If you were looking for a winter-hardy variety that bears fruits with excellent taste, then Just Maria pear should interest you. It was bred by Belarusian breeders and has all the features of a high-class species. The article will tell you more about this interesting variety, its advantages and cultivation features.
Pear Prosto Maria was bred in 2010 by the Belarusian breeder Maria Myalik after 35 years of hard breeding work. The results of the work exceeded all expectations, because the variety turned out to be extremely balanced in almost all main characteristics, thanks to which it received positive reviews from many professionals in a short time and became a welcome guest in many garden plots of amateur gardeners.
Characteristic of the variety
Just Maria is a medium-sized tree, can grow up to 3 meters, while it has a wide pyramidal crown with a diameter of up to 2,5 meters (at the age of ten). This tree is considered a late species – it bears fruit in autumn (October). The fruits are round, pear-shaped, smooth, shiny, with a thin skin. The main color is greenish-yellow with a slight reddish blush (pictured). The mass of ripe fruits can reach 200 g. It is worth noting that it is advisable to collect the fruits unripe, because they are perfectly stored and ripen in a dark, cool place for 90 days, after which they acquire a rich yellow color and become fragrant and juicy with a soft, sweet taste.
This variety, like all pear trees, loves the sun and warmth, so it is advisable to choose a place for planting seedlings on the southern or southwestern side of the garden or plot, and in order to further increase the amount of active temperatures, the pear can be planted near the southern wall of the house or fence.
Also consider the groundwater level in your area. The pear has a well-developed root system, which copes well with the lack of moisture, but if the groundwater comes too close to the surface, it is fatal for pears and it is not recommended to plant them in such places.
Just Maria will grow and develop well on neutral, well-aerated soils. If the conditions for growth and development are unfavorable, but there is no alternative place for planting, graft the cuttings onto the stem formers.
Despite the fact that the Just Maria pear is considered a suitable variety for gardens and summer cottages in Moscow and the Moscow region, when buying seedlings, be sure to ask the sellers on which stock the pear is grafted. Grafted on quince are hard to tolerate the climate of the Moscow region, so choose seedlings.
Remember that many pears require pollination as they are self-fertile (cannot pollinate themselves). Therefore, it is desirable to plant pollinators of various varieties on the site, but with one flowering time, and then the harvest is guaranteed.
Also, pear care agrotechnology requires in late autumn, after harvesting, it is imperative to treat the trunks and soil around the trees with a 7-10% urea solution. Spraying will accelerate the decomposition of fallen leaves, as well as kill pests and pathogens of various diseases that are dangerous for trees. After treatment, it is advisable to whitewash or spray the trunks and lower branches with lime mortar. This is a protective measure against parasites and sunburn.
Video “Pear: varieties and agricultural technology”
This video will tell you what varieties of pears are, how to care for them and how you can use the fruits.
Advantages
Description pear Just Mary would be incomplete without mentioning the merits of this tree. And there are a lot of them.
One of the main advantages of the variety is its precocity. While most pear trees begin to bear fruit at 5-6 years old, Prosto Maria gives the first harvest already at 3-4 years of age. The yield is traditionally high – up to 40 kg of fruit can be harvested from one tree, while severe winter frosts do not affect the quantity and quality of the crop. This is the second positive quality of this variety – resistance to severe frosts (up to minus 39 degrees) and sudden changes in temperature.
Pear has an increased resistance to many diseases. It perfectly resists such dangerous diseases as scab, black cancer, septoria. Of course, this does not mean complete immunity. The plant, like the rest of the pear, must be treated in spring and autumn with various fungicides, as well as carry out other preventive work.
It is worth noting that this variety surpasses, and this is confirmed by experts, many Western varieties that are considered standards of taste (Bere Bosk, Williams) in terms of fruit taste.
Also, the fruits of this species are striking in taste and size, as for a tree growing in such climatic and harsh conditions as the Nizhny Novgorod region or the Moscow region.
Belarusian breeders have bred a truly unique variety. It’s just that Maria survives frosty winters well, without losing the quality and quantity of the crop, is resistant to most pear diseases and at the same time regularly bears fruit with high taste characteristics. Plant this pear in your garden and enjoy the fragrant fruits.