A Detailed Guide to Peach Tree Planting Conditions and Key Summer Management Techniques

Peach trees are one of the main fruit tree varieties grown in our country, cultivated in both north and south. Specifically, how should they be managed in summer? What are the key techniques? In addition, summer (May to June) is the critical period for peach fruit enlargement, new shoot growth, and flower bud differentiation. So how should peach trees be managed in summer? What are the key techniques?

I. Peach Tree Planting Conditions

1. Soil

Peach trees have strong adaptability to soil and can be planted in most soils, but grow best in neutral to slightly acidic soil. When soil pH is below 4 or above 8, growth is severely affected. In terms of adaptability to soil texture, sandy loam with good drainage, strong permeability, and relatively high fertility is best for cultivation, showing early fruiting and good quality. If the soil is too fertile or the texture too clayey, the trees tend to grow excessively vigorously, fruit later, produce low early yields, and have poorer quality with bland flavor and small fruit.

2. Temperature

Peach trees have a wide temperature adaptation range. From plains to high altitudes, except in extremely cold or extremely hot regions, areas with an annual average temperature of 12-17°C allow normal growth and development. The optimum temperature for peach growth is 18-23°C, and the optimum temperature during fruit ripening is around 25°C. Too low or too high temperatures during the growing period will affect normal growth of peach trees. If the temperature is too low, the tree develops abnormally and the fruit is slow to ripen; if the temperature is too high, branches and trunks are easily sunburned, fruit quality declines. Southern variety groups are more tolerant of high temperatures.

3. Water

Peaches originated in continental plateau regions and are drought-tolerant. Excessive rainfall easily causes excessive vegetative growth of branches and leaves, poor quality and few flower buds, poor fruit coloration, bland flavor, reduced quality, and poor storage tolerance. Because each variety group has formed different water requirements under long-term different climatic conditions, southern variety groups tolerate humid climates and perform well in the south, while northern variety groups cultivated in the south easily grow excessively, produce few flower buds, bear poorly, and have low quality. Therefore, when selecting cultivars for cultivation, attention should be paid to the type of variety group to avoid trouble in production.

4. Light

Light is essential for plant photosynthesis. Peach trees are especially light-loving. With insufficient light, shoots elongate, flower bud differentiation is reduced and of poor quality, and flowers and fruit drop easily. Therefore, when choosing greenhouse cultivation for peach trees, if artificial light is too weak, supplemental artificial lighting should be used to ensure normal growth.

5. Season

(1) Planting time

Peach tree field planting can be divided into autumn planting and spring planting. Autumn planting is generally better after leaf fall in autumn (which actually should be entering winter), a period before the soil freezes. There is basically no seedling recovery time, which helps early spring sprouting, and tree vigor is also stronger than spring planting. Spring planting is generally after the soil thaws in spring and before peach buds sprout. Because after planting the root system needs some time to begin growing, equivalent to seedling recovery, early growth will be somewhat slower, but it passes through winter low temperatures and will not suffer freezing damage. Autumn planting in cold northern regions can sometimes cause freeze damage such as shoot drying, leading to dead seedlings, and in some places trees are easily lost, so spring planting can also be used.

(2) Grafting time

The best time for grafting peach trees is mid-March in spring, followed by early to mid-September in autumn. Too early easily causes gumming, and too late the temperature is too low for easy survival. Ordinary farmers generally prefer grafting in spring and summer. Spring grafting is usually from mid-February to the end of April, when the rootstock sap has already risen. The rootstock can be cut off 8-10 cm above the ground and grafted with the cultivar scion using the cut grafting method; this method can achieve a survival rate of over 95%. Summer grafting is from mid-May to early August, when sap flow is vigorous, peach trees are sprouting and unfolding leaves, and new buds are not yet plump, making it a good period for bud grafting.

II. How should peach trees be managed in summer? What are the key techniques?

1. Flower and fruit management

Flower and fruit thinning: during the flowering period, follow the principle of retaining 3-4 fruits on long fruit branches, 2-3 on medium fruit branches, 1-2 on short fruit branches, and none on reserve branches and extension branches, and select flower clusters to retain: after flowering, retain 1 single fruit per flower cluster, and remove deformed fruit, diseased and insect-damaged fruit, and small fruit without leaves. Before bagging peach trees, spray 30% moth-mite net 1200 times + 2.5% puchiya 1500 times + 70% thiophanate-methyl 800 times + 1000 times tianda 2116 + 2000 times rui'en calcium. In dry weather, water once before bagging.

2. Summer pruning

Branch thinning: during the shoot growth period, for excessively vigorous water sprouts on the upper and outer parts of the canopy, adopt the method of removing the strong and keeping the weak for control pruning. At the same time,

also cut off overly dense branches, useless branches, and diseased and insect-damaged branches. Pinching: pinching is generally carried out after new shoots have lignified, and in summer pinching is done 2 times: the 1st time in

mid-May to early June, mainly pinching the outer extension shoots. The second time is in late June to early July, pinching vigorous shoots that have not yet stopped growing. Twisting shoots: twisting is generally carried out when new shoots grow to about 30 cm and have not yet lignified, and the position is best controlled at 15 cm of retained length. Branch bending: the angle of branch bending is generally controlled at about 80°, but it cannot be bent into a horizontal shape. It is best to pad the bending point with soft material to prevent pulling injury.

3. Soil, fertilizer, and water management

(1) For orchards with insufficient fertilization after flowering, foliar feeding should be carried out at this time, preferably with 300 times urea + monopotassium phosphate, and can be combined with pesticide spraying.

(2) Entering the pit-hardening stage. Mainly apply potassium and nitrogen fertilizer. For large trees, apply 0.5-1 kg urea per tree and 0.5-1 kg potassium sulfate compound fertilizer. Open semi-ring-shaped shallow grooves around the outer canopy and spread evenly, then cover with soil promptly.

(3) When the fruit enters the rapid expansion stage, topdressing should be done in time. Mainly phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer, generally 1 kg per tree for 3-5 year old trees, and 1.5-2 kg per tree for trees over 5 years old. If there is no rain after topdressing, irrigation is required.

4. Pest and disease control

(1) Rot disease

After scraping off the rotten tissue, apply miefuxin stock solution.

(2) Peach scab

Spraying 80% jindasheng, 80% bideli 800 times, or fuxing 8000 times all have control effects.

(3) Eriophyid mite deformed fruit disease

After flower drop, spraying 10% high-permeability pyridaben emulsifiable concentrate, 5% pyridazinone emulsifiable concentrate 3000-4000 times, or 1% manshijing emulsifiable concentrate 4000 times all have good effects.

(4) Hawthorn spider mite

When the disease occurs, 1% manshijing 4000 times, 2.4% abamectin 6000-8000 times, or 10% high-permeability pyridaben all have good effects.

(5) Peach leafhopper

Spray 25% puchiling wettable powder 1500-2000 times, or 2.5% kungfu emulsifiable concentrate 3000 times.