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The name of this variety is reminiscent of the old series. However, the pear Just Maria has nothing to do with this film. The variety was named after the Belarusian breeder Maria Myalik. It took 35 years to create it. The progenitor of the pear is the well-known Butter variety. From him Just Maria took all the best qualities.
Characteristics of a variety
Now we will try to touch on photos, reviews, planting and other important issues in the description of the pear Just Maria, but let’s start with the characteristics of the variety. The height of the tree does not exceed 3 m. Of these, up to 2,5 m is allocated to the crown. Approximately from 50 to 80 cm is the height of the trunk from the ground to the beginning of the lower tier of branches. In shape, the crown of Just Mary is pyramidal and has been constantly growing for ten years. The pear is not inherent in strong branching. The branches coming from the trunk are slightly raised along the edge, which is why the shape of the pyramid is formed.
The variety can be called partially self-fertile. If the tree grows alone, the harvest will be, but small. The best pollinators for pears Just Maria are varieties characterized by the same flowering period. It is advisable to plant a couple of such trees nearby.
Fruits are formed on small shoots with incompletely developed buds. When ripe, their average weight reaches 190 g. But this parameter is not a limitation. Under good weather conditions and proper care, the fruits of the Just Maria variety can grow up to 350 g in weight. The smooth skin is slightly shiny and has a uniform color without age spots. Harvesting is carried out in technical maturity, when the color of the fruit is still yellow-green. During this period, a slight pink blush appears on the skin and green subcutaneous dots are visible. The full ripening of the fruit of the Just Maria variety can be determined by the golden yellow color.
The size of the stem is small. It is characterized by medium thickness with a slight bend. The thin peel of the fruit is covered with an oily coating. The bones are ordinary – cone-shaped brown. When ripe, they change from a light shade to a dark one. It is impossible to fully describe the pear Just Maria in terms of taste. The pulp is so tender and has a unique aroma that you only need to taste it.
Continuing to consider the description of the pear variety Prosto Maria, photos, reviews, it is worth highlighting several important characteristics for which gardeners fell in love with this fruit tree:
- Early fruiting. Most varieties of pears bring a crop for 5-6 years of life. It’s just that Maria is able to throw out the first flowers in the third year. If this does not happen, in the fourth year the gardener is guaranteed to try the first harvest.
- The pear Just Maria bears fruit in the Moscow region and other regions annually. The harvest is always high – at least 40 kg of fruit from an adult tree.
- A big plus is winter hardiness. pears Just Maria and resistance to sudden changes in temperature. Harsh winters do not affect the amount of harvest. The maximum that a tree can withstand is a temperature drop to -38оC.
- Mary just showed scab resistance, black cancer, as well as septoria. In this regard, the pear outperforms other varieties. The immune system of the Belarusian pear variety is excellent, but this cannot be speculated during an outbreak of diseases. It is better to carry out preventive measures that involve spraying the tree with protective preparations.
- Most reviews of the Just Maria variety describe taste qualities fruits. For the standard, it is often customary to take the famous Bosk or Bere pears. Williams is not far behind. So Just Maria overtook these varieties in terms of taste. This is said not only by amateurs, but also by experienced gardeners.
The disadvantages of any fruit tree are usually identified by reviews. To date, there is nothing bad to say about the Just Maria variety.
The video provides an overview of the Just Maria variety:
Planting seedlings and caring for them
If a person has experience working in the garden, then planting a pear Just Maria and caring for her will not cause any particular difficulties. Let’s look at the subtleties that beginners need to know:
- Just Maria is considered a shade-tolerant variety. However, excessive darkness will adversely affect the development of the tree itself. If there is a well-lit area in the garden, do not take pity on it and take Just Mary’s seedling for planting. The development of the tree affects the yield. You can only get a good end result by taking proper care of the pear.
- This variety is very moisture-loving. A seedling and an adult tree needs regular watering. They should be plentiful, but dirt cannot be constantly kept under a tree. Otherwise, the roots will start to rot.
- Despite shade tolerance, Just Maria loves warmth. The seedling is best planted on the sunny side. It is desirable that there are any barriers that cover the tree from the northern cold winds. Seedlings of the Just Maria variety of two years old are excellent for planting. The hole is dug 1 m deep, 80 cm wide. 3 buckets of a mixture of fertile soil with humus are poured into the pit, the seedling is lowered with roots, backfilled and watered. Before rooting, a young tree is tied to a peg driven in the center of the hole.
