Characteristics and description of the Donetsk yellow peach variety, planting and care

Peach trees are very rare in the middle zone. Traditionally, this crop is considered exclusively southern, and few gardeners decide to plant it if they are not completely sure of the weather conditions. In fact, among the many varieties there are those that are suitable for northern places. In this regard, it is worth noting the Donetsk yellow peach variety. Despite its frost resistance, it has good taste and other advantages.

Varietal characteristics of wood

The variety got its name thanks to the Donetsk Experimental Station, where it was bred by Liliya Taranenko and other breeders in 1960. Now it is called the Bakhmutov Research Station, and the variety is still propagated at its base for planting in the south of Ukraine and Russia (in the Rostov region).

The variety has the following description:

• fairly tall trees;
• the crown is dense, spherical;
• winter-hardy,
• mid-season;
• begins to bear fruit 3 years after planting;
• the leaves are large, lanceolate, dark green;
• The flowers are lush, rich pink and crimson.

Thanks to its beautiful flowering, the Donetsk yellow peach is often planted to decorate the garden, like other varieties of the crop. The taste of the fruit is also high:

• in size - medium or large;
• the skin is slightly pubescent, yellow, with a red spot;
• the pulp is yellow, juicy, sweet with slight sourness and a pleasant aroma;
• suitable for use in any form.

Variety varieties

There are two types of Donetsk peach:

• yellow Donetsk;
• white Donetsk.

Both varieties are not very different from each other. They are frost-resistant, mid-season, and produce a fairly rich harvest of fruit. However, the fruits of the white Donetsk are smaller, their maximum weight is 130 grams. The flesh is white, slightly translucent, and the seed has visible dark veins. Also, this variety can bear fruit later than the yellow one - for 4 years.

Pros and cons of Donetsk peach

This variety has a number of advantages:

• beautiful appearance;
• cold-resistant;
• even after severe cold and freezing it quickly recovers;
• does not require pollinators;
• large, tasty peaches;
• from one tree you can harvest up to 60 kilograms of crop;
• unripe fruits are easy to transport.

However, there are some disadvantages that may prevent you from getting a good harvest:

• poor transportability of ripe peaches;
• the variety is susceptible to powdery mildew and curl;
• prevention from other diseases and pests is also necessary;
• does not tolerate drought.

Also, one of the unusual features of the variety is that its fruits ripen unevenly. Each can contain both ripe and still ripening pulp.

Specifics of growing a tree

Planting Donetsk yellow peach has many features. Without their knowledge, it is difficult to achieve a bountiful harvest.

Boarding time

When choosing the time and place of planting, you need to keep in mind that the Donetsk yellow peach still does not tolerate temperatures dropping to -20 degrees.

Therefore, it is suitable for regions with mild winters.

Planting dates are determined as follows:

1. In cold climates, plant in spring.
2. In warm places it is possible in the fall, when the temperature has already reached +10, and the sap flow has stopped.

A peach cannot be harvested after strawberries, alfalfa, melons and nightshades.

Purchasing seedlings

In order for the tree to take root well, the seedlings must be healthy and strong:

1. It is not allowed for parts of the roots to be dried out or rotten.
2. Greenish bark.
3. The grafting site is smooth, without damage.
4. The ideal age of a seedling is 1 year.

After purchasing, dip the peach roots in water with a growth stimulator.

Preparing the seat

Planting technology directly depends on the time of year. For spring, the seating area has been prepared since the fall:

1. Dig a hole half a meter deep and 70 centimeters wide.
2. Secure the support in the middle.
3. Mix the removed layer of soil with 7 kilograms of humus, rotted manure or compost, also add 300 grams of ash and 50 grams of potassium chloride and superphosphate.
4. Pour the entire mixture in the form of a mound into the hole.

If the soil is fertile enough, organic matter can be excluded. The same applies to planting in the fall. In this case, the hole is dug out 2-3 weeks before the expected date and fertilized.

Disembarkation scheme and process

Planting peach seedlings does not require complicated activities. It is carried out using the following technology:

1. Place the seedling on a mound of soil and fertilizer and distribute the roots evenly.
2. Cover with soil, making sure that the grafting site is outside.
3. Compact and make a small ditch around the perimeter of the hole.
4. Add 30 liters of water.
5. When the water is absorbed, tie the tree to a support.
6. Mulch with a layer of manure 10 centimeters thick. However, the fertilizer should not touch the plant itself.

Tips for caring for crops

Donetsk yellow peach cannot be called unpretentious. It requires regular care, and it also needs to be prepared for wintering.

Watering mode

When watering, they are guided by the age of the peach, as well as the degree of drying of the soil. For a month after planting, water the seedlings every 3 days, the volume is 1 bucket of water. In dry weather, do this more often - once every 2 days, you can empty 2 buckets. Already mature peaches need 5 buckets, but if there was a lot of rain in winter and spring, then they do not do this right away. If it’s not enough – from May. You need to water no more than 2 times every 30 days.

The last watering is a month before harvesting. The plant also requires water before wintering. Then they pour up to 10 liters per 1 square meter.

Feeding and fertilizers

Once every 2-3 years, the peach is fertilized with compost or humus.As for seasonal fertilizing, the peach is fertilized for the first time in the spring. For this purpose, diluted urea is used (before the buds open) or urea and ammonium nitrate (after the buds open).

In the summer, when the fruits are forming and ripening, you can use a mixture of urea, aqueous extract of superphosphate, potassium sulfide, ammonium sulfate and borax. They are diluted in 10 liters of water. Preparing for winter also requires feeding. Per 1 square meter, add 40 grams of superphosphate and 50 grams of potassium chloride.

Trimming Features

There are two types of crop pruning:

1. For removing old, diseased or frostbitten branches.
2. Formative - after the buds have appeared, pruning is carried out to form a cup-shaped crown. Needed in the first 4 years.

Specifics of wintering

After watering, digging and fertilizing, the soil is mulched with peat or humus; their layer should be 10-15 centimeters. Peaches are also insulated with a frame made of cardboard or other material (bag, spruce branches), it is secured on special pegs. If the winter is warm, it is enough to add earth so that it covers the trunk by half a meter.

Diseases and pests of peach

Most often, the plant is affected by leaf curl and powdery mildew. In both cases, the affected parts of the plant are cut off. To prevent powdery mildew after flowering, seedlings are treated with Topsin or Topaz. Bordeaux mixture will help against curliness; it is used in the fall.

Aphids are a dangerous pest for peach. In case of severe damage, plants are sprayed with appropriate preparations (for example, Karbofos). This should be done no later than 15 days before harvest. To control aphids and other pests after the buds swell, insecticides are used.After flowering, the treatment is repeated, but together with antifungal agents.

Harvest and storage

Unripe fruits are collected for storage; If you use it right away, you can take ripe ones right away. If the peaches are unripe, but healthy and whole, they retain their quality for up to one and a half months. They need to be wrapped in newspapers, placed in boxes and left in a room with high humidity and a temperature of 0 degrees.