How to care for a peach

Peach care is not an easy task. The tree is thermophilic, therefore it reacts sharply to temperature changes. Peaches are cultivated in subtropical countries. But thanks to the emergence of new frost-resistant varieties, fruit cultivation has become possible in our latitudes. In order for fruiting to be regular and plentiful, peach should be cared for all year round. Compliance with agrotechnical measures, care rules will allow you to get ripe fruits even in Siberia.

How to care for a peach

A large-scale amount of care work in the process of growing peach falls in the spring. After wintering, the tree needs to recover and go into the vegetation phase. The main stages of peach care.

1. Sanitary pruning. Perform the procedure with the arrival of heat, when the air temperature is not lower than + 5 ° C. If the winter was frosty, then you should not rush. Gardeners are advised to postpone pruning until the peach begins to actively grow. Then it will be possible to more accurately determine the degree of frostbite of the crown. If the peach has suffered badly, then it should be cut in stages. Simultaneous removal of all frostbitten branches will reduce immunity. Cut dry, broken, frostbitten branches. The spring care procedure helps to form the upper part of the seedling, renew the crown of mature trees. The procedure contributes to the optimal distribution of nutrients, improved fruiting, maintaining a balance between the crown and root system.
2. Graft. In March or early April, peach grafting is performed. Plum, apricot, cherry plum are considered the best stock. Do not vaccinate after spraying the leaves with fungicides or insecticides. The method of vaccination is chosen by the gardener himself, depending on experience.
3. Treatment for diseases and pests. When growing peach, this item must be given due attention. After all, a diseased plant will not be able to fully grow and bear fruit. Preventive treatment for infections and pests can be combined.

Timing and method of complex protection:

• in March – whitewashing of trunks;
• the moment the buds appear – spraying the branches;
• budding – crown processing;
• after flowering – spraying foliage.

How often should peach be watered

Excess and lack of liquid equally lead to the death of the peach. Therefore, watering the fruit tree is carried out in moderate doses, but regularly. Lack of moisture during active growth will lead to the development of weak, deformed leaf blades, the process of photosynthesis will slow down, and all the buds will not hatch after winter.

The number of water procedures for the growing season: for early varieties 2-3, for late varieties – up to 6 times. 3-5 buckets of clean water are used at a time. The amount depending on the age of the fruit crop:

• for an annual or two-year-old peach, the required volume of water is 15 liters per 1 sq. m area near the trunk circle;
• if the tree is older than two years – 20 liters per 1 sq. m area near the trunk circle.

The first time after wintering, the peach tree is moistened at the end of May. Especially if the winter was not snowy, but spring without rain. The rest are held twice in the summer, in July and August. During the ripening period, the peach should not be watered. About 3 weeks before the expected harvest, wetting the tree should be stopped. Otherwise, the fruits will lose their sugar content, become watery.

The care procedure itself is best done in the early morning or evening. It is important that the water reaches the roots, the depth is 60-70 cm. First of all, furrows are made along the perimeter of the circumferential circle. The depth of these ditches is 7-10 cm. For a young plant, one furrow is enough. For older trees, 2-3 grooves are formed. The distance between them is 30-40 cm.

In autumn, water-charging watering is performed – this is an important stage in peach care. Since the procedure increases the frost resistance of peach. For 1 sq. m area near the trunk circle will require 1 bucket of water.

Soil loosening and weed control

Site preparation and peach care begin with leveling the surface of the earth, removing large stones and shrubs, and digging the earth. The land is cultivated to a depth of 70-80 cm. Fertile soils are cultivated to a depth of 40-50 cm. In order to provide the soil with air, the soil is loosened. This peach care procedure allows you to:

• reduce the risk of fungal diseases in conditions of high humidity;
• renew the layer of waste land;
• destroy soil crusts;
• remove weed roots.

It is recommended to loosen the substrate after each moistening. Of the tools for caring for a peach, you will need a hoe, chopper or rake. The loosening procedure reduces the evaporation of moisture from the ground, increases the absorption of water.

