed herself very well. What is the economic value and direct interest in these varieties? Japanese plum?

Japanese plum - a souvenir of the East

Chinese-American-Ussuri hybrid. A tree of medium vigor, with a spreading crown. Very winter-hardy variety. Productivity is high. The fruits are large (40 g), rounded with a strongly pronounced side seam, and dark burgundy when fully ripe. The pulp is yellow-orange, dense, juicy, sweet-spicy taste, with a pleasant sourness. They resemble peaches in appearance and taste. Ripen in mid-August. It is highly resistant to rot.

Japanese plum. Variety Alyonushka

This is a seedling of Kozlovsky Prune, pollinated with a mixture of Japanese plum pollen. The tree is vigorous, winter-hardy, produces bountiful harvest. Large (up to 40 g) fruits with short stalks, closely spaced. Therefore, fruits often rot, transmitting the infection from one to another. The fruits are egg-shaped, raspberry-violet in color with a waxy coating, and have a dessert taste. High self-fertility. Ripens in early August.

Japanese plum. Variety Kahinta

The variety was obtained by crossing large-fruited Japanese variety Apple with large-fruited variety of American plum Terry. The tree is medium-sized. Winter hardiness is high. Productivity is moderate. It bears fruit in the 3rd year after planting. The fruits are ovoid, dark red with a slight bluish bloom. They ripen in early September. The skin of the fruit is very tough. The variety requires annual pruning of annual shoots.

Japanese plum. Variety Skoroplodnaya

Russian hybrid of Ussuriyskaya red and Klimex varieties. Japanese plum tree characterized by strong growth, but forms a relatively small, rounded, spreading crown. The variety has very high winter hardiness; even harsh winters are not scary for it. It begins to bear fruit in 2-3 years and bears fruit abundantly. The fruits are round, bright red with a slight bloom, and ripen at the end of August. Extraordinarily tasty: aromatic, harmoniously sweet and sour, with juicy, refreshing pulp.

Japanese apricot- is a symbol of perseverance, as together with bamboo and pine it symbolizes overcoming the difficulties of winter. There is also a festival dedicated to plum blossoms in Japan, which is celebrated throughout the country in parks, sanctuaries and temples.

Difference in fruit tastes Japanese plum and ours (so to speak, domestic) is very large. Ume fruits are not eaten just like that. They are marinated, salted, and placed in rice. The Japanese even have an opinion that eating salted plums for breakfast will bring good luck. Pickled ume is called "umeboshi". They are red in color, very salty and sour at the same time. Umeboshi is usually eaten with rice and is also used as a filling. The Japanese also make moonshine from plums - umeshu - a cheap drink that the Russian people proudly call slivyanka. Ume liqueur, with a strength of 10-15°, is also quite popular in Japan.

Japanese plum, but here...

By appearance Japanese plum trees differ sharply from other types of plums and cherry plums. These are medium-sized, compact trees, with gray-brown branches and brown annual shoots, on which bouquet branches are densely located (a vegetative bud in the center, 2-8 floral ones on the periphery). The leaves are quite narrow and long, more like peach leaves than plum leaves.

First of all, this is an unusually fast-fruiting crop: 2-3 years after planting, you can already harvest a cash crop due to the fact that flower buds are laid in the same way as in peach, on annual growth. Secondly, the fruits have a dessert taste and are very large in size (in the Premier Ozark variety they reach a weight of 100 g - these are the largest plums). They are elegant, of various colors: from light yellow to dark blue. All Japanese plums do not separate the pit, but this is more likely biological feature rather than a disadvantage.

Thirdly, unlike the European plum, Japanese plum It is practically not affected by the moth, the sawfly, or the codling moth, but it can be bothered by moniliosis. Moreover, quite severe damage to the shoots can lead to complete drying out of the trees.

As for the features of ume agricultural technology, they fall within the framework of the usual agrotechnical requirements for growing plums: the rootstock for it can be seedlings of plums, apricots, cherry plums, damsons, and felt cherries.

The best method of reproduction is budding (in summer) and improved copulation (in spring). Grafting behind the bark and “spinner” works much worse. Due to the low winter hardiness of some varieties of Japanese plum, in our climatic conditions It is advisable to graft them into the crown of adult rootstocks. At the same time, their winter hardiness increases significantly.

