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In the northern regions, the issue of providing the population with fresh fruit is especially acute. Berries and vegetables can be grown in greenhouses, but planting a fruit tree indoors is problematic. Therefore, the creation of frost-resistant hybrids comes to the fore. Of the five types of edible cherries, only steppe cherries can withstand extremely low temperatures. But her berries are small, sour - you can cook jam, but eating fresh is a small pleasure.
Breeding history
Ivan Michurin was already thinking about adapting cherries to northern conditions. This species grows well in the south, and with significant frosts, cadmium and branch forks freeze under the trees. At the end of the 19th century, Michurin created the first Russian duke - a hybrid of cherry and sweet cherry, which he called Krasa Severa. In the future, the scientist bred several more varieties, the winter hardiness of which was satisfactory, but the taste and yield left much to be desired.
But this was only the first step. Today the selection of dukes is on the way of creating winter-hardy trees that can withstand both low temperatures and return frosts. Much attention is paid to the taste, size of berries, and yield. Since the combination of genes for cherry and sweet cherry most often gives low-fruiting plants, the creation of each successful variety is a real event.
One of the best dukes is the large-fruited Mayak cherry. It was created in 1974 by the joint efforts of the scientists of the Sverdlovsk Horticultural Breeding Station NI Gvozdyukova and SV Zhukov. The Michurin varieties served as the source material for the breeding of Duke.
Description of culture
Cherry varieties Mayak grows in the form of a bush with several trunks up to 2 m high. The crown is spreading, broadly round, with sparse branches, leaves of medium density. Small buds with sharp tips are located in relation to the shoots at an acute angle. The oval leaves of the Mayak variety, pointed at the end, are somewhat larger than the cherry leaves.
Flower buds are located on last year's growth and bouquet branches. They are collected in 3, at the end of spring they form large flowers with white petals.
Cherries Lighthouse are beautiful, large, weighing about 5 g, maximum - 6 g. Fruit color - dark red. The berries are round, slightly flattened at the seam. The light brown stone separates well from the pulp, its weight is 6.2% of the total mass. The Mayak variety has red sap and the middle. The taste of fresh fruits is rated at 4.5 points.
Overripe berries do not crumble from the tree, but they can crack. Fruits will burst from excessive watering during the ripening period or rainy summer. It is not always possible to cleanly separate the berry from the stalk.
Characteristics
Before the epidemic of coccomycosis, the Mayak variety was considered one of the best cherry and sweet cherry hybrids created by domestic breeders.
Drought resistance, winter hardiness
Cherry Lighthouse can endure prolonged drought. Its frost resistance is good, up to minus 30-35⁰. Although the variety was zoned for the Middle Volga region, it showed itself well when grown in the entire Middle Belt, in Belarus and the Baltic States.
Pollination, flowering and ripening period
In the Sverdlovsk Region, Mayak cherry blossoms usually by the last days of May. Berry picking begins in the middle - by the end of July or the beginning of August.The variety is considered to be partially self-fertile.
So that a lot of berries are tied, it is good to plant Generous or Polevka varieties nearby.
Productivity, fruiting
Cherry Lighthouse begins to bear fruit 4 years after planting. Its yield is considered average - an adult bush gives from 5 to 15 kg of berries annually. The fruits ripen unevenly, without damaging the pulp, it is difficult to tear them off the stalk.
Despite this, in the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions, the Mayak is grown as an industrial variety. This is due to the convenience of picking berries - the bush is compact and low. Fruiting of own-rooted cherries can last up to 30 years.
Scope of berries
The fruits of the Mayak cherry are large and tasty. They are eaten fresh, processed into jam, juices and other preparations. The pronounced sourness makes the taste of the berries of this duke more like cherry, but it also allows you to prepare wine from the Mayak variety.
Grown on an industrial scale, fruits are more often processed than sent to retail chains. The berries come off the stalk with a part of the pulp and are poorly transported.
Disease and pest resistance
Despite its high taste, Mayak cherry is gradually being replaced in private and industrial gardens with other varieties. This is due to the strong affliction of Duke with coccomycosis.
Of the pests, aphids and a slimy sawfly are dangerous.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of the Mayak cherry variety include:
- Good taste - 4.5 points by the tasters.
- The variety is capable of withstanding prolonged drought.