How to feed a peach tree

Peach needs annual feeding. The amount and composition of chemicals depends on the fertility of the soil. If a tree is planted in poor soil, then organic and mineral substances must be added. If the soil is fertile, then only the latter will be enough. Organic fertilizers are added to the substrate every 3 years.

1. In March, before the buds swell, the fruit crop is treated with a 7% urea solution. The mineral compound fills the plant with nitrogen, stimulates the growth of green mass, destroys fungal infections that hibernated in the bark. However, if the kidneys have blossomed, the nitrogenous solution will burn them.
2. If spraying was not done in a timely manner, then the peach care work can be replaced by root feeding. In freshly loosened soil, urea is added 50 g per 1 sq. m or 70-80 g of ammonium nitrate. Scatter the substances into the grooves of the circumferential circle. Every 2-3 years, increase the dosage by 20 g.
3. In the summer, the peach is fed by spraying the crown. For this care procedure, a solution is suitable: 40 g of urea, 50 g of ammonium nitrate, 60-80 g of potassium sulfate, 60 g of ammonium sulfate, 50 g of calcium chloride, 150 g of an aqueous solution of superphosphate, 10 g of borax, 15 g of manganese. When fruits ripen on trees, the last two components should be removed.
4. For a rich color and increased sugar content, foliar treatments are connected: 30 g of potassium salt per bucket of water.

How to feed a peach after fruiting

In autumn, the peach also needs care, in particular, top dressing. Fertilizers are applied to the near-trunk furrow. It is recommended to choose mineral complex products and organic substances. Dosage for an aged peach tree:

• 1-2 years – you need 10 kg of compost or manure, 80 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium salt;
• 3-6 years – 15 kg of manure, 60 g of ammonium nitrate, 100 g of superphosphate, 50 g of potassium salt are required;
• 6-8 years – you need 30 kg of manure, 130 g of ammonium nitrate, 100 g of potassium salt;
• adult trees need 30 kg of manure, 120 g of ammonium nitrate, 100 g of potassium salt.

Preparing peaches for winter

Gardeners carefully care for the peach tree throughout the season. However, to maintain the health of the culture, autumn care work is no less important.

Digging and mulching of the near-stem circle. In order for the peach to easily endure the wintering period, it is necessary, in addition to the planned care activities, to cultivate the land. Deep loosening of the soil will get rid of the harmful insects that are in it. Dig should be at least 10 cm from the surface and at a distance of half a meter from the trunk. Under such conditions, the root system will remain intact.

After digging, they proceed to the next care procedure – mulching the near-stem circle. The main purpose of this type of care:

• moisture retention in the soil;
• additional food for the tree;
• preventing the growth of weeds;
• giving a decorative look to the trunk circle.

The following are used as mulch: crushed pine bark, sawdust, peat, hay, straw. The layer thickness is 5-10 cm. In order for the natural components not to rot, air circulation is necessary. This is achieved by leaving a distance from the trunk to the mulch.

Tree shelters for the winter. Peaches are very afraid of the cold. A sharp temperature drop can destroy the plant. In order for a tree to survive the winter without loss, shelter is required. After the foliage has flown around, when the temperature on the street has not yet dropped below 0 ° C, the seedlings are bent to the ground. They are fastened with pegs, but you need to be careful with fragile shoots. It is better to cut off old branches, treat places with garden pitch. The top of the peach is covered with an airtight material.

The crown of an adult tree, which can no longer be bent down, is wrapped with material. The main thing is that the fabric should not be dense, otherwise the care event will not give positive results. In the absence of air, the peach will dry up.

Rodent protection. In addition to cold weather, peach is saved from rodents in winter. The first method: the trunk and low-growing branches are wrapped with various materials. Mesh, spruce branches, roofing material are well suited. The second method of peach care involves the use of chemicals. The repellent mixture consists of fish oil and naphthalene in a ratio of 8: 1, respectively.

Autumn spraying. One of the components of peach care after fruiting is protection from enemies, diseases and parasites. It is in autumn that fungal spores become active. Processing will help destroy infections so that they do not spread throughout the tree by spring.

