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The peach is a tree that is known primarily for its delicious fruits: they are widely used in cooking in the preparation of a wide variety of gourmet dishes. The culture is unpretentious in care, but does not tolerate low temperatures. About what features a peach has, a photo of a tree and its varieties, about growing conditions, as well as tips for collecting and using unripe fruits, are described in detail in the article.
What does a peach look like
China is considered the birthplace of the plant. This is a perennial tree belonging to the Plum genus, the Pink family. In summer cottages, mainly garden varieties are grown, originating from the common peach (Persica vulgaris).
What peach tree
Peach is a deciduous, straight-stemmed, fruit tree with a lush, dense crown with a diameter of about 6 m. The height of the plant directly depends on the variety. As a rule, it is 3 – 4 m. Some specimens can grow up to 9 m.
The plant belongs to the Almond subgenus, and, as can be seen from the photo, the peach tree is really very similar to almonds.
The trunk of the tree is covered with brown-red scaly bark. Old branches are thick, powerful, rough to the touch, young ones are smooth and thin. The roots are close to the surface of the earth, at a depth of about 30 – 50 cm. The leaves are bright green, lanceolate, with small teeth. There is no pubescence on the leaf plate.
Fruits in shape can be varied: round, oblong-round, flattened or ovoid. One of the sides is divided by a groove. The peel is thin, from white-green to deep yellow, with reddish-orange tints. The pulp is white and red, juicy, with a pronounced aroma, sweet and sour in taste. Inside is a dense, ribbed, brown bone with a seed.
Fruit diameter – 6 – 12 cm. Weight, depending on the variety, ranges from 60 to 200 g.
According to biological characteristics, two types of fruits are distinguished:
- peaches, characterized by soft pubescence of the peel;
- nectarines, the peel of which, like a plum, is naked.
How do peaches grow?
The peach is considered a southern crop. The tree loves bright light and absolutely does not tolerate cold. When the temperature drops to -17 oC, some of the branches and roots freeze over and die. Severe frosts can provoke the complete death of the plant.
You can plant a crop in any soil, but it does not tolerate saline and waterlogged soil. In the absence of sufficient air, the root system begins to die.
An elevated, well-lit area on the south side is ideal for landing, which should also be protected from the wind.
You should not plant a tree too close to other plants and tall buildings, as they will block it from the sun. The optimal distance is at least 3 m.
How peach blossoms
Peach flowers are actinomorphic in shape, goblet. Do not exceed 5 mm in diameter; mostly single, but sometimes paired; consist of 5 petals.
How peach blossoms can be seen in the photo.
Flowers of pink, red and white shades, sessile or collected in small bouquets, bloom before the leaves. There are decorative varieties with striped and double flowers.
The duration of peach blossom is 2 weeks, however, with severe drought and heat, this time is reduced to 2-3 days.
Peach yield
Peaches are characterized by high yield. Depending on the variety, from 30 to 60 kg of fruits are harvested from one tree under optimal growing conditions.
Grade | Yield (kg) |
Favorite | 50 – 60 |
Ambassador of Peace | 30 – 40 |
Gift of Kiev | 30 – 50 |
Slavutich | 30 – 50 |
Redhaven | 30 – 40 |
Nectarine Kyiv | 20 – 30 |
Generous 53M | 30 – 50 |
Oxamytous | 30 – 50 |
Forest-steppe | 30 – 50 |
Donetsk Yellow | 50 – 60 |
How many years does a peach bear fruit
Young peaches begin to bear fruit in the 2nd – 3rd year after planting. Fruiting time depends on the soil, care and climate. In favorable conditions, the harvest is actively formed for 20 years. Subsequently, the tree, as a rule, begins to age, but there are cases when the appearance of fruits did not end even at the age of thirty.
Where do peaches grow in Our Country
Peach trees are actively cultivated in the south in regions with warm winters: in the Krasnodar Territory, Dagestan, Crimea and the Caucasus.
For the cultivation of this crop, those regions are suitable in which from June to September the air temperature does not fall below +24 oC. And in winter – below -10 oC. At a temperature of -25 oThe tree is dying.
However, gardeners grow peaches in the Moscow region as well. In this case, the best time for planting is the beginning of spring. Trimming the plant to the shape of a shrub allows you to achieve a higher yield.