It is also advisable to whiten the trunks and skeletal branches of these fruit trees in November with lime or water-based paint in order to avoid frost damage and sunburn. Since their flower buds are formed on annual growth, it makes sense to annually cyclically pruning these plums, otherwise there will be an overload of the harvest and baldness of the crown. Japanese plum fruit ume are universal. They are used as fresh, and in processed form. The good ones are jams and marmalades - good viscosity is promoted by the high content of pectin substances. Compotes and other drinks made from ume have a rich aroma. All Japanese plum varieties are self-fertile, but with cross-pollination their productivity is always higher. Hybrid cherry plum can also be a good pollinator for Japanese plums, although their flowering dates do not exactly coincide.

Buy Amur velvet seeds in berries (50 berries). Dioecious tree, reaching 25-28 m in height and up to 90-120 cm in trunk diameter. The crown in the forest is raised high, in the open air it is tent-shaped and low-set. The leaves are compound, odd-pinnate, opposite, reminiscent in shape of ash leaves, but with narrower blades and a characteristic odor. The leaves bloom later than other deciduous species - at the end of May and even in June. in autumn green leaves gradually acquire a bright yellow color, sometimes with an orange-copper tint. Tree Amur velvet begins to bloom in the 18-20th year of life. Blooms in June - early July, about 10 days. The flowers are small (up to 0.8 cm in diameter), inconspicuous, yellowish-green, unisexual, collected in paniculate racemes, up to 12 cm long. Pollination is carried out by insects. The fruits ripen in September and are spherical black, slightly shiny drupes, usually with 5 seeds, inedible, with a strong specific odor, up to 1 cm in diameter. Fruiting is annual. The tree produces up to 10 kg of fruit. Healing properties Amur velvet (consult your doctor before use). A decoction of the bark and fruits of this tree is used for pleurisy, pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia and diabetes. Decoctions have astringent, deodorizing, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties. For a variety of skin diseases, a decoction of Amur velvet bark is used. To treat dysentery, diseases of the oral cavity and stomach, a tincture of the fruits of this tree is used. For nephritis and leprosy, a decoction of the bark of young Amur velvet is effective. Scientists conducted a lot of experiments and came to the conclusion that all medicinal preparations prepared from Amur velvet lower blood pressure and have fungicidal properties. Also, Amur velvet increases resistance to tumors, sarcomas and hematomas. Medicinal properties and the use of Amur velvet fruits. Eating Amur velvet fruits helps lower blood sugar levels. The fruits of this tree contain approximately 8% Daily intake of fruits is mandatory, otherwise the expected therapeutic effect will not occur. If you take the fruits of Amur velvet daily for six months, your blood sugar level will drop to normal. Amur velvet fruits are used in the treatment of colds and flu in the following way: in the evening before bed you need to take 1-2 pieces of fruit. They need to be chewed or simply held in the mouth for a few minutes. This one intake of fruits will be sufficient if the disease has just begun, but if the disease has been going on for a long time, this intake should be repeated several more times. The medicinal properties of velvet fruits are also effective in case of increased blood pressure. Half an hour before meals you need to take 1-2 pieces of fruit daily. However, despite such numerous medicinal properties of the fruits of Amur velvet, there are some contraindications to their use: - the fruits of this tree contain some substances that in large quantities can harm human health, and therefore more than 5 pieces of fruits should not be taken during the day ; - young children should not take the fruits of Amur velvet at all; - from eating the fruits of this tree it is possible to develop allergies; - when using Amur velvet fruits, you should not drink coffee, strong tea, alcohol, and smoking is also contraindicated. Medicinal properties and uses of Amur velvet bark.

Amur velvet bark is used as an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic agent for various diseases. The medicinal properties of the bark of this tree are effective against dysentery and inflammation of the colon. For diseases of the lungs, pleura, exhaustion and infectious hepatitis, an infusion of Amur velvet bark with leaves of the same tree is used. A decoction of the bark is used in Tibet by folk healers, who recommend it to people with lymphadenopathy, kidney disease, polyarthritis, and allergic dermatitis. For ascites, tincture of velvet bark is used. Velvet bark is also used for surgical wounds.

