Duke Wonder Cherry

Duke Miracle Cherry is familiar to gardeners as the original variety in the cultivation of some modern hybrids. However, sweet cherry deserves the closest attention as a crop that gives an early, plentiful and healthy harvest. And also it is the taste and aroma of large berries, which inherited only the best qualities from their predecessors - abundant fruiting, resistance to adverse weather conditions, light piquant sourness and a dizzying cherry scent.

The appearance of the first hybrid dates back to the 17th century, but already in the 20th century more than three dozen varieties were known. The etymology of the name duke is from the British version, shortened from the moment of creation to the first word. The first domestic duke was created by I. Michurin by crossing Belaya cherry and Belaya Winkler cherry and named Krasa Severa. The plant turned out to be not very suitable for Western Siberia due to freezing of the buds in extreme frosts, but for regions with average temperatures in the winter period, this is the best option even for a novice gardener.

Miracle cherry is a modern version of the duke, created by Donetsk breeders from Griot Ostheimsky cherries and Valery Chkalov cherries. Duke is a characteristic of the variety, a term for a hybrid of two related berries that retains slightly more cherry properties than cherry ones.

Duke Miracle cherry is a unique type of fruit tree with excellent characteristics: large tasty berries, resistance to cold, drought, disease and common infections. However, early fruiting makes it unsuitable for cultivation in areas with late frosts and extremely low temperatures during the cold season. The salient features are inherited from two sources:

• branchiness and buds - like a sweet cherry;

• leaves - large, elongated-oval and glossy passed from cherry;

• from the same ancestor inherited winter hardiness, flowers resembling cherry;

• buds, crown and pattern of the arrangement of branches are clearly reminiscent of cherries.

Strong immunity allows you to grow the Miracle cherry in the central regions and in the south of Russia, in regions with a humid climate, where fungal diseases are common. The tree is able to postpone the flowering period somewhat if the weather conditions are unfavorable in spring.

The crop does not require much maintenance, but needs the company of similar plants for pollination. The only drawback is the high growth (up to 3 m), which makes it difficult to collect the annual harvest.

The berries are quite large. From about the first decade of June, you can count on pouring berries, which weigh 8-9 g. At the beginning of ripening, they are blood-red, at the apogee they acquire a maroon color.Fruiting in the variety is abundant. The fruit has a cherry scent. The variety is resistant to adverse weather conditions.

There is a slightly perceptible cherry sourness. It gives the taste of ripe berries a piquancy and attractiveness. The dense, but juicy pulp of ripe fruits is easily separated from both the stalk and the stone. In terms of sweetness and taste, it gains about 5 points. Many people in the preparation of blanks for the winter like the pronounced aroma of cherries, which are not included in the kit with its characteristic acid.

The end of the first decade of June is the start of reaching ripeness with berries, provided that the spring proceeds as usual. If the transition season is unfavorable, Miracle Cherry can slightly move flowering and harvesting. In the second or third year, you can already get some berries from the tree. From the fourth year, she begins to lay buds, and this gives a stable annual fruiting.

Gardeners' reviews say a stable average of 10 kg per tree, but gardeners who are involved in the crop receive an average of 15 kg and believe that it has a high yield level. Undoubted bonuses are an early start of production from a young tree and annual harvests, which is not typical for some premium varieties.

The middle latitudes of the temperate climate are the optimal territory for breeding the variety. Planting is recommended in mid or late April, when the soil and air have already warmed up enough, and the long-term weather calendar for the region does not mention the possibility of a return of cold or late frosts. In the south of Russia, such conditions are created by nature in late March - early April. There you can also do autumn planting starting from the second half of the first autumn month, so that at least 30 days remain before the onset of cold weather.

In most cases, the adaptation period goes well, but if the soil and air are not warmed up enough, the plant falls into a state of dormancy and slows down the survival processes.

Creating optimal conditions for the Miracle Cherry is the only way to get a long-awaited and bountiful harvest on time. The hybrid prefers to grow in flat areas with sufficient light. In extreme cases, it can be planted on gentle slopes, not shaded by taller trees. To get a guaranteed harvest, a self-fertile plant needs cross-pollination. The experience of gardeners shows that the optimal neighborhood is the same trees or any cultivated sweet cherry.

The south side is not the best area, but in the southeast or southwest, Miracle Cherry feels great. The preferences in the soil of the tree are wide - loam and sandy loam, brown and forest soil, black soil are suitable. If the soil does not meet the requirements, it can be improved before planting. Sand, compost or peat is added, but in small quantities.

Experts advise buying seedlings from nurseries with a good reputation, preferably annual and well-developed ones.On the plot intended for planting, holes are made with a depth of at least 50 cm.The width and length are variable - it may depend on the root system. Landing includes the procedures traditional for this operation.

High-quality further care implies timely pruning, crown formation, fertilization, removal of garden debris from the site in the fall, in order to prevent pests from overwintering. Under normal weather conditions, the plant will need only three spills - after the flowering period, during the ripening period and after the leaves fall. If the enemies of the tree are found in a timely manner, it is necessary to carry out processing in order to prevent their reproduction and damage to the plant.

The miracle cherry will generously thank its owners for their attention and care.