What are the key points to note when growing plums? These few points are crucial

The plum is a traditional fruit variety in China, and it is widely distributed across the country, basically grown in every region. Plums and prunes are also very similar, but there are still essential differences between them. Today we are mainly going to learn about some issues that need attention during the process of growing plums. Let's take a look below.

1. Seedling selection and planting

There are now many varieties of plums, so when planting we should choose plum seedlings that are pure and superior in variety, have well-developed root systems, full flower buds, are robust, and free of pests and diseases. When planting, we should make rational use of land resources and control the field's aeration properly. Generally, the row spacing for each plum tree is about 4 m, and the plant spacing is 2.5 to 3 m.

2. Arrangement of pollinator trees

In order to increase the fruit set rate and quality of plums, the number of pollinator trees planted needs to be reasonably distributed during planting. Generally, planting is done according to ratios such as 3 to 1, 4 to 1, and 8 to 1. Also, it is best to plant multiple varieties of plum trees; a single variety is actually not the best planting plan. We can plant a combination of varieties such as Black Amber, Black Gem, Beauty Plum, American Late-Ripening Large Plum, and Royal Gem.

3. Management during the flowering and fruiting periods

If the plum flowering period encounters rainy weather, in order to prevent rain from washing away pollen and affecting pollination, a layer of film can be covered over the tree canopy to shield it from rain. Of course, the pollen can also be collected for artificial pollination. During the full blooming period of plums, we need to properly thin the flowers, removing some flowers that are poorly developed, damaged by pests or diseases, or growing too densely. After the fruit has set, in order to ensure the yield and quality of plums and reduce fruit drop, fruit thinning is needed, removing deformed fruit, pest- and disease-damaged fruit, densely set fruit, and weak fruit. Do not be reluctant to do it.

4. Pruning and shaping

During the growth of plum trees, reasonable pruning needs to be carried out according to their tree age, tree vigor, growth stage, and plum variety. Do not prune blindly, otherwise it will also affect the yield and quality of plums. During the young tree period, pruning should be done frequently to form a complete tree shape, and at the same time the tree body should be dwarfed as much as possible and the canopy expanded. For adult plum trees, it is necessary to control tree vigor, carry out proper heading back, branch thinning, and branch cultivation, maintain the vitality of the tree body, and ensure yield.

5. Light regulation

Light also has a very large impact on plum growth. During the growth of the fruit trees, we should reasonably control the distance between branches, which can play a role in enhancing the ventilation and light transmission of the canopy. Second, in summer, proper shading should be carried out, and the light transmission can be controlled at about 30 percent. When the sunlight is relatively mild and the light intensity is weak, the light transmission can be appropriately increased, and at this time it can reach about 60 to 80 percent light transmission. During the fruit ripening period, the light requirement is relatively large and should be controlled at at least 85 percent or more.

6. Temperature and humidity management

During the growth of plum trees, the management of temperature and humidity is very important. During the flowering period of plum trees, the temperature is best controlled at 20 to 25 degrees, which is beneficial to the spread of pollen. During the process of fruit growth and development, there is no strict requirement for temperature, as long as the lowest temperature is not lower than 10 degrees. Finally, the humidity during the plum growth and development period is generally about 50 percent, the humidity during the flowering period is 60 percent, and the humidity during the fruit growth period can be between 40 and 50 percent.

When growing plums, in addition to the points mentioned above, we also need to pay attention to rational use of pesticides and scientific fertilization. These have a great impact on the yield and quality of plums. If you still have other questions to consult, remember to leave a message below.