Bird cherry Maaka - detailed instructions for growing a tree

Content:

Briefly about bird cherry "Maaka"

bird cherry maaka

Bird cherry Maaka photo

Bird cherry is a common name for about 20 different varieties of this tree. The common bird cherry is quite common and is found in any city, town or village. One of the most popular species is the Maaka bird cherry variety, often used to decorate streets, parks and private gardens.

Breeding history of the variety

Maak is the surname of the famous Russian geographer and traveler R.K. Maaka, who was the first to describe a previously unseen bird cherry species during his travels along the Amur and Ussuri in the middle of the nineteenth century. In honor of him, they gave the name to a new species of bird cherry. However, the first mention of the Maak variety in scientific works dates back to 1957.

Austrian biologist F.I. Ruprecht wrote about the new Maaka bird cherry variety for the local botanical community, as the Maak bird cherry (padus maackii), which is native to the edges of Manchuria. Maaka also grew in the regions of the Far East, less often found in Korea. The discovered variety turned out to be very interesting representatives of its species and interested many breeders. Bird cherry Maak is crossed with cherries to improve the properties of these Rosaceae. IV Michurin succeeded in breeding the best breeding specimens, which were simply called cherry chariot.

Bird cherry Maak: description

The Maak bird cherry, whose height ranges from seventeen to twenty meters, is found in its natural habitat. Artificially grown trees of much smaller stature, about ten to thirteen meters. In both cases, the diameter of the trunk at the thickest point is about thirty centimeters. The Maak bird cherry has a very long lifespan.

The bark of the Maak bird cherry has an unusual color. It resembles bronze or gilding, with a warm brick shade. The bark is very thin and flakes off like a film during wilting.
Casting Maaki is oval, pointed at the end, with serrated edges, about ten centimeters long and from five to seven centimeters wide.

Bird cherry Maak begins flowering in the last spring month. At this time, a large influx of bees can be observed, especially near Maaki. And it is not surprising, because the pollen of this species of bird cherry is especially attractive to insects, therefore it is considered the best honey plant in its genus. Therefore, many summer residents and gardeners, in addition to the opportunity to observe the beautiful flowering of Maaki, take advantage of the love of bees for this plant and build apiaries next to its thickets.

By July, bird cherry bears fruit, not only in the form of fragrant honey, but also in the form of dark blue berries. For humans, they are unlikely to become a favorite delicacy because of the bitter filling, but small birds, forest rodents and even bears will willingly eat everything that the Maaki harvest will give.

Thanks to the birds, bird cherry can be admired not only in the eastern regions, but also in the climatic zone of the middle zone. Migratory birds bring seeds with them, and due to the unpretentious nature of the plant, it grows in other climatic conditions.

Bird cherry "Maaka": characteristics

Bird cherry Maak tree has the following set of characteristics:

propagated by seeds and / or cuttings,
has resistance to drought and frost,
not afraid of temperature extremes and flooding, great for growing in any region,
not demanding on the ground, grows in any soil,
grows equally well in shady places, and in abundantly lit areas,
high growth rate,
no special care is required, the plant is capable of independently resisting most diseases and harmful insects

Frost resistance

One of the most important qualities of the Maaka variety is its resistance to dry periods in summer and to winter frosts. Young trees are still more sensitive to cold. An adult bird cherry calmly survives long winter colds up to minus forty-five degrees.

Heat resistance

Likewise, young seedlings require watering during hot summer periods, when the grown ones are endangered only at an abnormally high temperature of forty degrees Celsius.

Bird cherry "Maaka": harvest and fruits

In the middle of summer, the bird cherry begins to bear fruit. Each branch has an average of two to three brushes with berries. There are about sixty to ninety berries per branch. The fruits themselves are dry and bitter. Although they are not fatal to the human body, they are bitter, as if dried bird cherry berries are not eaten in a reduced form. In late summer and early autumn, the berries are harvested and dried, in the air or in ovens.

Is Maak's bird cherry edible or not?

Many people ask the question: is it possible to eat maaka bird cherry? Although Maaki berries are tasteless, they are still consumed in dried form. Due to the high content of tannins, the fruits of bird cherry are good for treating intestinal disorders, increase immunity. The fruits also fight inflammatory symptoms and have a strengthening effect on the body.
The shelf life of dried berries under the conditions of keeping (in a dry place) reaches three years. The grated fruits are good for baking, as an additional seasoning or for decoration.

