How to care for peaches in summer, autumn and spring during the ripening and fruiting period

Caring for different varieties of peaches is practically no different from caring for other types of stone fruit crops. In most latitudes of Russia it is impossible to grow the crop, because such trees belong to the southern plants. But in regions with a warm climate, you can achieve a good harvest if you organize crop care in advance.

Features of peach care

Peaches are not the most demanding fruit crops. But this does not mean that you need to forget about the minimum actions for caring for the tree. The easiest way to grow peach trees is in Crimea, where there is enough sunlight for the crop, fertile soil and high air temperatures almost all year round.

The same cannot be said about the central regions. When growing peaches in this part, you will have to work hard to get a decent harvest.

The beginning of caring for the plant begins in April, when the temperature outside is above zero and the ground is completely warmed up.

In the fall, they begin to prepare the tree for the cold. This point especially applies to the central regions, where winters can be frosty. Autumn work is aimed at increasing the frost resistance of the tree.

Nuances of courtship in different regions

In the southern regions, it is enough to apply fertilizers and water on time. In latitudes with cold winters, you need to think about covering the plant. Peach trees need to be covered for the winter, regardless of the variety. Even if it is indicated that the variety is winter-hardy, covering the plant for the winter will not be superfluous.

What soil is necessary for the normal development of a tree?

Peach trees grow well in any type of soil as long as there is good drainage. Moderate loamy soils are considered the most favorable. Sandy or gravelly loamy soils are also suitable for cultivation. It is not recommended to plant plants near groundwater or in places where the water will stagnate in the spring after the snow melts. The culture does not tolerate waterlogged soils.

Seasonal watering schedule

Watering trees frequently is not recommended. Irrigation of the plant is carried out depending on the period of fruit ripening. For example, late hybrids are watered up to 6 times a season. For early birds, 2-3 moistenings per season are enough. At the same time, one tree requires 20-30 liters of water.

The first watering is carried out in early June. And if the winter was not snowy, peaches are irrigated starting in May. The second watering is carried out in July, when the tree begins to flower. The peach trees are then watered in August. And the last time the soil is irrigated before the onset of cold weather, in September. In order for the fruits to be larger, it is necessary to water the plants 20-30 days before harvesting.

Only warm water is used for the procedure. The most favorable time is early morning or evening, after sunset.

How to feed a peach

There are two types of fertilizing - root and foliar. Root crops are characterized by the fact that fertilizers are applied directly under the root. Foliar spraying is spraying the leaves and the tree itself with nutrients. Both old and young trees need feeding.

Mineral fertilizers

In the spring, when bud growth begins, nitrogen is added to the soil. For example, ammonium nitrate (60-75 g), and about 50 g of urea is sufficient. Nitrogen should be re-applied after 1.5 months. Nitrogenous fertilizers are added only in soluble form.

When applying the compounds, it is important to ensure that they do not get on the leaves.

Closer to summer, potassium and phosphorus are added to the soil in the amount of 55-75 g. Basically, potassium fertilizers are added in May, or at least in June. In summer, peaches are fertilized with phosphorus. Phosphorus is added until autumn. In the fall, you will need 40-50 g of phosphorus-containing fertilizers, for example, superphosphate.

Complex fertilizers are very effective for the growth of peach trees. But it is important to remember that you should not overfeed the plants. Excess nutrients in the soil contribute to the growth of leaf mass, but this has a negative effect on yield.

Organic fertilizers

Organic fertilizers include:

• manure;
• bird droppings;
• compost;
• wood ash;
• bone flour;
• rotted weeds.

In the spring, when digging up the soil, the top layer is replaced with rotted compost. For young trees, fresh manure is rarely used, since too concentrated fertilizer can burn the rhizomes.

Less concentrated manure is prepared for young trees. To do this, fill 1 bucket with 2 buckets of water and leave to ferment for 5-7 days. Then the plants are watered. Wood ash is also used as fertilizer. It is mixed with water or simply sprinkled on the soil before watering. Ash enriches the soil with calcium. The main thing is not to combine nitrogen and ash; due to this combination, ammonia is washed out of the soil.

When and how to fertilize peach plants

Plants need to be fertilized depending on the time of year. Peach trees require different nutrients in different seasons. Application of the compositions begins in April and ends in September-October.

in spring

Spray or apply mineral or organic substances in the spring about 4 times. Spring is the most important period for fruit trees, when the basis for yield is laid.

Fertilizer application time:

• Before the buds swell, nutrients are needed to prevent fungal diseases and harmful insects. Such fertilizing helps to activate the growth of leaves and buds.
• Nutrients are then added during bud break.This helps prevent leaf curl, scab and bud pests.
• Fertilize the soil for the last time during flowering and after it. These fertilizers help increase bud formation and yield.

Spring feeding is aimed at accelerating the growth of peach trees. Root fertilizers are mainly used during this period. First of all, these are nitrogen and organic matter.

In summer

During fruit ripening in summer, peaches require large amounts of potassium and phosphorus. The plant does not need nitrogen during this period. The fruiting of plants depends on the amount of fertilizer applied.

Summer fertilizing helps increase productivity and helps plants survive summer drought, as well as prevent the appearance of pests and diseases. If you fertilize correctly, peaches will ripen faster and will be much sweeter and larger. In August, summer feeding ends. Then comes the preparation of the peach for winter.

in autumn

In autumn, fertilizing is applied after harvesting. Autumn feeding increases the immunity of peaches and helps them survive frosty winters. Peaches need them especially urgently when grown in the central regions. In addition, in the spring the soil will already be fertile, and the plants will quickly enter the growth phase.