200 rub Only the lazy don't write about sakura. But the first flowers of spring in Japan are not the famous sakura, but plums(Japanese apricot). Plum blossoms begin as early as February, long before the sakura buds bloom. Unlike cherries, plums have a subtle aroma that is a combination of bubblegum, tea rose and talcum powder. In the Nara era, when this tree was brought from China, the blossoming plum was revered more than sakura, the word flower was associated among the Japanese with the ume flower, and admiring the blossoms of the Japanese apricot was even more popular than admiring the blossoms of sakura. The plum grows wild in China, from where it was brought to the Japanese archipelago and has played an important role in the culture of the country for many centuries. In English-speaking countries, this tree of the Rosaceae family is called Japanese apricot, in other countries - Japanese plum, Chinese plum. In Latin it is called Prunus Mume, and in Japanese - ume(梅). Plum trees come in many varieties, many of which have been cultivated by the Japanese for centuries. In the country, ume grows in every garden; according to tradition, it is planted in the northeastern corner of the garden to protect against evil that supposedly comes from the other side.

IN English language Ume is translated not as plum, but as Japanese apricot. Plum and apricot are varieties of the same tree, the name does not matter, because both ultimately end up on Japanese table in such a form that it would never even occur to us to compare it with our sweet plum or apricot. The difference in taste between the fruits of Japanese plums and ours is very large. The Japanese do not eat ume fruits just like that, but pickle them, salt them, and put them in rice. Eating salted plum for breakfast also brings good luck. Pickled ume is called umeboshi(梅干). Seasoned with salt and purple Shiso leaves, they are red in color and very salty and sour. Plum fruits for making umeboshi are harvested in late May or early June, when they are still green. They are moved with salt and placed under a stone press until the end of August. They are then dried in the sun on bamboo mats. Umeboshi is usually eaten with rice as part of a bento, and is also used as a filling for the popular onigiri.

The Japanese make moonshine from plums umeshu, a cheap drink for the Japanese, but with the proud name of plum wine in Russian literature. Ume liqueur with a strength of 10-15% is also quite popular in Japan; various brands of this liqueur are ordered in restaurants, served with ice and tonic, and cocktails are made from it. Its mixture with green tea is popular. Ume leaves are used as the family coat of arms - mona. Japanese apricot is a symbol of perseverance, as, together with bamboo and pine, it symbolizes overcoming the difficulties of winter. The leaves of the tree appear shortly after the petals fall; they are oval in shape, with a pointed tip. Their design on the mona, along with characters that literally mean "apricot leaves", appears to have originated in Southeast Asia and eventually came to Japan via Tang China. This motif is reminiscent of saddles and bridles. Very often, ume leaves are confused with the ginger leaf design. If the image used is not a real image, but a stylization, then this is an umebachi plant - Parnassia palustris.

It so happened that Japanese apricot (photo on the left) is actually a plum, as it belongs to the Rosaceae family, the genus Plum. Once upon a time, the Chinese plum was brought to Japan from China (its natural habitat), so it began to be called the Japanese apricot. Now this species has many alternative names, such as Chinese plum, Japanese plum, mume apricot (Prunus mume), ume plum (ume is how the name sounds in Japanese). In fact, this is a designation for the same wild species. Chinese plum is a tree, or less commonly a shrub, that grows naturally on the high slopes of the mountains of Central and Northern China. Japanese apricot also has various selectively bred varieties in the form of shrubs or trees. For example: the Omoi-nomama shrub has white flowers that bloom for only a few days and emit a honey aroma.

Appearance Japanese apricot (Japanese plum). It is a fairly spreading deciduous deciduous tree or shrub, growing up to 6 meters in height. The leaves of the ume plum are round-oval on the inner edge, and elongated and pointed towards the outer edge. The color of the bark is greenish-gray.