- A pear, like any other fruit tree, loves top dressing. Most often, gardeners make organic fertilizers. But if the soil on the site is very poor in minerals, you will periodically have to feed the tree with store-bought fertilizers.
- The young bark of the pear tree Prosto Maria is a favorite delicacy of rodents. In autumn, hares strive to penetrate the garden. You can protect a pear seedling by wrapping the trunk with thick cardboard. From above it is fixed with a thin wire. With the onset of spring, the protection from the tree is removed.
- The winter hardiness of the variety does not give the gardener the right to ignore the preparation of the tree for the cold. The fact is that severe frosts penetrate deep into the ground and can destroy the root system. You can solve this problem in a maximum of 10 minutes. It is enough to take a shovel in the fall and throw an earthen embankment under the tree trunk. A thick layer of leaves can be applied under the ground. In winter, the litter will be a heater, and by spring it will rot into fertilizer.
- In spring and summer, the root system of the tree also requires care. She needs oxygen. After watering, the soil becomes silted. The resulting film can cause oxygen starvation of the pear. The problem is solved by periodically loosening the earth around the tree trunk.
- Even if the soil on the site is fertile, over time, a growing tree sucks out all the trace elements from it. At least 1 time in 5 years you need to feed Just Maria with potassium. Nitrogen-containing fertilizer is applied before the tree blooms. Don’t forget phosphorus. Fertilizer can be applied by simply mixing it with the ground, and then watering.
- Experienced gardeners always monitor the full ripening of the fruit. To do this, during flowering, the pear is fed with urea. The fertilizer is a solution with a consistency of 0,4%.
Pruning pear Just Maria needs to start from a seedling. This will help to correctly form the crown of the tree. It is better to do this in early spring before the start of sap flow. At this time, branches frozen on the tree during the winter are visible. They also need to be removed. Autumn pruning of fruit trees is also practiced. The cut of the pear branch is carried out under the very trunk so that there are no stumps left. The wound is covered with garden pitch.
It is difficult for a novice gardener to form fruit formations on a pear. As an instruction, we suggest looking at the photo. The diagram shows which branches on the tree need to be cut in order to increase the yield.
Methods of reproduction
All pears have a big plus. They reproduce well, and this can be done not only by buying a new seedling.
The first way is reproduction of Just Mary with a cutting. It looks like this:
- Cuttings are harvested from an adult pear. They need to have leaves. It is easier to determine survival from them. In order for the cuttings to have roots, they are placed in heat, where the temperature is constantly maintained from 20 to 25оC.
- To maintain an optimal microclimate, pear cuttings are placed under a film cover. A canopy of damp cloth is pulled over them. It will protect the cuttings from sunburn. But the canopy should not completely create a shadow. In the dark, the stalk will weaken and may die.
- Cuttings must be sprayed. In the heat, this is done 5 times a day, and in cloudy cool weather – no more than 3 times. After spraying, all leaves should be covered with droplets of water.
The cuttings under the film cover are positioned so that they are slightly above the ground. The use of growth stimulants can accelerate the appearance of roots. You can take heteroauxin tablets and dissolve them in warm rainwater. In this solution, pear cuttings Just Maria are placed.
The easiest way to propagate a pear is considered layering. The branches will take root on their own according to natural conditions. They do not need special care, they just need to be watered on time. The essence of the process is to prepare nutrient soil, inside of which part of the branch of an adult tree will be buried, but the top should protrude outward. The sun must fall on the layering. After the roots appear, the twig is cut off with a pruner from the parent tree and planted as a seedling.
And the last most difficult method of reproduction is grafting onto another tree. Cuttings are harvested from an adult pear in early December. One-year-old twigs 3-4 eyes long are suitable. Until spring, the cuttings of Just Maria are stored in a cold cellar. In the spring they can be used for their intended purpose. There are many vaccination schemes. You can see them in the photo below. An important question remains what the Just Maria pear is grafted onto so that the stalk takes root well.
Any variety of pear is considered the best stock, even a wild game will do. A good result is shown by grafting on quince, cherry plum and apple. Rarely used as a rootstock rowan. Quite rarely, cotoneaster, hawthorn and irga serve as a stock.
Reviews
In summing up, let’s read about the pear Just Maria reviews to get to know this variety better.