European plum Peaceful

Developed by E.P. Finaev at the Kuibyshev Experimental Garden Station for horticulture from a cross between the 'Sкороспелка красная' variety and 'Renklod Bavay'. Introduced into the State Register in 1971 for the Middle Volga and Lower Volga regions.

Tree is vigorous and fast-growing. Crown is oval-rounded, medium density. Fruit set on spurs and on 2-3-year-old branches. Bark on trunk and main branches smooth, gray-brown. Shoots medium, straight, dark-red, bare. Buds few, medium, yellow. Leaves medium in length and width, egg-shaped, short-pointed, dark green, slightly hairy, matte. Leaf blade flat, gradually tapers to tip; base rounded, hairless. Leaf margin serrated-toothed. Petiole medium in length and thickness, pigmented. Stipules short, early-falling. Stipules medium, few, yellow. Inflorescence — triple and double flowers. Flowers medium, white.

Fruits large, one-dimensional, average weight 30.8 g. Fruit shape round, apex rounded, base without indentation. Stomach suture fine, barely noticeable. Pedicel medium in length and thickness; ease of detachment from branch good; attachment to stone not strong. Fruit color dark-purple, uniform. Numerous white lenticels. Skin medium, bare, with strong waxy coating, easily removed from fruit. Flesh yellow-green, tender, juicy. Juice colorless. Flavor character sour-sweet. Stone separates easily from flesh. Fresh fruit flavor rating — 4.8 points. External appearance attractive — 4.5 points. Fruits contain dry matter — 16.7%, sugars — 10.12%, acids — 1.97%, ascorbic acid — 10.66 mg/100g. Main use is dessert, but fruits may also be used for technical processing — jams, compotes, etc.

Flowering occurs in mid-early season — May 10-20. Ripening occurs in mid-season — mid-late August. Harvesting period is early — mid-August. Ripening is relatively simultaneous, and fruits remain firmly attached to trees, falling only upon overripening, but less than 'Sкороспелка красная'. Fresh fruits keep for 10-12 days. Transportability is good, requiring harvest 2-3 days before full ripeness. Variety is early-bearing, enters fruiting 4-5 years after grafting in nurseries. Yield is high and annual. Fruit yield from 6-8 year-old trees reaches 8-12 kg, from 9-12 year-old trees — 25-40 kg.

Variety has sufficient self-fertility. Best pollinators: 'Sкороспелка красная', 'Ziguli', 'Kuibyshevskaya sinyaya', 'Teronsliwa kuybyshhevskaya'.

Winter hardiness of trees is good. All severe winters were survived without tree loss. In winter 1978/79, trees planted in 1976 had frost damage of 0.9 points. Flower bud winter hardiness of 'Peaceful' exceeds that of 'Sкороспелка красная'. Variety is drought-resistant, unaffected by drought in dry years, producing normally developed fruits. Trees were not susceptible to gummosis. Fruits are also resistant to diseases. Partial damage from plum fruit moth was observed.

Variety is propagated by grafting onto seedling rootstocks of 'Sкороспелка красная' and 'Teronsliwa kuybyshhevskaya'. At high yields, the variety requires annual application of complete mineral fertilizers, although the variety is drought-resistant, irrigation promotes stronger tree development and higher quality fruit. Pruning and training are standard.

Advantages of the variety: high annual yield, good winter hardiness, large fruit size, and excellent flavor.

Disadvantages of the variety: uneven fruit ripening.