- Possibility of growing cherry Mayak in Siberia.
- Large-fruited.
- After ripening, the berries do not crumble.
- The fruits can be eaten fresh or processed.
- Ease of picking berries due to the compact habit of the bush.
- Productive longevity of cherries.
- Partial sampolodnost.
The Mayak variety has many disadvantages:
- Low resistance to coccomycosis.
- Low yield.
- Wet separation of the berry from the stalk, which reduces transportability and keeping quality.
- Fruit tendency to crack.
- Uneven ripening of the crop.
- Insufficient winter hardiness.
- High probability of being hit by pests.
Landing features
Cherry variety Mayak is zoned for the Middle Volga region, but grows well in other areas, if the temperature in winter does not drop below 35 degrees.
Dates and place of landing
In Siberia, cherries need to be planted in early spring, before the buds have blossomed. During the growing season, it will take root and get stronger, which will allow the bush to survive the winter safely.
It is best to plant the Mayak variety on a well-lit western, north-western or south-western canopy (no more than 15 degrees) slope. Groundwater should not approach the surface closer than 2 m.
Cherry loves well-watered light loams with a neutral reaction.
Selection and preparation of planting material
To purchase high-quality planting material, you need to take it directly from the nursery or a trusted retail network. Buying seedlings from your hands, you run the risk of getting an unknown variety. In addition, a tree can be grown in the south, and will die in the first winter.
Pay attention to the height of the trunk. One-year-old seedling should not exceed 80 cm, two-year-old - 110 cm. The tree, stretching up to one and a half meters, and even with greenish bark, is clearly overfed with nitrogen or stimulants.
The root of the seedling should be well developed, with a thick central process and many thin lateral ones.
Landing algorithm
Immediately before planting, the cherry root must be soaked in water for at least three hours. The seedling is placed at a distance of at least 2.5-3 m from other trees - the crown should be evenly illuminated by the sun.
Cherries are planted in the following sequence:
- A hole is dug with a diameter of about 80 cm and a depth of 60 cm.
- At the same time, the upper fertile soil layer is thrown aside, mixed with a bucket of humus, potash and phosphorus fertilizer (50 g each). If the soil is acidic, add dolomite flour or lime.
- The pit is completely filled with water. They start planting only when the liquid is completely absorbed.
- Stepping back a little from the middle, drive in a strong peg for the cherry garter.
- The seedling is placed in the center of the pit and covered with a mixture of soil, fertilizer and humus. The soil is constantly carefully rammed with a shovel handle. The root collar should protrude 5-7 cm from the soil level.
- The seedling is tied to a peg, a roller of earth is poured around the pit.
- The cherry is watered abundantly. This will require at least 2 buckets of water.
- The trunk circle is covered with a thick layer of humus.
Follow-up care of the culture
In order for the seedling to take root, it must be well watered. It does not matter that the Mayak variety is drought-resistant - it needs a lot of water for rooting in the first year. When the topsoil is a little dry, loosen it up - this is called dry irrigation. To prevent moisture evaporation and to protect against overheating, mulch the soil.
Further care is to remove weeds, watering in especially dry weather. The Mayak variety is prone to cracking, therefore, all soil moistening is stopped 3 weeks before the expected harvest.
The best fertilizers for cherries are humus and ash. Annual mulching of the near-trunk circle with cattle waste products and burnt plant residues will provide the plant with all the necessary substances. If you use mineral fertilizers, remember that cherries need a lot of nitrogen and potassium, but the culture consumes little phosphorus.
In the fall, the tree must definitely get a good moisture charge - this will help it winter better. A thick layer of mulch will keep the roots from freezing. If the Mayak variety is planted north of the Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk regions, the bush, especially a young one, needs to be covered with spruce branches. You can tie it with burlap or other covering material.
Diseases and pests
Cherry Lighthouse is susceptible to coccomycosis and other fungal diseases. If you have chosen this variety for your garden, preventive treatments with copper and iron oxides will have to be carried out without fail. Harmful insects also annoy the cherry. They are fought with insecticides.
The characteristics of the Mayak cherry variety are contradictory. It has properties that are attractive to gardeners, such as high taste, and disadvantages, for example, a high probability of contracting coccomycosis. Everyone must determine for himself whether it is worth planting a duke on his site.
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