Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Harvesting and storage
Developing peaches need to be exposed to the sun to ripen properly, so as the
fruit develops lightly prune any growth that is severely shading it. As they ripen
the fruits develop a red blush, and to develop their full flavour they should be left
on the tree until the flesh feels soft when given a gentle squeeze at the stalk end.
To pick, cup the whole fruit in one hand and lift it gently away from the tree; it
should come away easily.
Ripe peaches do not keep at all well, and should be eaten immediately. Fruits
taken just before ripening will last longer and can be left to ripen in a fruit bowl.
Although they won't develop the same juiciness and depth of flavour, this may
be the best way to pick them for visitors to take home.
In the unlikely event of a real glut, you can freeze peaches whole, which is
uncomplicated but can be a bit messy when you thaw them (pour boiling water
over the frozen fruit to crack the skins, then slip them off). Alternatively, prepare
them before freezing by blanching briefly and removing the skins. Then halve
them with a sharp knife and remove the stones before packing them in a light
syrup (100g sugar to one litre of water, plus a dash of lemon juice - heat to dis-
solve the sugar and cool completely before use) for freezing, remembering to
leave room in the container for the contents to expand as they freeze.
You can also dry peaches, which make a delicious snack with no additional
preparation. For the best results, skin them as described above, then dip them in
a mixture of one part honey to ten parts water (again, heated to dissolve the
honey and then left to cool down) before drying.
Problems
Aphids
and peach leaf curl.
Peach leaf curl is a fungal disease causing severe deformity of the developing
leaves, and the loss of both fruit and flowers. A single attack is unlikely to be
fatal to the tree, and even if it loses its leaves it can produce another set later in
the year. However, the disease overwinters in cracks in the bark and can re-infect
the tree. Thankfully, peach leaf curl is much less likely in plants grown under
cover, and choosing a resistant variety means that you will probably never see it.
If you are unlucky enough to get it in the tunnel, your only choice is to break its
life cycle using a copper spray such as Bordeaux mixture. This should be done
only as a single-year treatment for a confirmed infection because copper can accu-
mulate in tunnel soil. You should also remove all fruit from the affected tree to
allow it to concentrate its remaining energy on recovering from the infection,
and remove all foliage for burning as it falls.
