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Cherry Miracle is an easy-to-grow and fruit-attractive hybrid tree. With proper care, the culture bears very tasty fruits, but to get them it is important to know agricultural technology.
Description of cherry-cherry Miracle
Cherry Miracle, sweet cherry or duke, was first bred in the 17th century in England; to obtain it, the Duke of May cherries were crossed with cherries. On the territory of Russia, the first sweet cherry was obtained by the famous breeder Michurin in 1888, but his experience was not entirely successful - the plant had high cold resistance, but low yield. The Chudo variety was bred in 1980 by breeders Taranenko and Sychev, who crossed Griot's cherry and Valery Chkalov's cherry.
The Miracle cherry inherited the best qualities from both parental cultures. It is distinguished by its high frost resistance characteristic of cherries and a good yield with sweet fruits - this is inherent in sweet cherries. It is recommended to grow Miracle cherries in the Central region, the Moscow region and the middle lane, it calmly tolerates frosts down to -20 ° C. The variety is also suitable for breeding in Siberia, but there the Miracle must be carefully sheltered from frost.
A hybrid of cherry and sweet cherry Miracle cherry is a tree with an average height and moderately dense crown, rounded in shape. Cherry shoots are straight, smooth and covered with dark brown bark, leaves are dark green and large, similar to cherry ones. The Miracle blooms with large flowers of 5-8 pieces in each brush.
What is the size of the cherry tree Miracle
On average, the Miracle grows up to 3 m in height. The crown of the tree at a young age is pyramidal, and over the years it becomes more spreading and rounded.
Description of fruits
Ripe cherries Miracle are large in size, each of them by weight can reach 10 g. The shape of the fruit is flat-round, the color is dark red. According to the photo and description of the fruit of the Miracle Cherry variety, the berries are covered with a dense shiny skin, the juicy pulp has a pronounced cherry aroma and a sweet taste with a slight sourness. The tasting score of the fruit is about 5 points, the berries are considered dessert.
When ripe, the fruits of the sweet cherry Miracle cherry can remain on the branches for quite a long time, so there is no need to hurry with the collection. Since the tree belongs to the category of sun-loving, the fruits tolerate bright sunlight well and are not baked under the rays.
The best pollinators for Miracle cherry
Cherry blossom Miracle usually begins in mid-May. The variety is self-fertile, which means that with a single planting, it will tie a maximum of 5% of the possible amount of fruit. Therefore, to get a harvest near the Miracle, it is imperative to plant cherries with similar flowering periods.Cherries Tenderness, Yaroslavna, Iput and Donchanka are best suited for the role of pollinators for the Duke Miracle Cherry.
Main characteristics of Cherry Miracle cherry
Before planting a hybrid plant on your site, you need to get acquainted with the characteristics, description of the variety and photo of the Miracle cherry variety. This will allow you to understand if the variety is suitable for growing in a particular garden.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Like most cherry and cherry trees, the Miracle is calm about the lack of moisture. Short-term droughts do not harm the plant and do not affect its yield, but waterlogging of the soil can lead to rot.
Description of the Cherry variety Miracle and reviews say that the frost resistance of the cherry is quite high. It tolerates temperatures down to -20 ° C very well, and can be grown in more severe conditions. However, in the latter case, the yield will be lower, since part of the fruiting shoots and flower buds will die during the cold weather.
Yield
Cherry Miracle bears fruit annually, and the fruits ripen on average at the end of June. Up to 10 kg of fresh berries can be removed from a healthy adult tree.
The yield of cherries directly depends on the growing conditions. Plants that grow in the southern regions or the Central region, on fertile soils and with regular feeding, bear fruit best of all. If the Miracle cherry grows in the north, freezes during winter and spring frosts, and also lacks nutrients, its fruiting volumes will be lower.
What year after planting does the Miracle cherry bear fruit?
The first fruit ovaries on the shoots of the plant begin to form as early as the 3rd year. However, at the time of full fruiting, the cherry enters the 4th year after planting.
Advantages and disadvantages
Reviews about the Miracle cherry in the Moscow region and other regions note the following positive qualities:
- early ripening of fruits;
- very large and massive berries with a dessert flavor;
- relative frost resistance;
- good resistance to fungal diseases.
But the tree also has disadvantages. These are:
- freezing of buds and shoots at temperatures below - 20 ° C;
- self-fertility and the need for pollinators.
Cherries are also prone to quick thickening, so they need formative pruning.
Planting and caring for the duke Miracle cherry
The planting and subsequent care algorithms for cherries are standard and differ little from the rules for caring for cherries and cherries. However, the simple guidelines are worth studying.
