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Cherry Miracle is an easy-to-grow hybrid tree that is attractive in terms of fruit. With proper care, the crop bears very tasty fruits, but to obtain them it is important to know agricultural technology.
Description of Cherry Miracle
The Miracle cherry, cherry or duke, was first bred back in the 17th century in England; to obtain it, the Duke of May cherry was crossed with a sour cherry. On the territory of Russia, the first cherry tree was obtained by the famous breeder Michurin in 1888, but his experience was not entirely successful - the plant had high cold resistance, but low yield.The Miracle variety was bred in 1980 by breeders Taranenko and Sychev, who crossed the Griot cherry and the Valery Chkalov cherry.
A hybrid of sweet cherry and cherry that combines the best features of both plants.
The Miracle cherry inherited the best qualities from both parent crops. It is distinguished by high frost resistance, characteristic of cherries, and good yield with sweet fruits - this is inherent in cherries. It is recommended to grow Miracle cherries in the Central region, the Moscow region and the middle zone; they can easily tolerate frosts down to -20 °C. The variety is also suitable for breeding in Siberia, but there Miracle must be carefully protected from frost.
A hybrid of cherry and sweet cherry. Miracle cherry is a tree with medium height and a moderately dense crown, round in shape. Cherry shoots are straight, smooth and covered with dark brown bark, the leaves are dark green and large, similar to cherry leaves. Miracle blooms with large flowers of 5-8 pieces in each brush.
What size is the Miracle cherry tree?
On average, Miracle grows up to 3 m in height. The crown of the tree at a young age is pyramidal, and as the years pass it becomes more spreading and rounded.
The height of an adult cherry is average, about 3 m.
Description of fruits
Ripe Miracle cherry berries are large in size, each of them can weigh up to 10 g. The shape of the fruit is flat-round, the color is dark red. According to the photo and description of the fruits of the Miracle Cherry cherry variety, the berries are covered with a dense shiny skin, the juicy pulp has a pronounced cherry aroma and a sweet taste with a slight sourness. The tasting score of the fruit is about 5 points; the berries are considered dessert.
When ripe, the fruits of the Miracle Cherry can remain on the branches for quite a long time, so there is no need to rush into picking.Since the tree belongs to the sun-loving category, the fruits tolerate bright sunlight well and do not bake under the rays.
Cherry cherry bears very large and juicy berries
The best pollinators for Miracle cherries
The Miracle cherry blossoms usually begin in mid-May. The variety is self-sterile, which means that when planted alone, it will bear a maximum of 5% of the possible amount of fruit. Therefore, to obtain a harvest near the Miracle, it is imperative to plant cherries with similar flowering periods. The best cherries for the role of pollinators for Duke Miracle cherry are Nezhnost, Yaroslavna, Iput and Donchanka.
Without pollinators, cherry will not be able to produce a harvest.
Main characteristics of Miracle cherry
Before planting a hybrid plant on your site, you need to get acquainted with the characteristics, description of the variety and photos of the Miracle cherry variety. This will allow you to understand whether the variety is suitable for growing in a particular garden.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Like most cherry and sweet cherry trees, Miracle takes the lack of moisture calmly. Short-term droughts do not harm the plant and do not affect its yield, but waterlogging of the soil can lead to rot.
The description of the Miracle cherry variety and reviews claim that the cherry’s frost resistance is quite high. It tolerates temperatures down to -20 °C very well and can be grown in more severe conditions. However, in the latter case, the yield will be lower, since some of the fruiting shoots and flower buds will die during the cold weather.
Productivity
Cherry Miracle bears fruit annually, and the fruits ripen on average at the end of June. From an adult healthy tree you can remove up to 10 kg of fresh berries.
Cherry productivity directly depends on growing conditions. Plants growing in the southern regions or the Central region, on fertile soils and with regular fertilizing, bear fruit best. If the Miracle cherry grows in the north, freezes slightly in winter and during spring frosts, and also lacks nutrients, its fruiting volumes will be lower.
Cherevishna Miracle is characterized by high productivity
For what year after planting does the Miracle Cherry bear fruit?
The first fruit ovaries on the shoots of the plant begin to form already in the 3rd year. However, cherries enter the time of full fruiting in the 4th year after planting.
Advantages and disadvantages
Reviews of Miracle Cherry in the Moscow region and other regions note the following positive qualities:
- early fruit ripening;
- very large and massive berries with a dessert taste;
- relative frost resistance;
- good resistance to fungal diseases.
But wood also has disadvantages. These are:
- freezing of buds and shoots at temperatures below - 20 ° C;
- self-sterility and the need for pollinators.
Cherries also tend to thicken quickly, so they require formative pruning.
Planting and caring for Duke Miracle Cherry
The planting and subsequent care algorithms for cherry trees are standard and differ little from the rules for caring for cherries. However, simple recommendations are worth studying more carefully.
