In order for a peach to give a high yield, it is necessary to form its crown correctly. To do this, make it pruning. Because the peach is a light-loving plant, pruning allows it to form a well-lit, bowl-shaped tree.
Crown formation
There is no central conductor in the cupped crown. These are three to four skeletal branches that emerge from the bottom of the tree. Already in the spring after planting, they are bookmarked. A peach seedling is cut at a height of 80 cm, leaving about 20 cm for the skeletal branches and 60 cm for the trunk. If the tree has side branches, then only three or four strong shoots are left, cutting them up to 15 cm long. Subsequently, skeletal branches will be formed from these stems. Weak sprouts are simply shortened, leaving two or three buds.
The remaining branches are cut along with the conductor. In the summer, it is necessary to monitor the shape of the tree and break out vertically growing shoots. The next year, the skeletal branches laid in the peach crown are cut so that they are the same length. And from the stems that have appeared, two buds are formed, from which later appearnew shoots. Shoots that grow in the summer on skeletal branches and boles are removed, leaving up to 10 cm. Pruning the peach prevents the crown from thickening.
In the third year, strong sprouts are selected, located at a distance of half a meter from the base of the skeletal branches, they are shortened to 50 cm. These are additional secondary shoots. A year later, branches of the third order are laid and processes growing down are removed. Only in the fifth year peach pruning helps to form a crown by laying skeletal branches.
Fruit-bearing trees
The tree begins to bear fruit on annual growths formed in the previous year. Since many flower buds are planted every year, it is necessary to shorten or thin out the shoots, otherwise the peach will be overloaded with fruits, which will affect their quality. During thinning, all growing stems are removed, leaving them at a small distance from each other. The conductors of the skeletal branches are also shortened, they are transferred to lateral growths. Peach pruning occurs after the last frost. If a lot of ovaries appear on the tree, they are also thinned out. Do this when the fruit reaches 2 cm in diameter. If you shake the skeletal branches, the underdeveloped ovaries will begin to crumble. After that, weak drupes are removed. The optimal distance between the fruits of early varieties is 8 cm, mid-ripening and late - about 12 cm.
Aging pruning
Depending on the plant variety, the fruiting period lasts only10-12 years old. However, the yield of a tree can be extended by rejuvenating pruning. First of all, the tree is inspected, since it must have a he althy stem and lower skeletal branches. Only then does peach pruning take place. The diagram presented in this article will clearly show how this is done. First, remove all dried branches. They are cut off near young sprouts, which in the future will be the main shoots. A diseased tree is not rejuvenated, it is pruned without any rules in order to get a high yield for some time.
Peach planting
Depending on the cultivation zone, a plant is planted in two terms - in autumn and spring. Autumn planting is carried out only in the southern regions of the country, since freezing of the seedling in winter is undesirable. In the climatic conditions of central Russia and the northern part of Ukraine, it is preferable to plant a peach (tree) in spring. The photos accompanying this article will clearly show how to properly distribute and cultivate it.
How to plant a peach in autumn
Before planting a seedling, the soil around it is compacted. In order for the root system to develop naturally, free space must not be allowed near it. By spring, the roots are formed and strengthened, which eliminates the regular watering of young trees. Pruning a peach in the fall is an important step. As mentioned above, this is necessary for the formation of the main branches of the future crown.
Before planting a seedling, a planting hole 60 cm deep is prepared. Fertile soil containinghumus and trace elements with the addition of wood ash to enrich the soil.
To protect the root system, a mound 10 cm high is made, then the tree is watered with three buckets of water. It is very important not to fill the seedling immediately, the liquid is added gradually, as it is absorbed. Then the elevation is brought to 30 cm. To protect the peach from wind and frost, they put a plastic bag on it and bend it to the ground with pegs. Thus, the seedling will be protected from adverse weather conditions and rodents.
Pruning peach in autumn
Peach is the fruit that no one who is engaged in independent harvesting can pass by. Juicy pulp and real nectar attract true connoisseurs of delicious fruits. Gardeners know that the peach tree needs careful maintenance in the fall. After all, this is the key to a new abundant harvest. The main enemies of the plant are various diseases and parasites. Coccomycosis, clasterosporiasis, aphids make the tree weaker, prevent it from accumulating strength in the winter, which leads to a poor harvest. Therefore, peach care in the fall is very important. The tree needs regular feeding, spraying, watering and constant protection. However, these procedures must be performed according to the instructions. If, after harvesting, the leaves on the tree remain he althy, they do not need to be removed from the ground in the fall, as they fertilize the soil remarkably. Affected leaves should be removed immediately. Proper peach care in the fall will be rewarded with a high and high-quality harvest.
How to plant a peach in spring
In the spring, not all gardenerscan buy quality seedlings. For this reason, young trees are acquired in the fall and added dropwise for the winter. With the onset of spring, gardeners start planting peach. It is also recommended to dig a hole in the fall. Fertile soil is mixed with humus and mineral fertilizers, and the soil is removed from the bottom of the pit. If you leave such a useful soil composition for the whole winter, complete dissolution of mineral and organic fertilizers is achieved. In spring, all that remains is to plant a tree.
It is very important that the plant is well lit by the sun and protected from the northern winds. An excellent protection will be a building wall, a fence or a hedge. In order to stimulate the development of lateral roots, they are refreshed before planting. After sprinkling with earth, the plant is watered and this is done regularly until it takes root in the new soil.
Can you grow a peach from a seed?
Enjoying the aroma of fresh peaches, many people ask the question: "Is it possible to grow a miracle tree in your garden, where to buy quality seedlings, will a full-fledged tree grow from a seed?" To avoid such questions, you just need to roll up your sleeves and try to grow a peach from a stone.
First of all, they choose peaches adapted to our area. Foreign varieties are unlikely to take root, because they are not winter-hardy. A stone for planting a seedling is taken from a juicy ripe fruit, it should not have defects and pest moves. It is good if information about the selected fruit is known, on which tree it isgrew up - grafted or own-rooted. In the latter species, the yield and characteristics are much higher. In addition, a grafted tree may grow barren.
Having decided on the choice of seed, start planting. For safety, a few extra bones are planted. They are soaked for a week (the water is changed every day), then they are carefully dried so as not to damage the inside, and planted in open ground to a depth of 8 cm. Planting is done in the fall, away from adult trees. The earth should be well fertilized, loose and soft.
First, the bone forms the root, later the stem is formed. Shoots appear in spring. It is during this period that the peach is gaining strength, caring for it consists in intensive watering and top dressing. By autumn, the seedling grows by 1-1.5 m, lateral branches appear on it. As soon as the height of the trunk reaches 70 cm, the crown of the future tree is formed. Peach pruning is done next spring. He althy branches are left, and sick and frozen ones are removed. A year later, the young tree is transplanted to a permanent place and insulated for the first three years for the winter period.
A peach tree grown from seedlings bears fruit earlier than from a seed. In our climatic conditions, you can get a full harvest for 12 years.
