Content
Bird cherry is a common name for several species. The common bird cherry can be found in every city. In fact, there are more than 20 varieties of this plant. One of them is the Maaka bird cherry, which often serves as a decorative decoration for parks and summer cottages.
Breeding history of the variety
The first description of Maak's bird cherry can be found in the works of F.I.Ruprecht, prepared in 1957 for the Austrian Botanical Society. Bird cherry Maak (Prunus maackii) belongs to the Rosaceae family and grows naturally in the Far East, Manchuria and Korea. Its name is associated with the surname of the Russian geographer and naturalist - RK Maak, who first explored this species during his travels along the Amur and Ussuri valleys in 1855-1859.
The valuable qualities of bird cherry attracted the attention of breeders to it. Thus, IV Michurin used the Maca variety to improve the characteristics of the garden cherry. As a result of repeated crosses, hybrids were bred, known as cherry charams.
Description of Maaka bird cherry
The height of Maaka bird cherry in natural conditions can reach 17-18 m, garden trees usually grow up to 10-12 m.The trunk circumference is about 35-40 cm.
The leaves of the Maak plant are oval, serrated, pointed at the end, up to 9-11 cm long and about 5 cm wide. Young shoots are usually lowered to the bottom. The color of the leaves changes from light green at the very beginning of growth to rich emerald by the end of the season.
Maak bird cherry blossoms begin in May. Inflorescences racemose up to 6-7 cm long. The tree blooms with small white flowers 0.7-1 cm in size with 5 odorless petals. The plant is rightfully considered one of the best honey plants, so its flowering is accompanied by an influx of bees. Many gardeners who grow Maak bird cherry on the site even have their own hives.
The fruits ripen by mid-summer. The berries of the Maaka variety bird cherry have a rounded shape and a rather large size - up to 0.8-1 cm in diameter. The color of the berries is dark purple, and the taste is rather bitter. Bird cherry fruits are a favorite delicacy of birds, squirrels and even bears.
Although the homeland of the plant is the Far East, due to the fact that bird cherry seeds are carried by birds, it can also be found in the middle zone of the country. As for garden and ornamental plantings, Maak bird cherry is widespread in many regions of the central part of Russia.
Characteristics of the variety
The Maak bird cherry has the following characteristics:
- frost and drought resistance;
- undemanding to soils (it can grow in any soil, but a well-moistened sandy loam is considered the best for it);
- tolerates long rains and floods well, excess moisture practically does not affect the growth of a tree;
- can grow both in the shade and in the open;
- requires minimal maintenance;
- has high growth rates;
- can be propagated by seed or cuttings.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
One of the most valuable qualities of the Maaka bird cherry variety, which made it the object of close attention of breeders, is its high frost resistance. The plant can safely tolerate a drop in air temperature to -40-45 ° C.
Bird cherry also tolerates drought well. Watering is required only for young seedlings in the first year after planting. Mature trees should only be watered during particularly hot summers.
Productivity and fruiting
Bird cherry fruits ripen in July. The berries are quite large, with seeds. Up to 35-50 berries are formed on one brush, but in general, the yield of this variety is not very high. The fruits are quite dense, even dryish, have an unpleasant bitter taste, but are not poisonous to humans. The fruits are harvested in late August or early September, when they are finally ripe, separated from branches and leaves and dried in the open air or in special drying ovens or conventional ovens.
Scope of the fruit
Due to their pronounced bitter taste, the berries of the Maak bird cherry are not suitable for fresh consumption. The main area of their application is associated with medicinal properties: the berries, due to the high content of tannins, have a fixing and anti-inflammatory effect.
Also, dried berries are ground and used for baking. The shelf life of dried fruits is 3 years.