Autumn fertilizing is applied after peach fruits are removed. During this period, the soil around the plant is dug up and manure or bird droppings are added. Organic components are most suitable for fertilizer.

Digging tree trunk circles

It is necessary to dig up soil near tree trunks for a number of reasons:

• In the fall, this measure acts as a prevention of the appearance of harmful insects in the spring. Most pests prefer to overwinter in the soil around plants and in the spring infect nearby growing crops.
• Regular digging of the soil helps saturate the soil with oxygen.

In addition, the soil needs to be dug up to get rid of weeds. Sometimes it's not enough to just pull them out. The root system remains in the soil, and after a while they emerge with renewed vigor.

It should be remembered that the peach rhizome grows in proportion to the crown of the tree.

Transfer

When transplanting young peach seedlings, as a rule, no questions arise. After all, young trees have not yet taken root in a new place and tolerate transplantation more easily. What to do if you need to move an adult tree. But replanting an adult plant is much more difficult. First of all, the procedure is carried out only in the autumn. The soil around the peach is dug up to a width of 1-1.5 m and a depth of 80 cm-1 m. This will allow the tree to be replanted with minimal damage to the rhizome.

Peaches are transplanted until the age of 5-7 years. If the tree is older, you don't even have to try. In the new place, a hole is dug a little larger than a lump of earth from the old place. Next, the peach is planted using the same technology as the seedlings. Then water generously with warm water.

Mulching the soil

Mulching the soil is necessary in those regions where winters are too harsh for peach. Mulch not only retains nutrients in the soil, but also prevents the root system from freezing in winter. In the fall, the soil is dug up to a depth of 15 cm. Then mulch is added. Peat, manure, sawdust or straw are used for this. The layer thickness should not be less than 15 cm.

Prevention of diseases and insects

Pest and disease control begins with prevention. Peaches suffer from a large number of diseases, especially if they grow in an unfavorable climate for the crop. You can treat a tree for pests at any time of the year.

Leaf curl is the most common peach problem. Characteristic signs are blackening and drying of the leaves. Gradually they fall off. If signs of curling appear, the affected shoots are cut off and burned. The plant itself is treated with Bordeaux mixture or the Abiga-Peak preparation. Spraying is carried out four times at intervals of 2 weeks.

Another cultural disease is moniliosis. If there are signs of moniliosis, the affected shoots are cut out and destroyed. Peach is treated with fungicides. For example, "Kuproksat" or "Zineb". Powdery mildew is destroyed using colloidal sulfur. The plant is sprayed the first time during bud formation and the second time after flowering (about 2 weeks).

Among insects, aphids are often found on peach trees. To combat it, use an infusion of garlic, dandelion or a soap solution. Among the chemicals used:

• "Decis";
• copper sulfate;
• "Dursabon";
• "Confidor".

Weevils often appear on plants. Copper sulfate or insecticides will help. After flowering, the trees are treated with Decis or Fitoverm. In autumn, tree trunk circles are dug up and fallen leaves are destroyed.

How to protect a fruit tree from sunburn

Is it possible to protect peach trees from sunburn, since crops grow best in the south, where solar activity is high. The most dangerous time for leaves is early spring. During the day, the cortex cells come to life, but at night, when the temperature drops below zero, they cannot withstand temperature changes and die.

To prevent this, half the trunk is whitened with ordinary lime. Peaches are whitened several times in the fall. Often autumn rains wash away the whitewash from the bark.Another method is to wrap it in parchment paper or natural fabric. It is undesirable to use synthetic fabrics; after the snow melts, the bark in these places will rot.

How to properly cover a tree for frost

Preparation for winter is important when growing crops in regions with frosty winters. By winter you will have to cover the rhizome, trunk, root collar and root.

Preparing peach for winter:

• Dig the soil to a depth of 1 m and add mulch.
• To prevent diseases and insects, peaches are treated with Bordeaux mixture.
• The trunk is wrapped in several layers of burlap.

Supports are installed next to the tree to cover the crown with fabric. To do this, use roofing felt, wallpaper, agrofibre or thick paper. It is not recommended to use polyethylene. It promotes the formation of condensation and provokes the appearance of fungi.

Protecting a tree from rodents in winter

During the onset of winter, a new threat to the tree appears - rodents. Mice and other pests prefer to spend the winter under the snow, and the crown of fruit trees suffers the most from this.

What to do to prevent mice from chewing on the roots in winter:

• First of all, you can cover the barrel with thick fabric and wire.
• Whiten the bark to a height of approximately 100-150 cm.
• Mice cannot tolerate the smell of copper sulfate, so the tree is sprayed with this substance.
• Treat the barrel with Bordeaux mixture. Mice also cannot tolerate the smell of this product.
• Mix mothballs and fish oil and coat the peach bark with this mixture.
• Wrap the lower part of the trunk with spruce branches (used to protect seedlings).

It is also important before snow falls to clear the area of ​​old foliage, which creates heat around the trunk and attracts rodents.

Common gardening mistakes

Mistakes when growing peach trees include:

• Attempts to plant crops in unfavorable climatic conditions.
• Use a large amount of mineral fertilizers when planting seedlings.
• Do not prepare the hole in advance.
• Delay the timing of planting peach seedlings.
• Trying to plant a tree older than 2 years; the older the plant, the harder it will be for it to take root in a new place.

In addition, mistakes in growing peach include ignoring fertilizing and watering. Many inexperienced gardeners believe that if a plant blooms and produces a harvest every year, it does not need nutrients. But the soil becomes poor over time, and this contributes to a decrease in yield.