Read a commented Reneclode profile here with information about origin, growth, flowers and fruit. Lots of tips about planting, care and garden-suitable Reneklode varieties.
What is a reindeer clod and how does it grow?
Reneklode (Prunus domestica subsp. italica) is a species of plum from the rose family. It comes from southern Europe and the Middle East and grows as a medium-sized deciduous tree. The fruits are juicy and sweet and spicy in taste, ideal for fresh consumption, compote or jam. Reneclodes are partially hardy and require a mild climate.
Profile
- Scientific name: Prunus domestica subsp. italica
- Species: Plum (Prunus domestica)
- Family: Rosaceae
- Synonyms: noble plum, Reineclaude, sugar plum
- Origin: Southern Europe, Near East
- Growth type: medium-sized deciduous tree
- Growth height: 3 m to 6 m
- Leaf: elongated-elliptical, dark green
- Flower: Umbel
- Fruit: Drupe
- Winter hardiness: conditionally hardy
- Use: fresh consumption, preserved fruit
Origin
The Reneclode is a subspecies of plums from the rose family (Rosaceae). The stone fruit family is native to the Near East. The main growing region in Europe is France. The tasty fruit has been highly valued there for 600 years.
The Reneclode owes its name to the French Queen Claudia (1499 in Romorantin; 1524 in Blois), a daughter of King Louis XII. According to legend, the queen (Reine Claude) loved to snack on juicy, sweet Reineclauden, also known as sugar plums. For around 150 years, heat-loving reindeer trees have been thriving in mild winter regions in this country.
Growth
Picturesque silhouette, exuberant flowers and delicious fruits characterize the growth of a reindeer tree. Informative key data on appearance and growth at a glance:
- Growth type: summer-green fruit tree with white flower umbels and yellow-green, large plums in autumn.
- Growth form: medium-sized tree with a broad, oval crown or bushy, sprawling shrub.
- Special feature: branches that protrude almost horizontally when old.
- Growth height: 250 cm to 600 cm.
- Growth width: 200 cm to 400 cm.
- Growth rate: 30 cm to 50 cm growth per year.
- Ghorticulturally relevant properties: conditionally hardy down to -10° Celsius, not self-fertilizing, easy to care for, tolerates cutting, susceptible to sharka.
Bloom
A reindeer tree blooms a few weeks after the beginning of spring. In this respect, the sugar plum is no different from other types of plums. The romantic flower festival is created by hordes of small flowers with these properties:
- Inflorescence: Umbel with 2 to 3 individual flowers.
- Single flower: cup-shaped, five-petaled, 2-4 cm in diameter, white petals, free-standing stamens with yellow anthers.
- Ecology: monoecious, hermaphrodite
- Flowering time: April to May
Detail worth knowing for skilful pruning care: Reneclodes form on the side buds of annual short shoots.
Fruit
When there is an appetizing smell under the reindeer tree in late summer, the fruits are ready to harvest. You can recognize a Reneclode by these characteristics:
- Fruit shape: spherical (larger than mirabelle plums, smaller than plums)
- Shell: yellow-green, reddish on the sunny side, beautifully shiny and easy to remove when fully ripe.
- Flesh: juicy-firm, greenish-yellow.
- Taste: aromatic, sweet and spicy.
- Harvest time: August and September.
In contrast to domestic plums and other regional types of plums, the stone of Reneclodes is difficult to separate from the pulp.
Usage
Reneklodes are suitable for a variety of culinary uses. Freshly harvested fruit only lasts for three to five days in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. At harvest time, hobby gardeners have food and drinks for fresh consumption on their menu. The harvest surplus is processed deliciously and preserved. Let these options inspire you for a refreshing treat with Reneklodes:
| Fresh consumption | Processing | Recipe idea |
|---|---|---|
| sweet fruit | Compote | Renekloden compote with vanilla pudding |
| Ingredient for fruit salads | Jam | Renekloden jam with walnuts and cinnamon |
| Accompaniment to desserts | Wicked fruit | cook whole fruits in a jar |
| Mashed as a smoothie | insert | tipsy Reineclauden in Armagnac |
| Fresh ingredient in muesli | freeze | Fruit flavored ice cubes |
Renekloden jam tastes particularly good on freshly baked bread. You can find out how to easily make the spicy-sweet spread yourself in the following video:
Video: Make Renekloden jam yourself - recipe idea for self-caterers
Planting Reneklode
When buying a noble plum, smart hobby gardeners give preference to a local tree nursery. A refined reindeer tree from the hands of a master gardener is better prepared for cold, wet winter weather than imported trees. The right choice of location and expert planting technology make a valuable contribution to he althy growth and rich harvest yields. Important planting tips for speed readers:
Location
This is the best location for a garden reneclode:
- Basic requirement: mild winter climate (wine-growing region, Lower Rhine, frost-proof microclimate)
- Sun to partial shade, ideally warm and protected from the wind.
- Normal garden soil, fresh to moist and nutrient-rich.
Planting
The best planting time for inexpensive Reneclode roots is in autumn. You can plant container goods all year round as long as a spade gets into the ground. The following short instructions explain how to properly plant a reindeer tree:
- Place root ball in water.
- Dig a planting pit with twice the diameter of the root ball.
- Enrich the excavation with horn shavings (€52.00 on Amazon) and ripe compost soil.
- Remove the container, do not remove the bale cloth, cut off damaged roots on the root product.
- Plant the water-soaked reindeer tree in the middle, tamp down the soil and slurry it in.