Dangerous pests and diseases of trees

In addition to the resistance of the Maak bird cherry to droughts and frosts, this variety shows an amazing resistance to most harmful insects and common tree diseases. Bird cherry leaves secrete a special chemical ether that poisons insects. But this property does not guarantee complete safety from pests.

To prevent the appearance of harmful insects on trees, regular preventive procedures should be carried out. Inspection of bird cherry and near growing trees for infection with any disease, the appearance of pests will contribute to the timely prevention of damage to trees. It is also necessary to cut off dried-up branches, cut and thin out the crown.

Bird cherry "Maaka": pros and cons

Of the advantages of this type of bird cherry:

unpretentious to the soil,
does not require regular watering,
ease of tree care, does not require special fertilizers,
due to the chemical composition of the elements secreted by the foliage, it effectively repels ticks, lumps, and a number of unpleasant insects.

A beautiful plant, a favorite of landscape designers, ideal for decorating a garden, city streets
grows well in shaded and densely lit places

There are also a number of disadvantages:
trees, due to their splendor, require enough free space, so the gaps between trees need to be left about five to six meters. The fruits of bird cherry, although edible, have many useful qualities, they are eaten only in processed form.

The smell of bird cherry intoxicating in the truest sense of the word. Long-term inhalation of the scent of blooming bird cherry causes severe headaches. In spring, when bird cherry blossoms, many wasps, bees and bumblebees gather around the trees.

Bird cherry "Maaka": planting

The plant is absolutely undemanding to the land on which it is to grow. It is very easy to choose a landing site. Bird cherry is not capricious, it takes root well in places with medium lighting, it easily tolerates transplants.
Bird cherry trees feel equally well in a densely planted garden, alone, and next to residential buildings.
It is best to plant bird cherry in early spring or autumn. The most important thing is not to plant the shoots in the frozen ground. With regards to growth, it is optimal to choose seedlings seventy to seventy-five centimeters in height.

Bird cherry "Maaka": transplanting and instructions for planting

you need to dig a hole under the tree not too deep,
excessive fertilization of the soil for seedlings has a detrimental effect on the well-being of the plant,
it is necessary to observe the minimum distance between seedlings - five meters,
you need to plant a tree very carefully, without damaging the roots.

The roots should be spread a little inside the hole and covered with earth.
after the seedling is planted and covered with earth, it is better to mulch on top with peat or sawdust. Next, the tree needs to be watered.

Bird cherry Maak: reproduction and care

Since bird cherry is very undemanding, young trees should sometimes be watered and not overdosed with fertilizers. In especially dry periods, you just need to make sure that the plant has enough water, watering it as needed.
The only thing to watch out for is the sprouts from the crown. The top will have to be trimmed periodically so that the side branches feel free and can grow. Once the tree is old enough, it will only be necessary to thin out the crown occasionally. Fertilizers are almost not required; they need to be fed to the soil of trees no more than once every two years.
Young bird cherry sprouts need to be processed.

Bird cherry "Maaka": diseases

Although many diseases are not terrible for bird cherry, various types of tree fungus pose a serious danger to the Maak bird cherry. Here are a number of those diseases from which she is not protected:
leaf rust is a type of fungus that infects the leaves of a tree. Dark spots of a bluish or brown hue appear on them. Treatment is copper sulfate.

Rubella is another type of fungus. The symptomatology is similar to leaf rust, only the spots on the leaves have a red tint, hence the name of the disease. To treat rubella, you need to treat the tree with copper sulfate.

Rot is a disease caused by a tinder fungus. Because of it, the entire root system of the tree rots. With progressive rot, the plant cannot be saved. The only way out is to uproot the tree.

Cytosporosis is a very common type of fungus. For its prevention, trees are treated with lime at the base. The disease affects the entire tree, manifests itself in the form of light tubercles on the bark. If these are found, you need to chop off the infected places or cut off the bark, then treat it with copper sulfate.

The chemical secretions of the bird cherry save it from most insects. But bugs, bark beetles, weevils are immune to them. To remove the listed pests, it is enough to treat the tree with karbofos. The dosage is sixty-five grams per ten liters of water.

Bird cherry "Maaka": conclusion