When Do Winter Peaches Ripen? A Detailed Guide to Winter Peach Ripening Time
Peaches generally ripen in summer, but there is also a kind of peach that ripens in winter, and this peach is the winter peach, so when exactly does the winter peach ripen?
1. When do winter peaches ripen?
Winter peaches generally begin to ripen in mid-November each year, but the ripening time of winter peaches in different regions is not completely the same, so the actual local ripening time shall prevail.
The winter peach is a deciduous tree, cold-resistant and also drought-resistant, and its year can be divided into a growth period and a dormant period. It generally buds in mid-February, blooms in mid-March, and sets fruit in April. Winter peach growth requires sufficient light, and it is not strict about soil requirements, so it can generally be cultivated in any soil.
2. Cultivation techniques for winter peaches
1. Site selection
It can be successfully planted in open fields, mountains, and hills. In mountainous areas, low mountains and gentle slopes below 30° are suitable. In low-lying areas or places with a high groundwater table, trenches should be dug and beds built. On hillside land, plant along contour lines, and on flat farmland and flat ground, ensure ventilation and light transmission.
2. Planting
Winter peaches are suitable for dwarfing and close planting. On flat land, 2.5m×3.5m is suitable, and on sloping land, 2m×3m is suitable. For land preparation, use the method of digging planting pits, with a specification of 60cm×60cm×60cm.
3. Pruning
The focus of pruning young trees is to develop the tree shape and cultivate the main branches. In summer, timely twisting of shoot tips, twisting of branches, and pinching of growing tips on auxiliary nurturing branches can promote early flower formation. During winter pruning, remove some densely growing branches, lightly cut long branches, leave more long branches and make fewer short cuts, so as to expand the canopy and achieve early high yield.
4. Fertilization
The fruit growth period of winter peaches lasts about 240d, so sufficient base fertilizer must be applied and supplemental topdressing must be added to improve yield and quality. For fertilizing young trees, apply the first fertilizer after spring germination in the first year of planting, and thereafter topdress once every 20d, using quick-acting nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers combined with organic fertilizer.
5. Pest and disease control
The main pests and diseases of winter peaches include bacterial shot hole disease, anthracnose, leaf curl disease, gummosis, leaf miner, aphids, and so on. “Prevention first, integrated control” is the basic policy for pest and disease control. There are many kinds of pests and diseases affecting winter peaches, and integrated control must be carried out to achieve the expected results.