Planting rules for Duke are the same as for most cherries.
Recommended timing
The optimal time for planting seedlings depends on the region where cherries are grown. In the Moscow region and the middle zone, the Miracle cherry variety should be planted in early spring after stable positive temperatures have established - in March or early April. In Siberia, the dates are slightly delayed; planting should begin at the end of April, since spring comes later here.
Description of the variety and reviews of Duke Miracle Cherry recommend autumn planting only in the southern regions. Otherwise, the tree will not have time to take root before the onset of cold weather.
Site selection and soil preparation
To grow cherry trees, you need to choose elevated areas of the garden with good natural light. It is advisable that there is a building and a fence nearby - this will provide the plant with cover from the wind. Miracle should not be planted in swampy lowlands or too close to groundwater.
The best soil for cherry trees is sandy loam, fairly loose and ventilated. Shortly before planting, you need to dig a hole with dimensions of 60 by 80 cm, mix the soil with 1 kg of humus and add 400 g of wood ash, 150 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium sulfate. If the soil where the cherry is planted is too wet, you can also pour a bucket of sand into the bottom of the hole.
A duke requires fairly loose and non-waterlogged soil.
How to plant Miracle Cherry
Immediately before planting, the plant seedling is soaked for a couple of hours in water with a growth stimulator to revive the roots. After this you need:
- Fill the planting hole halfway with the prepared soil mixture;
- lower the seedling into the hole, spreading the roots in different directions;
- install a peg on the side to support the tree and fill the hole to the end;
- compact the soil, tie the seedling to a support and water generously.
Immediately after planting, the Miracle needs to be mulched with straw so that the moisture does not evaporate too quickly. It is important to ensure that the root collar of the seedling remains above the ground by about 5 cm.
Features of care
Planting and caring for Miracle cherry is quite simple. You need to adhere to the basic rules of agricultural technology, and then the tree will enjoy good health and good harvests.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
When young, Miracle cherry seedlings are watered every week, about 4 buckets of water are poured under the trunk. At the time of fruiting, it is enough to water the tree three or four times a season - before flowering, before the formation of fruits in hot weather and after harvesting the fruits. The last watering is organized in the fall to saturate the soil with moisture and increase the winter hardiness of the plant.
Overwatering is more dangerous for cherries than drought
Miracle cherries need to be fed in small portions and only from the 3rd year of life - at first the plant has enough fertilizer added during planting.
In the spring, a little urea or ammonium nitrate is added to the soil at the roots, and superphosphate is added before the buds open. After flowering, the Miracle can be fed with nitrophoska, and with the onset of autumn, feed again with superphosphate and add potassium sulphide.
Shortly before the onset of winter, organic fertilizer is spread under the trunk of the plant - humus, which can also serve as insulation.
How to prune Miracle Cherry
In the absence of pruning, the crown of the Miracle thickens, stretches upward and takes on a pyramidal shape.Therefore, every spring it is recommended to trim overgrown branches, maintaining compactness and good ventilation of the crown. You can also shorten annual shoots by a third - this stimulates the formation of new bouquet branches.
Miracle cherry needs an annual sanitary pruning. It is usually carried out in the fall; during pruning, all diseased and weakened branches are eliminated, and shoots growing towards the trunk are removed.
Duke's crown needs shaping
Preparing for winter
With the onset of autumn, it is necessary to take several measures that will increase the frost resistance of Miracle cherries:
- Shortly before the cold weather, the tree can be sprayed with Novosil or Epin-Extra - this will improve the Miracle’s resistance to cold weather.
- In the fall, the cherry trunk is whitened to a height of about 1.5 m from the surface of the ground - this protects the tree from sunburn and cracking of the bark, as well as from damage by rodents.
- Humus is scattered under the roots of the cherry tree in a 10 cm layer. In Siberia and other cold regions, you can additionally cover the cherry tree trunk with spruce branches or light non-woven material.
Diseases and pests
In general, Cherry Miracle has good immunity to fungal diseases, in particular, it almost does not suffer from coccomycosis and moniliosis. However, for preventive purposes, cherries should still be treated in the fall and spring with fungicidal preparations, for example, copper sulfate and Bordeaux mixture.
Among the pests that are dangerous to the plant are aphids, slimy sawflies and cherry flies. Insects are controlled using insecticidal solutions.Grom, Karbofos, Fufanon and others help well if you use them according to the instructions.
Conclusion
Cherry Miracle is a fruit plant with very tasty berries and good varietal characteristics. It is better to grow Miracle in the Central region and the middle zone, but if you want, you can try planting cherries even in Siberia.
Cherry Cherry Miracle can grow in almost all regions
Reviews of Cherry Miracle Cherry
What are the Duke varieties for? It’s not suitable for preservation, the taste of fermented compote, the vodka liqueur is the same, why were Duke varieties bred?