Peach in the Moscow region: description of the best varieties, planting and care in the open field

Peach in the cool suburbs until recently was considered a curiosity. Not every gardener could afford to grow a southern culture in the garden. But the work of breeders does not stand still. Today they have already presented a variety of varieties of this crop suitable for cultivation in a risky region. They require shelter and attention, but they produce a deliciously refreshing fruit crop every year.

Is it possible to grow a peach in the suburbs?

Not so long ago, a few gardeners who love the exotic were engaged in growing peaches in the Moscow region.Now, with the right selection of varieties, even a novice amateur can get tasty, fragrant and he althy fruits in their summer cottage. What requirements should a peach for the Moscow region meet? What are the best varieties for this region?

The plant must be hardy, preferably locally bred. It is preferable to choose early ripening dates for fruits, but medium ones are also suitable. Foreign seedlings do not acclimatize well in our conditions and often do not survive the harsh winter. It often rains in the summer in the Moscow region, so the tree must have good resistance to fungal pathogens.

The best varieties suitable for the region

The experience of gardeners who practiced peach cultivation in the Moscow region in the open field allows us to conclude which varieties are best suited for these weather conditions and bring yields.

Morettini's favorite

The variety appeared as a result of the work of Italian breeders. Fruiting occurs 2-3 years after the seedling was planted. Up to 30 kg of peaches are harvested from each adult tree. Commodity and taste indicators received a good assessment.

Fruits ripen early, weigh up to 115 g. The shape of the fruit is round, slightly elongated. When ripe, they acquire a yellow velvety color with a slight blush on the sides. The pulp is juicy, characterized by a strong aroma. The pulp with the stone is difficult to separate. The crop is not suitable for transportation over long distances. Peach is prone to powdery mildew disease, needs preventive treatments.

Greensboro

The tree grows to a medium size. The variety is self-fertile, columnar. The first crop gives 3 years after planting the seedling. An adult tree produces up to 60 kg of ripe peaches per season. The crop is not suitable for transportation over long distances.The plant is frost-resistant, but requires preventive treatments for diseases.

Fruits grow up to 130 g in weight. They are oval in shape, slightly compressed from the sides, the top is blunt, there is a small original hole. When ripe, the fruit acquires a greenish-cream color, one-quarter of the area is covered with a blush. The taste is classic, sweet, with a barely perceptible sourness, the aroma is strong. The stone does not separate well from the pulp.

Redhaven

A medium-sized tree with a round crown. The fruits are large, oval-shaped, unequal. In ripeness, they acquire a yellow color with a red blush, pubescent. The pulp is dense, characterized by excellent taste. American breeders worked on breeding the culture, but it shows excellent results in the climate near Moscow.

The variety has increased frost resistance and immunity to curl, but is prone to infection with fungal diseases. Timely preventive measures help to avoid infection with viruses and pests. A mature tree produces up to 100 kg of high quality peaches.

Early Kyiv

A tree of medium size with a rounded wide crown. The fruits grow up to 90 g in weight. Their shape is oval, at the top there is a characteristic beak. Ripe peaches are creamy in color and slightly hairy. The taste is sweet and sour, the smell is classic strong, the pulp is transparent. The bone separates hard.

A mature tree produces up to 50 kg of fruit. The resistance of the plant to powdery mildew and pathogens of clasterosporiasis is high. It does not tolerate drought or excess moisture in the soil. The tree is prone to curly disease, needs preventive treatments.

Collins

Self-fertile variety, grown as medium early. It was bred by American breeders, but is successfully cultivated in the Moscow region. Peaches weigh up to 150 g. The taste is pleasant, with a barely noticeable sourness.Ripe fruits have a red-yellow color with small dots. The crop must be removed from the tree in a timely manner, otherwise the branches may break. Fruit ripening does not occur simultaneously.

An adult tree brings up to 50 kg of yield. Frost resistance and immunity to powdery mildew and curliness are high. Peach requires timely irrigation, top dressing, pruning and crown shaping.

Early Champion

The tree is tall, sprawling, the crown is thickened. Up to 70 kg of crop is harvested from each adult plant. Fruiting is regular. Peaches grow up to 160 g in weight. When ripe, they become greenish-cream in color, covered with a blush over the entire area. The content of sugars and acids in the fruits is increased, the taste characteristics are excellent. The stone and pulp are separated badly.

Juicy

Peach is self-fertile, self-pollinated, large-fruited.Capable of self-reloading due to the abundance of fruits. The tree is tall, spreading. The mass of one fruit reaches 200 g. The fruits are oval in shape and have a greenish-cream color with a bright blush. The pulp is characterized by a strong classic smell and harmonious taste. The stone and pulp are separated with difficulty. The plant shows increased resistance to fungal diseases. The variety is winter-hardy. Up to 70 kg of fruits are harvested from each adult tree.

Golden Anniversary

American scientists worked on breeding the variety, but it is cultivated with great success in the conditions of the Moscow region. Peaches are round in shape, slightly flattened laterally. When ripe, they acquire a golden yellow color with a pronounced blush and slight pubescence. The aroma is strong, the taste characteristics are high. The stone and pulp are difficult to separate.

