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The name of this variety is reminiscent of an old TV series. However, the Just Maria pear has nothing in common with this film. The variety was named after the Belarusian breeder Maria Myalik. It took 35 years to create it. The ancestor of the pear is the famous Maslanaya variety. Maria simply took all the best qualities from him.
Characteristics of the variety
Now we will try to touch upon photos, reviews, planting and other important issues in the description of the Simply Maria pear, but let’s start with the characteristics of the variety. The height of the tree does not exceed 3 m. Of this, up to 2.5 m is allocated to the crown. Approximately 50 to 80 cm is the height of the trunk from the ground to the beginning of the lower tier of branches. The shape of the crown of Simply Maria is pyramidal and has been constantly growing for ten years. Pear is not characterized by strong branching. The branches coming from the trunk are slightly raised along the edge, which is why the shape of a pyramid is formed.
The variety can be called partially self-fertile. If a tree grows alone, there will be a harvest, but it will be small. The best pollinators for the Simply Maria pear are varieties characterized by the same flowering period. It is advisable to plant a couple of such trees nearby.
The fruits are formed on small shoots with not fully 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 Simply Maria variety can grow weighing up to 350 g. The smooth skin is slightly shiny and has a uniform color without pigment spots. Harvesting is carried out at technical maturity, when the color of the fruit is still yellow-green. During this period, a faint pink blush appears on the skin and green subcutaneous dots are visible. Full ripening of the fruit of the Simply Maria variety can be determined by its golden yellow color.
The stalk size 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 seeds are ordinary - cone-shaped, brown in color. When ripe, they change from light to dark. It is impossible to fully describe the Simply Maria pear in terms of taste. The pulp is so tender and has a unique aroma that you just need to try it.
Continuing to consider the description of the Simply Maria pear variety, 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 bear fruit within 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 Prosto Maria pear bears fruit in the Moscow region and other regions every year. The harvest is always high - at least 40 kg of fruit from an adult tree.
- A big plus is winter hardiness Simply Maria pears and resistance to sudden temperature changes. Severe winters do not affect the amount of harvest in any way. The maximum that a tree can withstand is a temperature drop to -38OWITH.
- Maria just showed scab resistance, black cancer, as well as septoria.In this regard, pear outperforms other varieties. The immune system of the Belarusian pear variety is excellent, but this cannot be speculated on during a disease outbreak. It is better to take preventive measures that include spraying the tree with protective drugs.
- Most reviews about the Simply Maria variety describe taste qualities fruits It is often customary to take the famous Bosc or Bere pears as a standard. Williams is not far behind. So, Maria simply surpassed these varieties in terms of taste. Not only amateurs, but also experienced gardeners talk about this.
The shortcomings of any fruit tree are usually identified by reviews. Today, nothing bad can be said about the Simply Maria variety.
The video provides an overview of the Simply Maria variety:
Planting seedlings and caring for them
If a person has experience in gardening, then planting and caring for the Simply Maria pear will not cause any particular difficulties. Let's look at the subtleties that beginners need to know:
- It’s just that Maria is considered a shade-tolerant variety. However, excessive darkness will have a bad effect on the development of the tree itself. If there is a well-lit area in the garden, do not feel sorry for it and take it for planting a Simply Maria seedling. The development of the tree affects the yield. You can only get a good final result by properly caring for the pear.
- This variety is very moisture-loving. A seedling and an adult tree need regular watering. They should be plentiful, but dirt cannot be kept under the tree all the time. Otherwise, the roots will begin to rot.
- Despite its shade tolerance, Simply Maria loves warmth. It is better to plant the seedling on the sunny side. It is advisable to have any barriers to protect the tree from cold northern winds.Seedlings of the Simply Maria variety, two years old, are excellent for planting. A hole is dug 1 m deep and 80 cm wide. 3 buckets of a mixture of fertile soil and humus are poured into the hole, the seedling is lowered with its roots, backfilled and watered. Before rooting, the young tree is tied to a peg driven into the center of the hole.
- Pear, like any other fruit tree, loves feeding. Most often, gardeners apply organic fertilizers. But if the soil on the site is very poor in minerals, you will have to periodically feed the tree with store-bought fertilizers.
- The young bark of the Simply Maria pear tree is a favorite treat for rodents. In autumn, hares try to enter the garden. You can protect a pear seedling by wrapping the trunk with thick cardboard. It is fixed on top with a thin wire. With the onset of spring, the wooden protection is removed.
- The winter hardiness of the variety does not give the gardener the right to ignore preparing the tree for cold weather. 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 mound under the tree trunk. A thick layer of leaves can be applied under the soil. In winter, the litter will serve as insulation, 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 can be solved by periodically loosening the soil around the tree trunk.