Disease and pest resistance
All varieties of bird cherry show good resistance to various diseases and most pests. Leaves and flowers release phytoncides into the air, which are poisonous to many insects and bacteria. But this does not mean that they are completely protected from such troubles. When growing Maak bird cherry, it is important to pay great attention to preventive measures, which include pruning and thinning the crown, removing old shoots and regularly examining the plant itself, as well as its neighbors in the area.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The Maaka variety is very popular among gardeners, as well as an element of landscaping in settlements. Both experts and amateur gardeners note a number of significant advantages of this type of bird cherry:
- the plant is unpretentious to the composition of the soil in the place of growth;
- does not require special care, practically does not need watering;
- has a deterrent effect on many insects (mosquitoes, ticks, etc.);
- due to its high growth rate and lush crown, it is successfully used to create landscape compositions;
- well tolerates both bright sun and shade.
But the Maak bird cherry also has its weaknesses:
- the tree needs free space and a lot of light, so the distance between seedlings should be at least 5 m, and even more in shady areas;
- berries have a bitter taste and are not edible;
- prolonged exposure to bird cherry flowers can cause headaches;
- during the flowering period, the plant attracts a large number of bees and wasps.
But still, these shortcomings do not stop gardeners who decide to decorate their site with a magnificently flowering tree.
Landing rules
Finding a place for planting the Maaka variety will not be difficult - the plant will take root well in almost any conditions. Bird cherry is absolutely not capricious, it tolerates a transplant well and quickly takes root in a new place.
As for the proximity to other plants, the Maak bird cherry will grow well both in a group of plantings and separately in the middle of the lawn or in the immediate vicinity of buildings.
The right time for planting is the beginning of spring or the end of autumn, the main condition is that the ground is not frozen. When choosing seedlings, you should pay attention to their height - it is desirable that it does not exceed 70-75 cm.If the seedlings are longer, they should be pruned.
The rules for planting the Maak bird cherry are very simple:
- When preparing a pit for a seedling, you should not go deep into the depths and add a lot of fertilizers, an excess of organic matter can negatively affect the plant.
- The distance between individual bird cherry seedlings should be at least 5 m.
- The seedling must be carefully lowered into the hole, spread the roots and sprinkled with earth.
- The land around the tree should be mulched with sawdust or peat and watered.
Follow-up care
Maak bird cherry is a very undemanding plant. It will not be difficult to take care of her in the garden. The first couple of years after planting, the plant should be watered periodically, further watering is required only in severely dry periods.
The only thing to pay special attention to is the formation of the crown of the Maaka tree. When the first shoots begin to grow on it, then several of the most developed lateral ones should be left, directed in different directions. The top must be trimmed so as not to interfere with the growth and development of the lateral branches. You will have to repeat the procedure for several years, and in an adult bird cherry - periodically thin out the crown.
Fertilizers for the Maaka variety should be applied no more than once every 2 years. Before flowering, you can make a small amount of mineral dressings, but this is completely optional.
Diseases and pests
Bird cherry Maaka is a variety that has a fairly high resistance to various diseases and harmful insects. But still, various ailments amaze her:
- Cytosporosis - the fungus affects the trunk and branches of the bird cherry, causing them to dry out. It appears as small white tubercles. At the first sign of infection, the affected areas should be removed and burned, and the bark should be cleaned and disinfected with copper sulfate. As a preventive measure, the trunks are whitewashed with lime in the fall, and in the spring they are treated with Bordeaux liquid.
- Leaf rust - a fungus that appears as brown or purple spots on leaves and branches. If found, the tree must be treated with copper sulfate.
- Rubella - a fungus that causes the formation of red spots on the leaves. Before the buds appear, the tree is treated with copper sulfate, and after flowering - with a solution of Bordeaux liquid.
- Rot - a disease caused by a tinder fungus. It develops within the root system and trunk, infection usually occurs through wounds on the bark. If the process has gone far, then the tree can no longer be saved - it must be uprooted and burned.
The phytoncides secreted by the leaves of the Maaka variety protect the tree from many harmful insects. But against some, this protection still does not help:
- bedbugs;
- caterpillars and larvae;
- bark beetles;
- weevils.
The treatment of karbofos (60 g per 10 l of water) in early spring and after flowering will help to cope with uninvited guests.
Conclusion
The bird cherry of the Maaka variety is an unpretentious plant, which, thanks to its lush crown and abundant flowering, can become an excellent element of any landscape design. The fruits of this variety are not suitable for food, but they have medicinal properties.
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