The tree can grow to medium size, the crown is branched. Fruiting is regular. Each adult plant brings up to 50 kg of fruit. Frost resistance is average.

White Swan

Mid-early self-fertile variety with increased drought resistance. The crown is not spreading. Fruits reach a weight of 150 g. They are suitable for transportation and short-term storage. Each adult tree gives up to 60 kg of crop. Peaches are wide-oval, with a sweet taste and a slight honey flavor. The pulp and stone are not well separated. The variety is frost-resistant, with good resistance to major diseases. Flower buds endure spring frosts.

Features of growing crops

There are some features of growing peaches in the Moscow region. Compliance with them will save you from unnecessary care and will allow you to harvest a rich harvest.

Time and place for landing

Peaches are grown in any soil that has good drainage. The best result was achieved on moderately calcareous loamy soil. Planting seedlings cannot be carried out on plots where they were previously cultivated:

• strawberry;
• alfalfa;
• clover;
• tomatoes.

Must not be near:

• cherries;
• apple trees;
• pears.

The selected area should be well lit by the sun, be closed from drafts and cold winds.

Selection and preparation of planting material

For cultivation in the conditions of the Moscow region, you should choose varieties of peaches bred by local breeders or zoned for this region. It is preferable to buy seedlings from local nurseries. Their age should be from 1 to 2 years. It is these plants that take root best.

The height of a tree suitable for planting is about 1.2 m, and the thickness of the main trunk is 1.5 cm.The buds must be fully formed, and the developed crown must contain 4 branches. The root system of the seedling selected for cultivation is well formed, has no external damage and defects, as well as signs of decay or disease. Before planting, it is placed in a growth stimulator for several hours.

Scheme and planting process

Before planting a peach, the soil in the selected area is carefully dug up, weed roots are removed. If the soil is depleted, then fertilizers are applied in advance. Increased acidity is neutralized by adding dolomite flour or wood ash. Seedlings are planted according to the scheme 4 x 3 or 4 x 4 m.

A planting hole for a peach is dug 0.6 m deep and not less than 0.5 m in diameter. On fertile soil, a hole is dug 0.7 x 0.7 m in size. A bucket of water is first poured into it. After the moisture has been absorbed, place the tree in the hole and gently straighten its roots, and then fill it with nutrient soil mixture, tamp and water abundantly.

It is advisable to mulch the soil in the near-trunk circle of a peach. For these purposes use:

• peat;
• humus;
• crumbs of tree bark;
• pine needles.

The nuances of caring for peaches in the suburbs

The yield and he alth of a peach largely depends on compliance with the rules of agricultural technology, as well as on how well the care was carried out. The climatic conditions of the Moscow region make their own adjustments to these procedures.

Formation

A peach planted on the site requires crown molding already in the first autumn. Its top is shortened so that the height of the seedling from the soil level is 0.5 m. Mature trees require sanitary pruning every spring, as a result of which all broken and frozen branches are removed.

Peach pruning is done in autumn. At this time, heavily overgrown branches that compete with skeletal branches are removed. A peach about 10 years old needs a rejuvenating pruning.

Feeding and watering

In hot and dry weather, the peach must be watered. Under each adult plant, 45 liters of water are added. In the spring, fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are applied under the tree. This allows him to quickly increase the green mass. In summer and autumn, fertilizing is required, including potassium and phosphorus.

Shelter for the winter

The climatic conditions of the Moscow region force gardeners to carefully prepare peaches for the winter. Immediately after dropping the leaves, they are spudded. After some time, when the soil settles, they organize insulation from spruce branches, wood shavings or needles. Sawdust and fallen leaves are not used for winter shelter, as they accumulate moisture, freeze, and also serve as a secluded place for pests.

Peach for the winter is covered with non-woven material (agrofibre) to prevent freezing and damage by rodents.

Diseases and pests

Peaches are prone to disease:

• fruit rot;
• powdery mildew;
• moniliosis;
• clusterosporiosis.

In order to prevent the appearance of diseases, the tree must be treated in a timely manner with Bordeaux mixture, colloidal sulfur, and copper-containing fungicides.

Peach pests often hit:

• aphid;
• pincers;
• fruit striped moth;
• weevils;
• Eastern codling moth.

In order to prevent their appearance in autumn, it is necessary to collect fallen leaves and remove weed residues, carry out sanitary pruning, whitewash the trunks and skeletal branches of a tree, install trapping belts, treat the garden with insecticides and fungicides .

Peach breeding

There are two main ways to propagate a peach:

• seed;
• vegetative.

The first is very convenient and common, not requiring significant effort and practical skills. However, it has a drawback: the properties of the parent variety may not be transferred to the grown tree. But such a seedling will be more resistant to climatic conditions and pathogens.

The vegetative method of propagating peach involves grafting with a cutting. What to plant a peach in the suburbs? In this case, he althy seedlings of self-fertile apricots, winter-hardy varieties of plums can serve as a stock. Cuttings are harvested in the first decade of June. The method is based on the ability of plants to regenerate.

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