- Even if the soil on the site is fertile, over time the growing tree sucks all the microelements out of it. At least once in 5 years you need to feed Just Maria with potassium. Nitrogen-containing fertilizer is applied before the tree blooms.Don't forget about phosphorus. You can apply fertilizer by simply mixing it with the soil and then watering it.
- Experienced gardeners always monitor the full ripening of fruits. To do this, during flowering the pear is fed with urea. The fertilizer is a solution with a consistency of 0.4%.
To prune the Just Maria pear, you need to start from a seedling. This will help to form the tree crown correctly. It is better to do this in early spring before the sap begins to 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 pear branch is cut right down to the trunk so that there are no stumps left. The wound is covered with garden varnish.
It is difficult for a novice gardener to form fruit formations on a pear. For instructions, we suggest looking at the photo. The diagram shows which branches on the tree need to be pruned to increase the yield.
Reproduction methods
All pears have a big plus. They reproduce well, and this can be done not only by purchasing a new seedling.
The first method is to propagate Simply Maria by cuttings. It looks like this:
- Cuttings are prepared from an adult pear. They need to have leaves. It is easier to determine survival rate using them. In order for the cuttings to develop roots, they are placed in a warm place, where the temperature is constantly maintained from 20 to 25OWITH.
- To maintain an optimal microclimate, pear cuttings are placed under a film cover. A canopy of damp fabric is pulled over them. It will protect the cuttings from sunburn. But the canopy should not completely create shadow. In the dark, the cutting will weaken and may die.
- Cuttings must be sprayed. In hot weather, 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 higher than the ground. The use of growth stimulants can speed up the appearance of roots. You can take heteroauxin tablets and dissolve them in warm rainwater. The cuttings of the Simply Maria pear are placed in this solution.
The easiest way to propagate a pear is considered to be layering. The branches will take root on their own according to natural conditions. They do not need special care, you just need to water them on time. The essence of the process is to prepare nutritious soil, inside which part of the branch of an adult tree will be buried, but the top should protrude outward. The cuttings should be exposed to the sun. After the roots appear, the branch is cut off from the parent tree with pruning shears and planted as a seedling.
And the last, most difficult method of propagation is grafting onto another tree. Cuttings are harvested from an adult pear in early December. One-year-old branches 3–4 eyes long are suitable. Until spring, Simply Maria's cuttings are stored in a cold cellar. In spring they can be used for their intended purpose. There are many vaccination schemes. They can be seen in the presented photo. An important question remains what the Simply Maria pear is grafted onto so that the cutting takes root well.
The best rootstock is considered to be any variety of pear, even a wild one will do. Grafting on quince, cherry plum and apple shows good results. Rowan is less commonly used as a rootstock. Very rarely the rootstock is cotoneaster, hawthorn and irga.
Reviews
To summarize, let's read about the Simply Maria pear reviews to get better acquainted with this variety.
I haven't tried better pears. There is an imported conference pear (the main one on the market) - Maria looks like it, and my friends tried it and said Maria is better. She gave a harvest in the third year. She is 5 years old, since the 3rd year she has harvested in buckets. Grows like crazy, in the 5th year he formed it, greatly shortening the top. The taste is indescribable for those who like it sweet and firm.
The pears reached 350 grams. The tree really doesn’t grow very beautifully, but the shaping helps. It is always more rusty, very susceptible, but as for me, I have not seen a deterioration in the harvest and it is greatly tormented by the weevil - I have already learned to fight it. This year I will also treat fungal infections. I’ll say right away that, like all trees, it grows in good soil; the trench was filled knee-deep with good soil. Location Kaluga region.
I’ve also been suffering with Simply Maria for eight years. I bought it from a nursery (maybe they made a mistake?) The pear tree was sick, the branches were turning black. Cured. The third year there are a couple of inflorescences, but everything falls off. At the same time, Lada was planted next to her, and we have been eating pears from her for several years now. But there’s something wrong with Maria((If we don’t see any fruit this year, we’ll pull it out. I’m tired of courting this Maria. Let’s buy a new Maria, it’s a pity for wasted time.
And fed and watered and in the sun and protected. And against parasites - karbofos. I threw off the flowers. Branches like a broom. The leaves curl. This spring I bit the hell off everything and left it, as they say, in two trunks, each with two small shoots. If it survives stress, it will make sense, but if it doesn’t, I’ll vomit. Don't feed the horse! I bought it from a nursery, as well as two different pyramidal apple trees. I struggled with them for two years, then tore them out and bought the same varieties in a regular store. Apples on them - happy as a boa constrictor! Looks like it's just a year, otherwise I'll destroy this pear!