In order for the peach to yield a high yield, it is necessary to correctly form its crown. To do this, trim it. Since peach is a light-loving plant, pruning it allows you to form a well-lit tree shape in the form of a bowl.
Crown formation
There is no central conductor in the cup-shaped crown. These are three to four skeletal branches that extend from the bottom of the tree. Already in the spring after planting, they are bookmarked. Peach seedlings are cut at a height of 80 cm, leaving about 20 cm for skeletal branches and 60 cm for the stem. If the tree has lateral branches, then only three to four strong shoots are left, cutting them to a length of 15 cm. Subsequently, skeletal branches will form from these stems. Weak sprouts simply shorten, leaving two or three buds.
The remaining branches are cut with the conductor. In the summer, it is necessary to monitor the shape of the tree and break out vertically growing shoots. The following year, the skeletal branches laid in the crown of a peach are cut so that they are the same length. And from the stems that appear, two buds are formed, from which new sprouts later appear. Shoots that grow in the summer on skeletal branches and stems are removed, leaving up to 10 cm. Cutting peach prevents the thickening of the crown.
In the third year, strong sprouts are chosen, located at a distance of half a meter from the base of the skeletal branches, they are shortened to 50 cm. These are additional shoots of the second plan. A year later, third-order branches are laid and shoots growing down are removed. Only in the fifth year, pruning a peach helps form a crown by laying skeletal branches.
Fruit trees
The tree begins to bear fruit at the annual growths formed in the previous year. Since many flower buds are planted annually, 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. Conductors of 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 fetus reaches 2 cm in diameter. If you shake the skeletal branches, underdeveloped ovaries begin to crumble. After this, weak drupes are removed. The optimal distance between the fruits of early varieties is 8 cm, mid-season and late - about 12 cm.
Anti-aging pruning
Depending on the plant variety, the fruiting period lasts only 10-12 years. However, the tree's yield can be extended by anti-aging pruning. First of all, the tree is inspected, because it must have a healthy bole and lower skeletal branches. Only then does the peach prune. The diagram presented in this article will clearly show how this is done. First, all dried branches are removed. Cut them near young shoots, which in the future will be the main shoots. A diseased tree is not rejuvenated; it is pruned without any rules in order to obtain a high yield for some time.
Peach planting
Depending on the cultivation zone, a plant is planted in two periods - in autumn and spring. Autumn planting is carried out only in the southern regions of the country, since freezing of a seedling in winter is undesirable. In the climatic conditions of central Russia and northern 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, one must not allow free space near it. By spring, roots are formed and strengthened, which excludes regular watering of young trees. Pruning peaches in the fall is an important point. As mentioned above, this is necessary for the formation of the main branches of the future crown.
Before planting the seedling, a planting pit is prepared at a depth of 60 cm. Fertile soil containing humus and trace elements with the addition of wood ash is added to it to enrich the soil.
To protect the root system, make a mound 10 cm high, then the tree is watered with three buckets of water. It is very important not to fill the seedling immediately, the liquid is poured gradually, as it is absorbed. Then the height is adjusted to 30 cm. To protect the peach from the 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.
Peach pruning in the fall
A peach is that fruit, which no one who is involved in self-harvesting can pass. Juicy flesh and real nectar attract true connoisseurs of delicious fruits. Gardeners know that a peach tree needs careful care 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, klyasterosporiosis, aphids make the tree weaker, interfere with the accumulation of 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 as instructed. If after harvesting the leaves on the tree remained healthy, you do not need to remove them from the ground in the fall, as they remarkably fertilize the soil. Affected leaves should be urgently removed. Proper peach care in the fall will be rewarded with a high and quality crop.
How to plant a peach in spring
In the spring, not all gardeners can buy quality seedlings. For this reason, young trees are acquired in the fall and dug up for the winter. With the onset of spring, gardeners begin to plant a peach. It is also recommended to dig a hole in the fall. Fertile soil is mixed with humus and mineral fertilizers, and 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, it remains only to plant a tree.
It is very important that the plant is well lit by the sun and be protected from the north winds. An excellent defense would be a building wall, fence or hedge. In order to stimulate the development of lateral roots, they are refreshed before planting. After sprinkling with earth, the plant is watered and do it regularly until it takes root in the new soil.
Can a peach be grown from seed?
Enjoying the aroma of fresh peaches, many ask the question: "Is it possible to grow a miracle tree in your garden, where to buy high-quality seedlings, will a full-fledged tree grow from seed?" To avoid such questions, you just need to roll up your sleeves and try to grow a peach from the seed.
First of all, they choose peaches adapted for our area. Foreign varieties are unlikely to take root, since they are not winter-hardy. The seedling seedling seed is taken from a juicy ripe fruit, it should not contain defects and pest moves. It is good if the information about the selected fruit is known, on which tree it grew - grafted or root. In the latter species, yield and characteristics are much higher. In addition, the grafted tree can grow empty.
Having decided on the choice of seed, begin to plant. For safety, several extra bones are planted. They are soaked for a week (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. In spring, shoots appear. It was during this period that the peach gains strength, care 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 carried out next spring. Healthy branches are left, and the diseased and frozen are removed. A year later, the young tree is transplanted to a permanent place and the first three years are insulated for the winter period.
A peach tree grown from a seedling gives fruit earlier than from a seed. In our climatic conditions, you can get a full crop for 12 years.