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Among the huge number of varieties and varieties of peach, flat fruits stand out. Fig peach is not as common as other varieties, but still popular among gardeners. If you properly care for it and choose the right variety, you can please the whole family and neighbors with beautiful and tasty fruits.
Origin of the fig peach
This exotic fruit was brought to Europe from China in the XNUMXth century. This was done by missionaries who began to breed this plant in Europe. Already at the end of the XNUMXth century, fig peach appeared in Our Country.
The homeland of the fig peach, which is shown in the photo, is China and the eastern regions of the Asian republics. That is why in everyday life such a fruit is often called the Chinese turnip.
General Description of the Fig Peach
The fig flat peach plant belongs to the Rosaceae family. The fruits outwardly resemble figs, but it is impossible to baptize these two plants, and therefore the similarity is only external.
The fruit of the fig peach has a bright color of yellow and orange. The fluffiness of the fruit is slightly less than that of most peach varieties, but you cannot call it naked, like a nectarine. A peach crossed with a fig is called a fairy tale because no such fruit exists. It got its name solely because of its shape, although many people mistakenly think otherwise. But it is important to remember that a peach-fig hybrid cannot occur in nature.
This type of fruit is considered completely domestic and does not occur in the wild. Taste qualities are very pleasing to gardeners, because, unlike most relatives, the Fergana peach has a stable taste both under the skin and near the stone. Fruits weigh up to 140 grams and are up to 7 centimeters in diameter.
Where do fig peaches grow?
This is a sun-loving tree, and therefore prefers the southern regions. Most often, fig peach can be found in Central Asia, in China, and in Our Country – in Transcaucasia in the southern regions of the country.
Most often, if grapes grow well in the region, then the fig peach will take root well.
The best varieties of fig peach
There are several varieties of this fruit. The most popular varieties:
- Saturn – a beautiful peach with a red blush.
- Nikitsky – a small tree with large fruits.
- Vladimir – light large fruits.
- Coloniform – early grade.
Columnar Fig Peach
This variety is characterized by low tree growth and early fruiting. The fruits of the Colon-shaped variety are rich red in color, and their weight reaches 150 grams. The crown of trees of this variety is similar to a cylinder, therefore it is often used as an ornamental plant.
Peach fig Saturn
Another early variety of Ferghana peach. The crown of the tree is very spreading, and therefore outwardly the plant looks gorgeous. The fruits are slightly smaller than the previous specimen, and reach a mass of 100 grams. After ripening, the fruit has a yellow tint with light pink sides. The grade differs in frost resistance and perfectly transfers transportation. Peach fig Saturn has a large number of positive reviews from experienced gardeners, therefore it is considered the most popular variety.
Peach fig Belmondo
Differs in late flowering. The fruits ripen in the second half of August. The taste of the fruit is dessert, great for lovers of sweets. The fruit has a slight pubescence. The flesh of the fruit has a bright yellow tint. The tree of this variety is small in stature, but with a spreading crown. The fig peach, according to the description of the Belmondo variety, looks great and at the same time has a delicate taste.
Fig peach Vladimir
This variety is not afraid of most peach diseases. The tree is characterized by a crown of medium spreading, as well as resistance to frost. Fruits reach 180 grams. These are rather large fruits with delicate cream-colored pulp. The skin has a light shade with light red flanks.
Fig peach Nikitsky
The best option for growing in Our Country. The weight of the fetus reaches 120 grams. Very often, because of its low growth, it is considered not a tree, but a shrub. Suitable for growing in harsh climates. The fruits have a reddish tint, and their flesh is cream-colored. The fig peach Nikitsky Plosky is the most hardy in terms of characteristics and therefore gardeners in the southern regions of our country love it.
Growing fig peach
This fruit needs a lot of sun to grow. This must be taken into account when choosing a location. Peach care, as well as the choice of seedling, are essential for obtaining tasty and large fruits. There are several basic rules for the agricultural technology of this tree.
Site selection and soil preparation
The optimal soil for growing a fruit tree of this variety is loam and black soil. The place should be well lit, but at the same time protected from the winds, since the seedlings and adult plants of the Chinese fruit do not like windy places.
To prepare the soil, it is necessary to introduce manure in the fall and sprinkle it with earth by about 20 cm. The soil that is pulled out of the pit for the seedling must be mixed with compost.
