Content
Bird cherry is the 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 Maaka bird cherry, which often serves as a decorative decoration for parks and summer cottages.
History of variety selection
The first description of Maak's bird cherry can be found in the works of F. I. Ruprecht, prepared in 1957 for the Austrian Botanical Society. Maak bird cherry (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 Russian geographer and naturalist - R. K. Maak, who first studied this species during his travels through the Amur and Ussuri valleys in 1855-1859.
The valuable qualities of bird cherry attracted the attention of breeders to it. Thus, I.V. Michurin used the Maca variety to improve the characteristics of garden cherries. As a result of repeated crossings, hybrids were developed, known as cherry cherry.
Description of Maak bird cherry
The height of the Maaka bird cherry variety under natural conditions can reach 17-18 m; garden trees usually grow up to 10-12 m. The trunk circumference is about 35-40 cm.
The leaves of the Maaka plant are oval-shaped, jagged, 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 towards the end of the season.
Maak bird cherry blossoms begin 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 Maaka bird cherry on their property even start their own hives.
The fruits ripen by mid-summer. Bird cherry berries of the Maaka variety have a round shape and are quite large in size - up to 0.8-1 cm in diameter. The color of the berries is dark purple and the taste is quite bitter. Bird cherry fruits are a favorite delicacy of birds, squirrels and even bears.
Although the plant’s homeland is the Far East, due to the fact that bird cherry seeds are carried by birds, it can also be found in the central part of the country. As for garden and ornamental plantings, Maak bird cherry is widespread in many regions of central Russia.
Characteristics of the variety
Maak bird cherry has the following characteristic features:
- frost and drought resistance;
- undemanding to soil (can grow in any soil, but properly moistened sandy loam is considered best for it);
- tolerates long rains and floods well, excess humidity has virtually no effect on tree growth;
- can grow both in the shade and in the open;
- requires minimal care;
- has high growth rates;
- can be propagated by seeds or cuttings.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
One of the most valuable qualities of the Maaka bird cherry variety, which made it the object of close attention of breeders, is its high frost resistance. The plant can easily tolerate a drop in air temperature to -40-45 °C.
Bird cherry also tolerates drought well. Only young seedlings require watering in the first year after planting. Mature trees need to be watered only during particularly hot summer periods.
Productivity and fruiting
Bird cherry fruits ripen in July. The berries are quite large, with seeds. Up to 35-50 berries are formed on one cluster, but in general the yield of this variety is not very high. The fruits are quite dense, even dry, and have an unpleasant bitter taste, but are not poisonous to humans. The fruits are harvested in late August or early September, when they are finally ripe, separated from branches and leaves and dried in the open air or in special drying ovens or conventional ovens.
Area of application of fruits
Due to their pronounced bitter taste, Maak bird cherry berries are unsuitable for fresh consumption. The main area of their use is related to medicinal properties: due to the high content of tannins, the berries have a strengthening and anti-inflammatory effect.
Dried berries are also ground and used for baking. The shelf life of dried fruits is 3 years.
Resistance to diseases and pests
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 Maak bird cherry, it is important to pay great attention to preventive measures, which include pruning and thinning the crown, removing old shoots and regular inspection of 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, and also as an element of landscaping in populated areas. 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 repellent effect on many insects (mosquitoes, ticks, etc.);
- due to the high growth rate and lush crown, it is successfully used to create landscape compositions;
- Tolerates both bright sun and shade well.
But Maak bird cherry also has its weaknesses:
- the tree needs free space and a lot of light, so the distance between seedlings should be at least 5 m, and even more in shady areas;
- the berries have a bitter taste and are unsuitable for food;
- staying near bird cherry flowers for a long time 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 plot with a lush flowering tree.
Landing rules
Finding a place to plant the Maaka variety will not be difficult - the plant will take root well in almost any conditions. Bird cherry is absolutely unpretentious, tolerates transplantation well and quickly takes root in a new place.
As for the proximity to other plants, Maak's bird cherry will grow well both in a group of plantings and separately in the middle of the 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 is not frozen. When choosing seedlings, you should pay attention to their height - it is advisable that it does not exceed 70-75 cm. If the seedlings are longer, they should be trimmed.
The rules for planting Maak bird cherry are very simple:
- When preparing a hole for a seedling, you should not go very deep and add a lot of fertilizers; an excess of organic substances can negatively affect the plant.
- The distance between individual bird cherry seedlings should be at least 5 m.
- The seedling must be carefully lowered into the hole, straighten the roots and sprinkle with earth.
- The ground around the tree needs to be mulched with sawdust or peat and watered.
Aftercare
Maak bird cherry is a very undemanding plant. Caring for it in the garden will not be difficult. The plant should be watered periodically for the first couple of years after planting; thereafter, watering is required only during very dry periods.
The only thing you should pay special attention to is the formation of the crown of the Maaka tree. When the first shoots begin to grow on it, several of the most developed lateral shoots should be left, directed in different directions. The top needs to be trimmed so as not to interfere with the growth and development of the side branches. You will have to repeat the procedure for several years, and for adult bird cherry trees you will have to periodically thin out the crown.
Fertilizers for the Maaka variety should be applied no more than once every 2 years. Before flowering, you can add a small amount of mineral fertilizers, but this is completely optional.
Diseases and pests
Bird cherry Maak is a variety that has a fairly high resistance to various diseases and harmful insects. But still, she is also affected by various ailments:
- Cytosporosis – the fungus attacks the trunk and branches of the bird cherry, causing them to dry out. Appears in the form of small white tubercles. At the first sign of infection, the affected areas should be removed and burned, and the bark should be cleaned and disinfected with copper sulfate. As a preventative measure, the trunks are whitened with lime in the fall and treated with Bordeaux mixture in the spring.
- Leaf rust - a fungus that appears as brown or purple spots on leaves and branches. If detected, the tree must be treated with copper sulfate.
- Rubella – a fungus that causes red spots to form on leaves. Before buds appear, the tree is treated with copper sulfate, and after flowering - with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.
- Rot – a disease caused by the tinder fungus. Develops inside the root system and trunk, infection usually occurs through wounds in 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 this protection still does not help against some:
- bedbugs;
- caterpillars and larvae;
- bark beetles;
- weevils.
Treatment with karbofos (60 g per 10 liters of water) in early spring and after flowering will help cope with uninvited guests.
Conclusion
Bird cherry variety Maaka is an unpretentious plant, which, thanks to its lush crown and abundant flowering, can become an excellent element of any landscape design. The fruits of this variety are not suitable for food, but have medicinal properties.
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