Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Peach
Varieties:
'Avalon Pride', 'Hylands'
Peach trees originated in China and are now grown commercially in Mediterranean
areas. Although there are a few varieties that are marketed as outdoor plants
they are only marginally successful in most situations. Growing them in a poly-
tunnel allows them to fruit heavily and reliably, although they do need quite a
bit of space; to avoid competition for water and nutrients, you should not plant
anything closer to the tree than its drip line (the imaginary circle where drops of
rain striking the outer leaves would fall).
The biggest problem with growing peaches in the UK is the damage done by frost
to their extremely early blossom, which can be all but eliminated by growing
them under cover. Provided that you do not use overhead watering, peach leaf
curl (a common and devastating fungal infection) is much less likely to occur in
polytunnel plants, but choosing a variety with some resistance to this (such as
'Avalon Pride' on a dwarfing rootstock such as St Julien A) will help to reduce the
likelihood of problems. Nectarines are a smooth-skinned variant of the peach
and are grown in much the same way, but they are less hardy and more prone to
pests and diseases.
Note:
You should not consider growing peaches if there is an almond tree nearby,
as cross-pollination can result in bitter fruit.
Planting
As for apricots (see page 68), except that peaches prefer a pH between 6.5 and 7.5.
Growing
Feeding and maintenance are as for apricots (see page 69).
Most peach varieties are self-fertile but yields will be better if you do some hand
pollination with a soft brush. Ideally this should be done every afternoon for as
long as the flowers last. For the largest and sweetest peaches, thin the fruitlets to
10cm apart when they reach the size of hazelnuts, beginning with any that are
small or crowded, and again to 20cm when they reach the size of walnuts.
