Alycha Mara

Alycha Mara: photo of the variety

Alycha is a fairly frequent inhabitant of the gardens of our summer residents. Leaving does not require much effort. But still there are certain rules and recommendations for proper planting and caring for cherry plum. Choosing the right variety is also important. In this article we will tell you about such a variety as cherry plum Mara. It has proven itself perfectly, and with the correct planting and care technique for Mara cherry plum, a good and bountiful harvest is guaranteed.

Cherry plum: description of the variety

Alycha Mara: photo

Cherry plum varieties Mara are very popular with gardeners throughout the country, this plum is large-fruited. In terms of ripening, it is late ripening. This variety feels good in central Russia, the frost resistance of Mara cherry plum is high, and the variety also has a fairly good immunity to major diseases and harmful insects.

The cherry plum variety Mara was born in the eighties of the twentieth century, thanks to cross-pollination, in which garden cherry plum and Chinese plum participated. Alycha Mara was bred by Belarusian breeders. This variety was officially registered in the State Register of Russia in 2002.

Cherry plum varieties Mara are characterized by rather large plant sizes. The tree usually reaches a height of three - three and a half meters (in the fourth - fifth year of life). The branches are quite spreading, the crown has the shape of a ball, in diameter it reaches about 2.5 - 2.7 meters. The most active period of Mara cherry plum growth falls on the first three to four years of the plant's life.

The surface of the bark of Mara cherry plum has a dark brown color, young shoots have a light red tone. It is noted that the roots of this variety are well developed. The leaf plates are oval in shape, slightly elongated. They have a deep rich green color. The flowers are white, in large numbers.

Cherry plum Mara produces rather large fruits (one siva in weight usually reaches 25 grams), which have a bright yellow color of the peel. The fruits are round, the flesh is fleshy. The disadvantages of the Mary variety are poor separation of the bone from the pulp of the fruit.

The cherry plum variety Mara is well cultivated in the southern regions, as well as in central Russia.

Cherry plum Mara: the main characteristics of the variety

Plum cherry plum Mara has a very good degree of resistance to cold temperatures and major diseases and harmful insects. And this despite the fact that this variety is usually grown in the southern regions. For these reasons, the Mara plum is performing well in the Moscow region and in the rest of central Russia.

Alacha Mara can easily endure very low temperatures, down to -35 - 37 degrees. Has an average degree of resistance to dry weather. If the weather is dry for a long time, then watering for the plum is, of course, necessary.

Unfortunately, cherry plum of the Mara variety is not capable of self-pollination. For this reason, additional pollinators for Mara cherry plum are needed. It would be best to plant cherry plum varieties in the neighborhood, which can act as pollinators, for example, the Vitba variety. This variety is similar to Mara in terms of flowering time.

The flowering period of the cherry plum variety Mara does not start too early and falls, as a rule, at the end of April - beginning of May. Fruits begin to ripen en masse usually in the second half of August or even closer to the beginning of September. These terms strongly depend on the region in which the culture is grown, as well as what climatic conditions are typical for this area.

Cherry plum Mara has an excellent level of yield, which is noted by many gardeners who grow Mara.Already in the third year of plant life, about 37 - 40 beautiful plums are usually harvested from one adult plant. This culture shows the highest result, as a rule, in the seventh year of life. At this time, the harvest can be more than sixty kilograms!

Plums of the Mara variety have good high taste qualities, and numerous positive reviews from gardeners are proof of this. The tasting score reaches 4.2 points out of five. The variety has a pleasant subtle aroma, the taste of the fruit is rather sweet, dessert with a slight sourness. This variety is well used for various preserves, sauce, compote.

Cherry plum Mara has a fairly good immunity to the main diseases of fungal and viral origin. But carrying out periodic preventive measures will not be superfluous. This will allow you to forget about such problems for a long time.

Alycha Mara: planting and care

In order for the Mara cherry plum variety to please you with a wonderful and tasty harvest, you need to follow some planting rules.

As a rule, the planting of Mara cherry plum is carried out in the spring. This is done due to the fact that the risk of recurrent frost, freezing of the roots and the fact that the shoots can be damaged are minimized.