Features of growing peaches in different regions:

Growing peach in a summer cottage in the suburbs does not surprise anyone. However, this is not done by enthusiasts, but by gardeners with many years of experience. Since the process of growing and caring for a fruit tree involves a number of subtleties.

In outskirts of Moscow

The climate in the Moscow region is temperate continental, with relatively warm winters, humid summers and frosts in spring. For such weather conditions, it is important to choose the right peach variety. The best representatives of peaches for cultivation in this region are characterized by:

• early or medium early fruiting period;
• resistance to low temperatures in winter;
• ability to tolerate spring frosts.

As a rule, seedlings for the Moscow region are sold in local nurseries. Subject to the cultivation and care technologies, the peach will ripen without any problems in the Moscow region in the open field. It is recommended to apply such agrotechnical measures and methods of peach care.

1. In autumn, before wintering, cut the tree conductor, leaving only 4 lower shortened shoots.
2. Mandatory mulching of the trunk circle for the winter.
3. Provide a reliable shelter for the peach in the form of spruce, burlap, foliage.
4. Arrange regular watering in dry summers. Water young seedlings more often than mature trees.
5. The standard rate of liquid for one tree is 50 liters.
6. Nitrogen-containing preparations are used as top dressings, which stimulate the rapid appearance of green mass.
7. Potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are applied in summer and autumn.

The climatic features of the Moscow region suggest: care and preparation of peaches for wintering, proper shelter of plantations. It is necessary to warm the trees after feeding, bending them to the ground.

In Central Our Country

Peaches are not demanding on the composition of the soil. But at the same time, good aeration and low acidity of the soil are important. When growing peach in Central Our Country, you need to choose sunny, wind-protected places. The best option is a site located on the south side of the building.

Planting seedlings and care is recommended in early spring, before the buds swell. They must have time to acclimatize in a new place, take root and begin to grow after spring frosts.

An important criterion for the preservation of a tree in Central Our Country is the correct shelter for the winter. Fruit buds tolerate frost down to -27 ° C. If the temperature drops below, then it is pointless to wait for flowering in the spring. Wood resists temperatures down to -35°C.

In order not to jeopardize the health of the peach, you should take care of a reliable shelter. As a material, dry tops, straw, dry grass are used. Top cover with roofing material or polyethylene. The third layer is snow 20-25 cm thick. If it is not there, you can use bags of sawdust.

In Central Our Country, a peach tree is grown in greenhouses with grapes. Or make special plywood houses.

In Siberia

Caring for a peach before and after harvesting means: regular watering, but not more than once every 1 days, mulching the near-stem circle with sand or humus with a layer of 7-5 cm, eliminating weeds. The first 8 years after planting, it is not recommended to feed a fruit tree. It is necessary to exclude nitrogen fertilizers, which reduce the frost resistance of the crop.

Leaving for the winter means shelter for the peach. A homemade wooden frame covered with a film is perfect. As long as it’s not cold outside, the ends remain open. At temperatures below -7 ° C, the shelter is covered with roofing material from above, the ends are sealed. If snow falls, then it is thrown onto the frame. It is necessary to ensure that the snow remains on the roof, if necessary, it is covered with branches or boards.

The roof over the peach is not dismantled until the end of spring frosts. Open the sides for ventilation. It is good to transfer the winter in Siberia to a peach by spraying with a solution of Bordeaux mixture in autumn. The skeletal branches of the tree are whitewashed with lime.

After removing the frame, dry, frostbitten, broken shoots are cut. Remove shoots that thicken the crown or give a small increase. Thanks to the shelter, the vegetative process of the peach is delayed, and it blooms after May 20. Then return frosts for inflorescences are no longer terrible. Thus, the care and cultivation of peach in Siberia becomes possible, taking into account the choice of a frost-resistant variety.

Conclusion

Peach care is divided into a number of main stages, the implementation of which leads to the desired harvest. Growing a tree is comparable to a real art. The gardener learns from the mistakes of others and his own. Constantly improved in the process of growing peach. Caring for a fruit tree is becoming an interesting activity, which is picked up by enthusiasts not only from the southern, but also from the northern regions of the country.