Choosing a fig peach seedling
When choosing a seedling, you need to pay attention to the following indicators:
- Assess the state of the root system. The roots of the seedling should be intact, dry, with no signs of rot.
- The optimal age of the seedling is 1 year.
- The bark of the seedling should be green on the inside and look fresh.
After choosing a seedling, you can prepare the soil and plant it in the chosen place.
Only in this case is there a guarantee to get health and a strong tree with tasty and tender fruits.
Planting a fig peach
Planting should be carried out in the spring, because in the fall the seedling may not take root and freeze during the winter, especially if the winter is severe. If planting is carried out in the fall, then the seedling should be covered as best as possible so that it survives until spring and does not suffer.
A hole for seedlings is dug 50 cm deep, 50 cm wide and 50 cm long. The necessary fertilizers should be poured into the bottom. Then lower the seedling and straighten its roots. Top with soil, which is pre-mixed with compost. Pour 25 liters of water under the seedling.
The root neck after planting should remain above the surface. After the seedling is planted, the soil must be mulched. You need to do this with foliage, you can use straw.
Aftercare
After planting, regardless of the variety, the fig peach requires care for the plant. It consists of watering, fertilizing, as well as annual pruning. Each of these events has its own characteristics.
The fig peach loves moist soils and needs to be watered once every two weeks during hot weather. At the same time, at least 20 liters of water are introduced under each tree.
In autumn, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers should be applied. Spring top dressing includes 50 g of urea and 75 g of saltpeter. This is brought under the tree one time. Every three years it is necessary to make humus under the tree.
Pruning can be of two types – sanitary and shaping. Sanitary pruning is carried out in order to remove all diseased and weakened shoots. The best time for pruning is March or early April, depending on the climate and weather conditions. When forming the crown, one should adhere to the cupped shape. Experts recommend removing all shoots that are longer than 50 cm. So that the shoots do not break under the weight of the fruit during fruiting, you need to cut them in such a way that they are located horizontally. The optimal tree height is no more than one and a half meters. Fig peach grows well even in the Moscow region, if you choose the most frost-resistant variety and do the right agricultural technology.
Fig peach is most often affected by powdery mildew, gray mold, and leaf curl. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to spray with a solution of copper sulfate. This procedure is carried out twice a year – in early spring and late autumn.
How to grow a fig peach from a seed
It is possible to grow a delicious and fragrant fruit directly from the seed. A fig peach from a stone looks exactly the same as one grown from a seedling. The most important thing is to choose the right planting material. Ideally, this should be a pit not from a grafted tree, as a grafted peach will only produce a pit with maternal characteristics. True, it will take a long time. First of all, you need to put the bone in a glass of water. Water must be changed every 12 hours and so the bone should lie for 3-4 days.
After that, you need to get the bone and gently dry it. Break with a hammer and get the nucleolus from the inside. It is better to store the kernel in a dark place, where it can lie for a long time at the proper temperature. It is necessary to plant kernels in the middle of autumn. In this case, the choice of location should be similar when planting a seedling. Plant the kernel from the stone to a depth of 5 centimeters. In order for seedlings to appear and grow into a full-fledged tree, the following conditions must be observed:
- The land should consist of the following components: peat, humus, sand and leafy soil. Proportions 1:1:1:2.
- It is necessary to provide full lighting, if there is not enough sunlight – add ultraviolet.
- Water the plant regularly, the soil should not be dry. But it’s also not worth it to pour the plant too much, if the soil is waterlogged, it can provoke rot on the roots and subsequent problems with the growth and health of the tree.
- The optimum temperature is 15–20 °C.
Then put an inverted plastic bottle without a neck on top to create warm and comfortable conditions for the seed. After 3-4 months, the first shoots should appear.
Starting in March, seedlings need to be fed. This must be done every two weeks until September. The next year, a fig peach from the stone can be planted for permanent residence.
You can start forming the crown at the moment when the peach fig tree is already 70 cm.
Conclusion
Fig peach is not just a beautiful tree, but also a very tasty fruit with a delicate taste. For lovers of sweets and experienced gardeners, having such a tree on their site is a holiday and honor. But the plant requires proper care and competent agricultural technology. Only in this case will it be possible to obtain fragrant fruits of an unusual type. The peach variety must be selected depending on the climatic conditions where the horticultural crop is supposed to be grown. There are earlier and later varieties, but on average, the harvest is obtained by mid-August.