- Mulch the tree disc with leaves, dried grass clippings, lava mulch or bark mulch.
To protect against wind throw, drive a support post into the ground and connect it to the tree below the crown and halfway up the trunk.
Excursus
Pollen donor urgently needed
Renewal clods are generally not self-fertile. An important prerequisite for a rich harvest yield is a suitable pollen donor within a radius of 50 to 300 meters. Suitable pollinators include many plum species and varieties. These include 'Große Grüne Reneklode', the 'Anna Späth' plum and the 'Nancy' mirabelle plum. Hobby gardeners with a lack of space turn to duo fruits, such as house plums and Oullin's Reneklode on one trunk.
Maintaining Reneklode
In the mild winter location, the Reneklode is easy to care for. The water and nutrient supply is easy. With the following care tips you can successfully master pruning care and wintering. A well-maintained renoclode tree only succumbs to the dangerous Sharka disease. All important details in a nutshell:
Pouring
- Water Renekloden generously when dry.
- Let normal tap water run directly onto the root disc.
- Rule of thumb: it is better to water rarely and thoroughly, rather than daily in small amounts.
Fertilize
- Fertilize the reindeer tree with compost in March/April and after the flowering period.
- Spread organic fertilizer on the tree disc, rake in and rain on.
- Optionally administer a potassium fertilizer in September to strengthen winter hardiness.
Cutting
- Cut reneklode after harvest.
- Clear out dead wood, shorten steeply upward branches to 5-10 cm short cones.
- Cut drooping, harvested fruit wood back to a two-year-old side shoot.
- Do not cut this year's branches (if they are 20 cm long, cut them by a third).
- Extra tip: detailed cutting tutorial can be read here.
Winter protection
A location in a mild winter climate does not mean that a reindeer tree is on the safe side. The constant change between frost and thaw in combination with the blazing winter sun tugs at the tree bark and causes the bark to crack. For the first five years of standing, please wrap the trunk with fleece or reed mats. Older plums benefit from a coat of lime in autumn. A thick layer of mulch on the tree disc is mandatory.
Diseases and pests
Regular checks for aphids are a must, because the rabble transmit the dreaded Sharka disease. Sharka is the most dangerous viral disease of stone fruit and must be reported. Primarily check the undersides of the leaves for the tiny pests. If you find what you are looking for, fight the lice with the tried and tested curd soap and spirit solution.
Typical symptoms of a Sharka infestation are olive green leaf spots. Pox-like depressions form on the fruit, which is why the infection is also called smallpox disease. Below the depressions, the flesh turns reddish and takes on an unappetizing, rubbery consistency. To date, no biological or chemical control agents are known. Affected reindeer clods must be cleared.
Popular varieties
In the well-stocked tree nursery you can buy these tried and tested Renekloden varieties for your home garden:
- Reineclaude Large Green Reneklode: Premium variety, yellow-green, medium-sized, sugar-sweet, strong-spicy fruits, not self-fertile, good pollen donor.
- Oullins Reneklode: historical variety from France, self-fertile, Sharka-tolerant, large, yellow-colored fruits, juicy-sweet and slightly spicy in taste.
- Graf Althans Reneklode: proven variety from Bohemia, hardy, juicy, stone-dissolving, blood-red colored plums, pollinator required.
FAQ
What are reindeer clods?
Reneklodes are a subspecies of plums (Prunus domestica) and are therefore also called sweet plums. The fruits have a greenish-yellow skin and are spherical in shape. Reneclodes are slightly smaller in diameter than domestic plums and plums. Under the peelable peel there is juicy, sweet, firm pulp with an aromatic, spicy taste.
How he althy are reindeer clods?
There's a lot of good stuff in Renekloden. The fine stone fruit invites you to eat it freshly harvested with a high content of he althy vitamins and minerals. 100 grams of pulp contains, among other things: 13 mg calcium, 6 mg vitamin C, 0.8 g protein and 2.25 g fiber with a slim 62 calories.
Our two-year-old Reineclaude is not blooming. Is it due to the missing fertilizer?
A missing pollinator cannot be the cause, because it can only fertilize a flowering reneclode tree. Flower buds are formed when the nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio (NPK) is correct. If a Reneklode is fertilized with nitrogen, plenty of leaf mass forms to the detriment of the buds. In the future, administer an organic berry fertilizer (e.g. from Oscorna) or compost.
Acid moorland dominates in our garden. Is it still possible to plant a reindeer clod?
Planting a Reneclude in ericaceous soil is possible after appropriate soil cultivation. Enrich the bog soil with sand and topsoil or clay soil. Then check the pH value with a test set. If the pH value is well below 6, the bed soil is limed to a Reneclode-friendly value of 6.5 to 7.
Do fruits also form if there is only one reindeer tree in the garden?
Reneclodes are usually not self-fertile. Without a pollinator, fruit will not form. With a little luck, there is a plum tree in the immediate vicinity of your garden (50-300 m) as a potential pollen donor, provided there are insects flying. It is recommended to plant two types of plums that fertilize each other. Proven candidates are 'Große Grüne Reneklode', 'Bühler Frühzwetschge', 'Oullins Reneklode' and 'Mirabelle von Nancy'.
Can any type of Renekloden be made into compote?
Basically all varieties of Renekloden are suitable for preparing as compote or jam. Gourmets swear by the 'Great Green Reneklode' as the ideal ingredient for compote. The popular 'Graf-Althans-Reneklode', on the other hand, is said to have a gelatinous consistency when fully ripe, which has a negative impact on the quality of the compote.
