Plum Firefly

If you want to grow a plum tree, which yields delicious fruits every year, it is recommended to give preference to unpretentious and disease-resistant varieties. One of these is the plum Firefly of domestic selection.

Svetlyachok varietal plum was obtained as a result of the work of a group of breeders of the All-Russian Research Institute named after V.I. Michurin - G. A. Kursakova, R. E. Bogdanova, L. E. Kursakova and G. G. Nikiforova. A variety was obtained by crossing two species - Volzhskaya krasavitsa and Eurasia 21. The breeding of a fruit crop in 2004 was recorded. After variety trials, the variety was entered in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation in 2011. The variety is recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth region.

The Firefly home plum is a medium-sized tree with a spreading crown, which is moderately thickened with dark green leaves with dullness. Under favorable conditions, the tree can grow up to 5 meters in height. The plum is characterized by an oval crown, thin, upright brown-brown shoots and a developed root system. During flowering, and it falls on May 10-20, the crown of the tree is simply covered with not very large snow-white flowers.

The Firefly home plum is a large-fruited species. Fruits weighing 39.5 grams grow on the tree. The shape of the plums is correct - wide-rounded, covered with a perfectly smooth skin with a waxy coating. Ripe plums are endowed with an unusual color - bright yellow, diluted with a light bluish bloom. The peel of the fruit is thin, elastic with barely visible subcutaneous punctures. The stem of the plum is thin, so the fruit is easily separated from the branch. There is practically no abdominal suture in the fruit.

The universal purpose of the fruits allows them not only to be consumed fresh, but also massively used in cooking, as well as to make various preparations for the winter. Collected plums are not prone to cracking, they tolerate transportation well, and can also be stored in a cool place for a long time. To increase keeping quality, the plum must be cut from the tree with scissors, and also not to remove the wax film.

Firefly is one of the most delicious yellow-fruited plums. The pale yellow pulp of the fruit has a delicate, moderately dense and fleshy structure with an abundant amount of juice. The fruit has a balanced taste - sweet and sour, perfectly combined with a pleasant fruity aroma. A small bone inside the fruit is easily separated from the pulp. The pulp contains 13% sugars and less than 1% acids.

Firefly is a medium-ripening plum tree. You can evaluate the taste of the fruit in the 3-4th year after planting. Fruiting in a culture is stable - annual. Plums ripen gradually, so the harvest takes place in several stages. The peak of fruiting occurs in the last week of July - the first ten days of August. The life cycle of a culture is 19-25 years, and the culture bears fruit for 10-15 years.

The plum crop is a high-yielding crop. Taking care of the tree, providing it with favorable conditions for development and fruiting, you can get a good harvest. On average, 13 kg of ripe plums can be removed from 1 tree per season. On an industrial scale, you can count on 112 centners per hectare.

This mid-season plum species is quite popular. Its growing geography has expanded significantly in recent years. Plum is massively grown in the Central Black Earth region - these are Lipetsk, Kursk, Oryol, Tambov, Voronezh, Belgorod and Moscow regions.

The firefly is not a self-fertile tree, so pollinating varieties are indispensable. Donor trees should bloom at the same time as this plum species. The best pollinators for the Firefly are: Collective farm Renklod, Fruitful Renklod, Lighthouse.

It is recommended to plant a seedling, taking into account the climatic characteristics of the growing region. In the southern part of the country, the plum is planted in the fall - a month before stable frosts, and in the northern strip - in early spring - before the growing season. One / two-year-old seedling with a developed root system is ideal.

It is better to plant a plum on a small hill, where there is a lot of light and solar heat. Groundwater must go deep without affecting the root system, otherwise the tree will die. The soil should be loose, breathable, moist, fertile with a neutral acidity index. The distance between trees should be at least 4 meters so that the crowns do not shade each other.

The tree does not require super-complicated agricultural technology, but regular watering, loosening of the near-stem zone, fertilization, protection from viruses and insects must be provided. In addition, do not forget about sanitary pruning of branches, crown formation, partial thinning, so that the sun is enough for all ripening fruits. It is also worth preparing the plum for the winter - whitewash the trunk and branches, mulch the soil using humus, and wrap the trunk with roofing material, which will provide protection from rodents.

The culture is characterized by high immunity, providing resistance to many standard diseases of stone fruit plants. Plum practically does not undergo moniliosis, rust, clotterosporium disease. It should also be noted that the variety is not susceptible to fungal diseases. To prevent the attack of harmful insects, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment with insecticides in a timely manner - the first one - before flowering, and the second - along the ovary. Burning fallen leaves will help eliminate insects overwintering. The most annoying insects that annoy the tree are garden ants.

In addition, experts recommend treating wood with Bordeaux liquid once a season.

Plum has excellent indicators of frost resistance and drought resistance. The tree easily tolerates a drop in temperature to -20 ... 22 degrees, and also withstands spring return frosts. In addition to the cold, the plum tree also grows well in prolonged heat, the main thing is to ensure regular watering. Natural pests for this type of plum are drafts and excess moisture, its stagnation.

Despite its "youth", the Firefly plum has gained immense popularity among summer residents and farmers who grow fruits for commercial purposes. The demand is due to good annual yield indicators, excellent taste, unpretentious care and quick adaptation to growing conditions. Of the shortcomings of the variety, only the dependence of yield on the presence of pollinators planted nearby is noted.