Japanese plum blossom (Chinese plum). In fact, the Japanese apricot blooms even earlier than the famous sakura, in the month of February. Flowering lasts about 10 days. The beautiful blooming Chinese plum has long attracted and fascinated the Japanese, who have always admired this plant, dedicated poems to it, considered it a symbol of spring, and used it in images of family coats of arms and ornaments.

Ume plum blossoms have pink or White color. The flowers have many petals, often double flowers, quite fluffy, voluminous with long, numerous stamens, the number of which reaches up to 35 - 40 pieces. A subtle pleasant aroma emanates from the flowers.

Ume plum fruit (Chinese plums) are yellow, sometimes greenish in color - they have a harsh pulp that practically does not separate from the stone. The fruits are sour.

Uses of Japanese apricot . The fruits are used only in the form of marinades, pickles, to obtain the popular Asian liqueur umeshu, or to obtain valuable apricot oil. The shrub or tree itself has long been cultivated in Japan as an ornamental or fruit plant.

Valuable properties Japanese apricot oil(ume plums). The oil helps with acute and chronic gastritis, and is also used to prevent stomach cancer, heart disease vascular diseases, cures diseases nervous system, replenishes the lack of vitamins, is used for cosmetic purposes for massages, cures minor burns, skin damage, maintains its water balance, preventing moisture loss, smoothes the skin, nourishes it and fights wrinkles. In addition, it has a very beneficial effect on hair. Main properties of oil Chinese plum or ume plums - anti-inflammatory, rejuvenating, tonic. For cosmetic purposes it is used in pure form either in the form of mixtures with other oils, or added to lotions, creams, shampoos and other care products.

The flowering of gardens in Japan is a well-known and widely advertised event. When you mention it, the first thing that comes to mind is sakura. However, there are in the Country rising sun Another decorative and at the same time bringing fruit is the Japanese plum. Reviews about it among gardeners are quite a rare occurrence, as is the plant itself, which in our area is considered almost exotic.

What is this fruit?

Its second name is Japanese apricot, or mume. The plant is a representative of the Rosaceae family, Plum genus. Most often it is a deciduous tall tree (5-7 m) with greenish-gray smooth bark, less often a shrub. Over the course of a year it produces strong growth and green shoots. The leaves are ovoid in shape with narrow-toothed edges; they are pubescent below and sometimes above. The Japanese plum (you can see the photo below) blooms very luxuriantly and for a long time. The amazing spectacle continues for 2-2.5 months: it begins with early spring, and fruiting occurs already in July. The flowers are most often sessile, double or simple, with a strong aroma. They can be white or pink. The fruits are slightly sour, yellow or greenish in color, the stone is difficult to separate from the pulp and has a clearly pitted surface.

IN wildlife Japanese plum grows on rocky mountain slopes (300-2500 m above sea level) in northern and central China. It is actively grown in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

Japanese plum in culture

In their gardens it is fruit tree people began to grow it since ancient times. The plant was supposedly brought to Japan in the 8th century from China, and there are now approximately 350 species of plums. It is the mume plum, not the sakura, that blooms first. The tradition of admiring flowers goes back centuries. Wakayama Prefecture is especially famous for the splendor and beauty of mume blossoms. The trees seem to be covered with a fragrant white and pink cloud. Flowering there begins in January and continues until April. But in Europe the plant appeared relatively recently: information about it has been found since 1878. Since then withdrawn a large number of decorative forms and garden varieties.

Use in cooking

Japanese apricot fruits are eaten mainly in processed form, since when fresh they are highly acidic. Famous marinades and pickles are made from them. A traditional addition to a serving of boiled rice among the Japanese is umeboshi - pickled fruits. Also, Japanese plum serves as the basis for creating a liqueur popular in Asian countries - umeshu (pictured).

According to the eastern calendar, the tree itself is a symbol of the New Year and spring. Therefore, for the holiday, the Japanese often give friends a small specimen of plum in a pot.

Growing from seed in summer and autumn

This can be done if you are lucky enough to come across fresh aromatic fruits of the tree. The method is quite simple and does not require complex measures and hassle. Knowing how to grow a Japanese plum from a seed, you will have a exotic plant. You can even cultivate it in the garden, although only in warm regions.

