Contents
Bird cherry is a common name for several species. Common bird cherry can be found in every city. In fact, there are more than 20 varieties of this plant. One of them is bird cherry Maaka, which often serves as a decorative decoration for parks and summer cottages.
History of variety breeding
The first description of bird cherry Maak can be found in the works of F. I. Ruprecht, prepared in 1957 for the Austrian Botanical Society. Bird cherry Maaka (Prunus maackii) belongs to the Rosaceae family and grows naturally in the Far East, Manchuria and Korea. Its name is associated with the name of the geographer and naturalist – R.K. Maak, who first studied this species during his journey through the Amur and Ussuri valleys in 1855-1859.
The valuable qualities of bird cherry attracted the attention of breeders to it. So, I. V. Michurin used the Maca variety to improve the characteristics of garden cherries. As a result of repeated crossings, hybrids known as cherry cherry were bred.
Description of bird cherry Maaka
The height of bird cherry varieties Maaka in natural conditions can reach 17-18 m, garden trees usually grow up to 10-12 m. The circumference of the trunk is about 35-40 cm.
The leaves of the Maaka 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.
Flowering of bird cherry Maaka begins in May. Racemose inflorescences 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 bird cherry Maak on the site even start their own hives.
The fruits ripen by mid-summer. Bird cherry berries of the Maaka variety have a rounded shape and a fairly 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 Far East is the birthplace of the plant, 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’s bird cherry is widespread in many regions of the central part of Our Country.
Characteristic of the variety
Bird cherry Maaka has the following characteristic features:
- frost and drought resistance;
- undemanding to soils (it can grow in any soil, but properly moistened sandy loam is considered the best for it);
- it tolerates long rains and floods well, excess humidity practically does not affect the growth of the tree;
- can grow both in the shade and in the open;
- requires minimal care;
- has a high rate of growth;
- can be propagated by seeds or cuttings.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
One of the most valuable qualities of the bird cherry variety Maaka, which made it the object of close attention of breeders, is its high frost resistance. The plant can easily endure a drop in air temperature to -40-45 ° C.
Bird cherry also tolerates drought well. Watering requires only young seedlings in the first year after planting. Mature trees need to be watered only in especially hot summer periods.
Yield 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 fully ripe, separated from branches and leaves and dried in the open air or in special drying ovens or conventional ovens.
Scope of fruits
Due to their pronounced bitter taste, Maaka berries are unsuitable for fresh consumption. The main area of their application is associated with medicinal properties: berries, due to the high content of tannins, have a fixing and anti-inflammatory effect.
Dried berries are also ground and used for baking. The shelf life of dried fruits is 3 years.
Disease and pest resistance
All varieties of bird cherry demonstrate 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 bird cherry Maak, it is important to pay great attention to preventive measures, which include pruning and thinning the crown, removing old shoots and regularly inspecting 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 as an element of landscaping 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;
- Tolerates both full sun and shade well.
But bird cherry Maak has its own weaknesses:
- a tree needs free space and a lot of light, so the distance between seedlings should be at least 5 m, and even more in a shady area;
- berries have a bitter taste and are unsuitable for food;
- 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 lush flowering tree.
Rules of landing
It will not be difficult to choose a place for planting the Maaka variety – the plant will take root well in almost any conditions. Bird cherry is absolutely non-capricious, tolerates transplantation well and quickly takes root in a new place.
As for the neighborhood with other plants, Maaka bird cherry will grow well both in a group of plantings and separately in the middle of a lawn or in close proximity to buildings.
The right time for planting is the beginning of spring or the end of autumn, the main condition is that the ground should not be 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 cut.
The rules for planting bird cherry Maak are very simple:
- When preparing a pit for a seedling, you should not go very deep and add a lot of fertilizer, an excess of organic matter can adversely affect the plant.
- The distance between individual seedlings of bird cherry should be at least 5 m.
- The seedling must be carefully lowered into the pit, straighten the roots and sprinkle with earth.
- The ground around the tree should be mulched with sawdust or peat and watered.
Aftercare
Bird cherry Maaka is a very undemanding plant. Taking care of her in the garden will not be difficult. The first couple of years after planting, the plant should be watered periodically, in the future, watering is required only in very dry periods.
The only thing you should pay special attention to is the formation of the crown of the Maaka variety tree. When the first shoots begin to grow on it, then several of the most developed lateral ones, directed in different directions, should be left. The top must be trimmed so as not to interfere with the growth and development of 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 with a fairly high resistance to various diseases and harmful insects. But still, various ailments affect her:
- Cytosporosis – the fungus infects the trunk and branches of the bird cherry, causing them to dry out. It appears as small white bumps. At the first sign of infection, the affected areas should be removed and burned, and the bark should be cleaned and disinfected with copper sulphate. As a preventive measure, the trunks are whitened with lime in the fall, and treated with Bordeaux liquid in the spring.
- leaf rust – a fungus that manifests itself in the form of brown or purple spots on leaves and branches. If a tree is found, it must be treated with copper sulphate.
- Rubella – a fungus that causes the formation of red spots on the leaves. Before the appearance of buds, the tree is treated with copper sulphate, and after flowering – with a solution of Bordeaux liquid.
- Rot – a disease caused by a tinder fungus. It develops inside 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.
Phytoncides secreted by the leaves of the Maaka variety protect the tree from many harmful insects. But for some, this protection still does not help:
- Bugs;
- caterpillars and larvae;
- bark beetles;
- weevils.
Treatment with karbofos (60 g per 10 l of water) in early spring and after flowering will help to cope with uninvited guests.
Conclusion
Maaka bird cherry is an unpretentious plant, which, thanks to its lush crown and abundant flowering, can become a wonderful element of any landscape design. The fruits of this variety are not suitable for food, but they have medicinal properties.
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