Cherry plum as a honey plant in gardens

Cherry plum honey plant, one of the earliest honey plants, is one of the valuable fruit crops. Cherry plum is a source of pollen and nectar for bees for the development of bees. Among the stone fruit crops (apricot, peach, cherry, sweet cherry, plum), cherry plum occupies considerable areas in Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan), the Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan), the southern regions of Russia, Ukraine , Moldova, the Balkans and Southern Europe. Hybrid cherry plum is grown even in the Moscow region. Let's consider cherry plum as a honey plant and its benefits for beekeeping.

Content

• Description of the honey plant cherry plum
• Cherry plum as a honey plant
• When does cherry plum bloom as a honey plant?
• Honey productivity of cherry plum
• Pollination of cherry plum by bees
• Application of honey plant cherry plum
• Application of cherry plum honey plant fruits

 

 

Description of the honey plant cherry plum

The honey plant cherry plum, or spreading plum (Latin name Prnus cerasifra) is an early spring fruit and berry plant. Cherry plum is a woody plant; species of the genus plum of the subfamily Plumaceae of the Rosaceae family. Cherry plum is one of the original forms of domestic plum.
The honey plant cherry plum and its cultivated varieties are used as a fruit crop.
The honey plant cherry plum turned out to be the most adapted to various areas of its cultivation and occupied an ecological niche less favorable for plums. Cherry plum shows itself to be a more profitable fruit crop, which is not inferior to apple, plum and peach. Cherry plum has a diverse genetic potential; it begins to bear fruit in the third or fourth year, and plants of certain varieties even in the second year after planting. Cherry plum does not require careful pruning of the tree; it is resistant to diseases and pests, and has regular and high yields. Cherry plum plays an important role in nutrition and ensuring human health, it begins to bear fruit early, quickly increases productivity and fills the gap in the fruiting of fresh fruits of other crops, thereby being an economically profitable crop for industrial cultivation. The yield of an adult cherry plum tree reaches up to 300 kg of fruit. Cherry plum fruits contain a lot of sugars, organic acids and pectin, vitamins C and carotene.

Cherry plum as a honey plant

When does cherry plum bloom as a honey plant?

The cherry plum honey plant blooms in early May, simultaneously with the leaves blooming. In the Caucasus, the cherry plum, as a honey plant, enters the melliferous conveyor immediately after the dogwood: it fades just when the cherry plum blooms.
When the cherry plum blossoms as a honey plant, bees willingly visit the cherry plum. Small white cherry plum flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter have a delicate, unique aroma that attracts bees and contain a significant amount of nectar.

Honey productivity of cherry plum

How much honey can bees collect from 1 hectare of cherry plum? Bees can collect up to 40 kg of nectar from 1 hectare of cherry plum. Cherry plum flowers are important for bees because they provide nectar and pollen, which are used for the development of families in the spring.

Pollination of cherry plum by bees

As already mentioned, huge areas in Eurasia are occupied by cherry plum. Cherry plum as a honey plant and pollen plant is important for bees, at the same time, bees visiting cherry plum increase its productivity. The increase in cherry plum yield as a result of pollination by bees reaches 15%.

Many nuances regarding pollination in gardens are discussed in detail in the book How to carry out paid pollination of gardens and crops with honey bees.

Application of honey plant cherry plum

 

The fruits of the cherry plum are sweet and sour, used fresh and canned for preparing compotes, syrup, jam, marmalade, jelly, oriental marshmallows, marmalade, juice, and wine.
The honey plant cherry plum is very decorative during flowering, therefore it is used when planting gardens and in landscape design.

Cherry plum seedlings are used as rootstock for peach, plum and apricot.