You can plant the seeds in the ground or in separate pots. The best way The end of July - beginning of August is approaching. Natural or artificial stratification will be required when germination in late autumn or in early spring respectively.

If you are not going to plant the seed immediately after eating the fruit, then you need to dry it and save it until the fall, when the first frosts begin. When the time comes, dig a small trench in the garden and fill it with nutritious soil from humus, turf and leaf soil, and sand. Planting depth is 5 cm. The Japanese plum usually sprouts in May of the following year.

Planting in early spring

IN in this case we're talking about about artificial stratification. The most suitable time is the beginning of April. To prepare the seeds towards the end of January, place them in containers with drainage holes with damp sand. Then put the pots in the basement or refrigerator, where the temperature does not rise above two degrees. It is necessary to maintain sand moisture. Well, in the spring you can transplant them into soil mixture or open ground.

Japanese plum in our country

The real discoverer who introduced the world gardening community to this amazing fruit is Luther Burbank. He did a great job selection work and received new hybrids, some of which are still popular today.

In its original form, the Japanese plum summer cottage in Russia it can grow only in its southern regions (Crimea, Caucasus), where warm winters and But the hybrids bred by breeders have higher winter hardiness, and their cultivation area has been noticeably expanded. Growing is possible both from seed and using seedlings.

Japanese plum: planting and care

The tree bears abundant and regular fruit. From the moment it occurs, the suppression of annual growth begins. In this regard, the tree requires annual cyclic pruning and crown rejuvenation.

It is noteworthy that all varieties of Japanese plum are not affected by sharka, they are to a small extent susceptible to sawfly and codling moth, which undoubtedly sets them apart from the rest.

How does the Japanese plum behave on the site? Caring for her is supposed to be the same as for her ordinary relatives. Let's focus only on the main points.

1. Planting can be done both in spring and autumn. The pit needs to be prepared 2 weeks before the expected date. Its size should be 60 * 60 * 60 cm, the addition of humus is required.
2. The circle around the trunk must be mulched after planting and watering using peat or compost.
3. Fertilizers (organic and mineral) are applied to trunk circle, depending on the needs of the plant. In spring, nitrogen preparations are needed. They promote growth and gain of green mass. In the second half of the growing season, it is recommended to apply phosphorus- and nitrogen-potassium fertilizers, and in the fall - organic fertilizers (humus and compost).
4. Root shoots must be removed within a radius of up to 3 m from the main tree.
5. Some varieties require an event such as fruit thinning. When there are too many ovaries, they must be partially removed before they begin to fill. This will improve the quality of the remaining harvest and preserve the tree's strength for next year.
6. Japanese plum also needs pruning and is recommended to be done in spring or early summer when there is no sharp changes temperatures during the day. This will protect the tree from diseases.
7. A good harvest is guaranteed by planting several varieties of plums with different terms fruit ripening.
8. Pick plums in a slightly unripe state and then they will last much longer.

Japanese plum varieties

1. Alyonushka is the most famous variety. The appearance is sharply different from the European plum we are used to. The tree grows to medium height and has a dense spherical crown. The weight of the fruits is up to 40 g, they are pink in color and have a short stalk. The pulp is sweet and juicy and does not separate from the stone. The variety has high frost resistance.
2. Skoroplodnaya is perhaps the only variety that can be found and grown even in the Urals. The main advantage is the low-growing crown and rapid entry into the fruiting period. The fruits are bright red, smaller in weight - only about 20 g.
3. Shiro (pictured above). It was developed at the end of the 19th century by L. Burbank. The tree grows tall and has a pyramidal crown. The fruits, weighing 25 g, have a lemon color and soft, juicy flesh with veins. This is a frost-resistant hybrid Japanese plum. “How to grow such a miracle at home?” - many will ask. It's simple: caring for it is the same as for ordinary, zoned species.
4. Red heart (pictured below). The name is related to the shape of the fruit. They are large (up to 60 g), dark red in color, juicy, with a pleasant dessert taste. The tree is tall with a spreading crown.

When grown in our gardens, Japanese plum deserves much more attention. The plant has a number of positive qualities, among which high stability to diseases, keeping quality of fruits (picked while still green, they ripen without problems at home without losing their taste), ease of care.