If you bought Mara cherry plum seedlings, which have a closed root system, then they can be planted from mid-spring to October.

Cherry plum is a culture that is very demanding on the presence of a large amount of light. For this reason, choose areas with a south or southwest exposure. The land should be protected from drafts and cold winds. It is good if there are some structures or fences nearby. The occurrence of groundwater should be at least two meters from your plantings. The cherry plum variety Mara needs soils with a loose texture and a neutral pH reaction, but a slight acidification of the soil is also acceptable.

One of the factors affecting the quality and quantity of the future harvest is the neighborhood. Cherry plum Mara does not like tomatoes and eggplants as neighbors. It will also negatively affect the plum if trees or shrubs with powerful roots grow nearby. In this case, the competition for nutrients will begin. Good neighbors for plums are apricot, cherry and other varieties of cherry plum.

When choosing Mara cherry plum seedlings for planting, give your preference to two-year-old plants, as they have a greater ability to take root in new conditions. Take a close look at the root system of the plant, it must be complete and healthy. Also take a look at what the shoots and the trunk itself look like. There should be no signs of disease, damage or deformation.

Avoid buying planting material from dubious private traders, it is better to purchase Mara cherry plum seedlings in specialized garden stores or nurseries. So, you can get not only a high-quality product, but also valuable professional advice.

Before planting Mara cherry plum in the ground, you must first prepare the planting pits. Their depth should be about 75 - 80 centimeters. It is necessary to make a mixture from the top layer of soil and black soil, peat, sand. All parts are added in the same quantity. It will not be superfluous to add a couple of kilograms of wood ash. Then lay crushed stone or expanded clay at the bottom of the pit with a layer of about ten centimeters. After that, the planting hole is filled two-thirds with the prepared mixture. Next, you need to carefully install your plant on top. The roots must be covered with the earth that remains.

Remember the root collar needs to be flush with the ground.

Next, tie the stem of your plant to a support. In a circle, form a near-trunk circle. After that, thoroughly sprinkle your plants with water (about ten to fifteen liters of water per plant). After a day, loosen the soil. Keep in mind that the soil is tamped in stages during the planting period.

Rules for caring for plum cherry plum Mara

No one doubts that the Mara cherry plum has an excellent high yield. To maintain and consolidate this property, you need to take proper care of the plant.

Frequent watering for the cherry plum Mara is not required, one or two times a month will be quite enough. Calculation of water is about ten to fifteen liters per plant. Much depends on the climate in which the tree grows. But one thing is for sure: stagnation of water for the cherry plum Mar is not allowed! After you have watered your plantings, you need to loosen the soil and then lay a layer of mulch.

As for the application of dressings, they are done annually. In spring, nitrogen fertilizing should be applied to stimulate plant growth, the end of May is the time to apply potash fertilizers, and in the fall, fertilizing based on phosphorus is applied.

Cherry plum Mara: how to prune branches correctly?

It is necessary to prune and shape the crown of Mara cherry plum trees in the spring, until the buds appear. It is necessary to remove the thickening branches, and leave only strong young shoots.

For the cherry plum variety Mara, preparation for wintering is not required, but you can play it safe and cover tree trunks and their shoots from possible rodents.

Alycha Mara: photo of the variety

Alycha Mara: reviews of gardeners about the variety

• Anastasia Igorevna, Chelyabinsk region: “Cherry plum Mara has been growing on my site for many years, so I can confidently talk about the advantages of this variety. Plum cherry plum Mara has a high yield, gives rather large fruits of good taste and aromatic quality. In addition, Mara has excellent resistance to low temperatures, is able to withstand dry weather, and is also rarely attacked by various diseases and pests. "
• Mikhail Lvovich, Sverdlovsk region: “I grow several varieties of cherry plum on my garden plot. Cherry plum Mara is one of my favorites. However, despite its excellent yield and frost resistance, cherry plum Mara, in my opinion, has some weaknesses. These weaknesses include the impossibility of self-pollination, as well as the fact that the flowering and fruiting of the Mara cherry plum comes quite late. "

Alycha Mara: photo of the variety