Peaches growing in central Our Country must be covered for the winter with air structures made of polystyrene or expanded polystyrene.
For growing peaches in the Moscow region, Moscow and Central Our Country, varieties with high winter hardiness are suitable:
- Kyiv Early;
- Red-cheeked;
- Cardinal;
- Redhaven;
- Collins;
- Kremlin.
What are the tastiest peaches?
When choosing a variety for planting, it is important to build on the desired taste as well. Below are the 5 most delicious, according to professional gardeners, varieties.
Collins
This is an early ripe variety with large yellow-red fruits. Their average weight reaches 150 g. The pulp tastes sweet, with a slight sourness.
Collins variety is famous for its productivity. Therefore, so that the branches do not break under the weight of massive fruits, it is important to remove ripe fruits in time.
The culture calmly tolerates frosts, is immune to powdery mildew and curliness. Needs regular feeding, abundant watering and pruning.
Early Kiev
An early variety, often grown by summer residents in the Crimea and other regions with a warm spring climate. Gives very juicy, tasty yellow-pink fruits weighing 80 – 100 g.
Plants have a high yield, are resistant to clasterosporosis and powdery mildew. Do not tolerate excessive moisture or dryness of the soil.
Redhaven
Redhaven is another early maturing variety that adapts to changing climatic conditions. Perfectly is suitable both for private, and for industrial cultivation.
The fruits are large, weighing 150 – 170 g. The color is closer to orange-gold, there are red blotches on the skin. The flesh is yellow, delicate in taste, with a pronounced smell.
The variety is resistant to frost and curl, but with improper care it is susceptible to fungal attack. To avoid such problems, it is important to carry out feeding and disease prevention in time.
Cardinal
Peaches Cardinal medium size, weighing 100 – 150 g, slightly flattened on the sides. The skin is yellow with a carmine blush. Pulp with a fragrant smell. The fruits have high palatability and have a score of 5 points on the main tasting scale.
This variety does not tolerate frost well and needs special care. It is resistant to powdery mildew.
Kremlin
A popular variety that adapts well to any conditions. The fruits themselves are orange-yellow with ruddy red patches, weighing up to 200 g. They have a unique sweet taste and delicate aroma.
Kremlin peaches are immune to most diseases, are characterized by high winter hardiness, which allows them to be grown in regions with a cool climate. The tree does not like waterlogging of the soil, so watering is important to carefully control. Landing in elevated areas is recommended.
When does peach season start in Our Country?
The ripening season of peaches in the Crimea for early varieties begins in mid-June. In the Middle lane, the peach season begins in August or September.
Is it possible to shoot peaches unripe
Fruits can be removed from the branches and unripe, in this form they are more rigid. This is especially true if they need to be transported in the future: soft, ripe fruits may be damaged during transportation. In the presence of damage, the product deteriorates in 2 to 3 days.
If transportation is planned in chilled conditions, it is recommended to remove the fruits no later than 5 days before full ripening.
The disadvantage of early harvesting is wrinkling of the skin of the fruit.
How to ripen peaches at home
Unripe fruits can easily ripen at home. There are several ways to do this:
- Unripe peaches should be laid out on flat plates or trays and left for 3 to 5 days at room temperature.
- Place them in a paper bag along with an apple or banana. Leave to ripen at room temperature for a day. Check and, if necessary, increase the time.
- For more juicy fruits, you need to wrap the peaches in a linen napkin. Aging in this way will take several days.
What can be done from unripe peaches
Unripe fruits can be used immediately. They make delicious peach jam for the winter. Compotes and jams are also made from them.
Unripe peaches are also used in the preparation of second courses. Together with them, you can bake chicken, duck, pork, make pizza, fish soup or pilaf. In baking, they are used as a filling for various desserts and pies.
How to store peaches
Only firm, intact fruits can be stored for a long time. Ideal temperature – 0 oC. It corresponds to the temperature in the refrigerator in the vegetable compartment. A cellar or basement is also suitable. In such conditions, peaches can be stored for a whole month.
The higher the temperature, the less time the fruit will stay fresh. Fruit can be kept at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Conclusion
An amazing tree is a peach, photos of its flowering and fruits only once again confirm this. There are few plants that can compare with it in beauty and taste of fruits. It is not for nothing that since ancient times, the comparison with a peach was considered the highest praise for girls.
