Description of the best peach varieties for the Moscow region, planting and care in open ground

Until recently, peach was considered a curiosity in the cool Moscow region. Not every gardener could afford to grow southern crops 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 increased attention, but allow you to get a harvest of fruit with excellent refreshing taste every year.

Is it possible to grow peach in the Moscow region?

Not so long ago, only a few gardeners who loved exotic things were engaged in growing peaches in the Moscow region. Now, with the right selection of varieties, even a novice amateur can get tasty, aromatic and healthy fruits in his summer cottage. What requirements must a peach meet for the Moscow region? What are the best varieties bred for this region?

The plant must be frost-resistant, preferably local selection. It is preferable to choose early fruit ripening dates, but medium ones are also suitable. Foreign seedlings do not acclimatize well in our conditions and often do not survive the harsh winter. In the summer, it often rains in the Moscow region, so the tree must have good resistance to fungal pathogens.

The best varieties suitable for a given region

The experience of gardeners who have practiced growing peach in the Moscow region in open ground allows us to draw a conclusion about which varieties are best suited for these weather conditions and produce harvests.

Morettini's favorite

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

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

Greensboro

The tree grows to medium size. The variety is self-fertile, columnar. The first harvest occurs 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 against diseases.

The fruits grow weighing up to 130 g. They are distinguished by their oval shape, slightly compressed on the sides, the apex is blunt, and there is a small original pit. When ripe, the fruit acquires a greenish-cream color, and one quarter of the area is covered with blush. The taste is classic, sweet, with barely noticeable sourness, the aroma is strong. The stone is difficult to separate from the pulp.

Redhaven

A medium-sized tree with a round crown. The fruits are large, oval-shaped, unequal. When ripe, they acquire a yellow color with a red blush, and are pubescent. The pulp is dense and characterized by excellent taste. American breeders worked on developing the crop, 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 avoid infection by viruses and pests. A mature tree produces up to 100 kg of high quality peaches.

Kyiv early

A medium-sized tree with a round, wide crown. The fruits grow weighing up to 90 g. Their shape is oval, with a characteristic beak at the top. Ripe peaches have a cream color and slight pubescence. The taste is sweet and sour, the smell is classic and strong, the flesh is transparent.The bone is difficult to separate.

An adult tree produces up to 50 kg of fruit. The plant's resistance to powdery mildew and the causative agents of clasterosporiosis is high. It does not tolerate drought or excess moisture in the soil. The tree is prone to curl disease and requires preventive treatments.

Collins

The variety is self-fertile, grown as a mid-early variety. 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 harvest must be removed from the tree in a timely manner, otherwise the branches may break. Fruit ripening does not occur simultaneously.

An adult tree produces up to 50 kg of harvest. Frost resistance and immunity to powdery mildew and curl are high. Peach requires timely irrigation, fertilizing, pruning and crown molding.

Early champion

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

Juicy

Peach is self-fertile, self-pollinating, large-fruited. Capable of self-overload due to the abundance of fruits. The tree is tall and spreading. The weight of one fruit reaches 200 g. The fruits are oval in shape and greenish-cream in color with a bright blush. The pulp is characterized by a strong classic smell and harmonious taste. The pit and pulp are difficult to separate. The plant exhibits increased resistance to fungal diseases. The variety is winter-hardy.Up to 70 kg of fruits are removed from each mature tree.

Golden Jubilee

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 on the sides. When ripe, they acquire a golden yellow color with a pronounced blush and slight pubescence. The aroma is strong, the taste characteristics are at a high level. The pit and pulp are difficult to separate.

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

White Swan

A mid-early self-fertile variety with increased drought resistance. The crown is not spreading. The fruits reach a weight of 150 g. They are suitable for transportation and short-term storage. Each mature tree produces up to 60 kg of harvest. Peaches are broad-oval, with a sweet taste and a slight honey flavor. The pulp and stone are poorly separated. The variety is frost-resistant, with good resistance to major diseases. Flower buds withstand recurrent frosts in the spring.

Features of growing crops

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

Time and place for landing

Peaches can be grown in any soil that has good drainage. The best results were achieved on moderately carbonate loamy soil. Planting of seedlings cannot be carried out in areas where the following were previously cultivated:

• strawberries;
• alfalfa;
• clover;
• tomatoes.

There should not be any nearby:

• cherries;
• apple trees;
• pears.

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

Selection and preparation of planting material

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

The height of the 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 and has no external damage or defects, as well as signs of rotting or disease. Before planting, it is placed in a growth stimulator for several hours.

Planting scheme and process

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

A planting hole for a peach is dug with a depth of 0.6 m and a diameter of at least 0.5 m. On fertile soil, a hole measuring 0.7 x 0.7 m is dug. A bucket of water is first poured into it. After the moisture has been absorbed, place the tree in the hole and carefully straighten its roots, and then cover it with nutritious soil mixture, tamp it down and water it generously.

It is advisable to mulch the soil in the peach tree trunk. For these purposes use:

• peat;
• humus;
• chips of tree bark;
• pine needles

Nuances of caring for peaches in the Moscow region

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

Formation

A peach planted on a plot 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. Adult trees require sanitary pruning every spring, as a result of which all broken and frozen branches are removed.

Formative pruning of peach is carried out in the fall. At this time, overgrown branches that compete with skeletal branches are removed. A peach about 10 years old needs rejuvenating pruning.

Feeding and watering

In hot and dry weather, the peach must be watered. For each adult plant, apply 45 liters of water. In spring, fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are applied under the tree. This allows him to quickly build up green mass. In summer and autumn, it is necessary to apply fertilizers that include potassium and phosphorus.

Shelter for the winter

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

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

Diseases and pests

Peaches are prone to diseases:

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

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

Peaches are often attacked by pests:

• aphid;
• mites;
• fruit stripe moth;
• weevils;
• eastern codling moth.

In order to prevent their appearance in the fall, it is necessary to collect fallen leaves and remove remnants of weeds, carry out sanitary pruning, whitewash tree trunks and skeletal branches with lime, install catching belts, treat the garden with insecticides and fungicides.

Peach propagation

There are two main ways to propagate peach:

• seminal;
• vegetative.

The first is very convenient and common, not requiring significant effort and practical skills. However, it has a drawback: the properties of the mother 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 peach propagation involves grafting with cuttings. What to use for grafting peach in the Moscow region? In this case, healthy seedlings of self-fertile apricots and winter-hardy plum varieties can serve as a rootstock. Cuttings are harvested in the first ten days of June. The method is based on the ability of plants to regenerate.