The plum tree is quite common in our country, even if it ranks far behind the apple tree. Everyone should know that it bears numerous spherical fruits that compete with the yellow color of the sun. But how much more do you know about this fruit tree?

Mirabelle plums are also called yellow plums

Name, origin and distribution

  • Botanical name: Prunus domestica subsp. syriaca
  • Common names: yellow plum; often mistaken for cherry plum
  • Genus: Prunus
  • Family: Rose family (Rosaceae)
  • Origin: Asia Minor (Northern Perisia/Iran)
  • Distribution: Central and southern Europe, North Africa

tips

If you want to plant a plum tree in the garden, you can choose from many different varieties in tree nurseries. The best known is certainly the "Mirabelle von Nancy".

Growth, appearance and fruits

  • hardy, deciduous fruit tree
  • reaches up to 6 m in size
  • lives between 30 and 120 years
  • Leaves are smooth and green, velvety underneath
  • epileptic, up to 8 cm long and 5 cm wide
  • Flowering time is April to May
  • white flowers appear in clusters
  • Fruits are cherry-sized, round and golden yellow
  • sweet, aromatic taste
  • Fruit ripening is in August and September

Preferred living conditions

The plum tree likes warmth and is in good hands in a sunny location. But it should also be protected at the same time. Therefore, proximity to a wall is ideal. The soil must be loose, permeable and rich in nutrients. The soil should be slightly moist and neutral to alkaline.

propagation

A young plum tree can be bought in stores, but can also be easily propagated at home. The easiest way to do this is with cuttings, but it can also be grown from a core. Garden centers, on the other hand, practice grafting.

Maintenance effort in cultivation

Young trees need regular watering after planting. They benefit from an upbringing cut and should be protected from frost in winter with fleece. A well-rooted tree is only watered during long periods of drought and fertilized with compost every spring. However, most of the maintenance work is done in the annual thinning cuts in spring.

diseases and pests

The most common diseases are Monilia tip drought, Sharka disease, and scrap shot disease. Bag gall mites, aphids and winter moths are pests that can damage the Mirabelle plum tree.

Category:

Trees