Recommended timing
The optimal timing for planting seedlings depends on the region where the cherry is grown. In the Moscow region and the middle lane, it is necessary to plant the Miracle cherry variety in early spring after the establishment of stable positive temperatures - in March or early April. In Siberia, the dates are slightly postponed; planting should start at the end of April, since spring comes later here.
Description of the variety and reviews of the Duke Miracle cherry recommend autumn planting only in the southern regions. Otherwise, the tree will not have time to take root before the onset of cold weather.
Site selection and soil preparation
To grow cherries, it is necessary to choose elevated areas of the garden with good natural light. It is advisable that a building and a fence are located nearby - this will provide the plant with cover from the wind. You can not plant the Miracle in swampy lowlands and in too close to groundwater.
The soil for cherries is best suited to sandy loam, rather loose and ventilated. Shortly before planting, it is necessary to dig a hole with dimensions of 60 by 80 cm, mix the earth with 1 kg of humus and add 400 g of wood ash, 150 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium sulfate. If the soil where the cherries are planted is too wet, you can also pour a bucket of sand on the bottom of the hole.
How to plant the Miracle cherry
Immediately before planting, the seedling plants are soaked in water with a growth stimulator for a couple of hours to revive the roots. After that it is necessary:
- half fill the planting hole with prepared soil mixture;
- lower the seedling into the hole, spreading the roots in different directions;
- install a peg on the side to support the tree and fill the hole to the end;
- tamp the earth, tie the seedling to the support and water abundantly.
Immediately after planting, the Miracle must be mulched with straw so that the moisture does not evaporate too quickly. It is important to ensure that the root collar of the seedling remains about 5 cm above the ground.
Care features
Planting and caring for the Cherry Miracle cherry is quite simple. It is necessary to adhere to the basic rules of agricultural technology, and then the tree will delight you with good health and good yields.
Watering and feeding schedule
At a young age, Miracle cherry seedlings are watered every week, about 4 buckets of water are poured under the trunk. At the time of fruiting, it is enough to water the tree three or four times per season - before flowering, before the formation of fruits in hot weather and after harvesting. The last watering is organized in the fall to saturate the soil with moisture and increase the plant's winter hardiness.
You need to feed Miracle cherries in small portions and only from the 3rd year of life - at first, the plant has enough fertilizers added during planting.
In the spring, a little urea or ammonium nitrate is introduced into the soil at the roots, and superphosphate is added before the buds open. After flowering, the Miracle can be fed with nitrophos, and with the onset of autumn, feed with superphosphate again and add potassium sulphide.
Shortly before the onset of winter, under the trunk of the plant, organic fertilizing is scattered - humus, which can at the same time serve as a heater.
How to prune the Miracle Cherry
In the absence of trimming, the crown of the Miracle thickens, stretches up and takes on a pyramidal shape. Therefore, every spring it is recommended to trim the overgrown branches, keeping the compactness and good ventilation of the crown. You can also shorten one-year-old shoots by a third - this stimulates the formation of new bouquet branches.
The miracle cherry needs an annual clean-cut. It is usually carried out in the fall, during pruning, all diseased and weakened branches are eliminated, and shoots growing towards the trunk are also removed.
Preparing for winter
With the onset of autumn, it is necessary to take several measures that will increase the frost resistance of the Miracle cherry:
- Shortly before the cold weather, the tree can be sprayed with Novosil or Epin-Ekstroy - this will improve the Miracle's resistance to cold weather.
- The trunk of a cherry is whitened in autumn to a height of about 1.5 m from the surface of the earth - this protects the tree from both sunburn and cracking of the bark, and from damage by rodents.
- Humus is scattered under the roots of the cherry with a layer of 10 cm. In Siberia and other cold regions, you can additionally cover the cherry trunk with spruce branches or non-woven light material.
Diseases and pests
In general, Cherry Miracle has good immunity to fungal diseases, in particular, it almost does not suffer from coccomycosis and moniliosis. However, for preventive purposes, cherries should still be treated in autumn and spring with fungicidal preparations, for example, copper sulfate and Bordeaux mixture.
Of the pests for the plant, aphids, a slimy sawfly and a cherry fly are dangerous. Insect control is carried out using insecticidal solutions. Thunder, Karbofos, Fufanon and others help well if you use them according to the instructions.
Conclusion
Cherry Miracle is a fruit plant with very tasty berries and good varietal characteristics. It is better to grow Miracle in the Central region and the middle lane, but if you wish, you can even try to plant cherries in Siberia.
Reviews about cherries Miracle cherry
What are Duke varieties for? Does not suit for preservation, the taste of fermented compote, liqueur with vodka is the same, for which Duke varieties were bred?