Complete Picture Guide to Peach Planting Techniques
The peach is a spherical edible fruit. Peaches have functions such as beautifying the skin, clearing the stomach, moistening the lungs, and resolving phlegm. Its protein content is twice that of apples and grapes, and seven times more than pears; its iron content is three times more than apples and five times more than pears, and it has long enjoyed the reputation of "queen of fruits." It is widely cultivated in our country. Rich...
The peach is a spherical edible fruit. Peaches have functions such as beautifying the skin, clearing the stomach, moistening the lungs, and resolving phlegm. Its protein content is twice that of apples and grapes, and seven times more than pears; its iron content is three times more than apples and five times more than pears, and it has long enjoyed the reputation of "queen of fruits." It is widely cultivated in our country. It is rich in various vitamins, among which vitamin C is the highest. The following introduces peach planting techniques for reference:I. Selection of Nursery Stock:According to the soil, climate, management level, and local market conditions, select excellent varieties with good yield performance and market demand, and make a good combination of early-, mid-, and late-maturing varieties.
II. Orchard Establishment and Planting:Choose slightly acidic sandy loam or gravelly loam with good drainage, deep soil layers, and a pH value of 5.5-6.5, and dig large holes for planting; for low hilly and sloping land, terraces should be built. The planting density per mu is 40-50 plants on flat land and 50-60 plants on mountainous land.
III. Applying Sufficient Base Fertilizer:Timely topdressing: For base fertilizer, it is recommended to apply winter fertilizer in autumn, mainly organic fertilizer, accounting for 60%-70% of the annual fertilization amount. Generally, 2000 kg of barnyard manure is applied per mu, or 150 kg of special fertilizer for fruit trees is applied per mu; the number of topdressings, timing, and dosage vary according to variety, tree age, cultivation and management methods, growth and development stages, and external conditions, and generally focus on pre-bud fertilizer, fruit-swelling fertilizer, and post-harvest fertilizer.
IV. Training and Pruning Techniques:
(1) Tree shape and tree structure: The tree shape is a three-main-branch natural open-center shape. For the tree structure, the height of an adult tree is maintained at about 2.5-3 m, the trunk height is 30-40 cm, and there are 3 main branches, each occupying an azimuth angle of 120°, with each main branch paired with 1-2 secondary branches, and an opening angle of about 75°.
(2) Tree shape training: In the year of planting, head the tree at 50-60 cm, and there must be more than 3 robust buds in the training zone below the cut. In the first year of growth after planting, select and retain new shoots with relatively strong growth and good azimuth angles, and train them as main branches; the remaining new shoots can be thinned out or twisted to serve as auxiliary nourishing branches. In the second year after planting, select strong lateral branches at 50-60 cm from the trunk with good opening angles, and train them as secondary branches, while also training large and small fruiting branch groups on the main branches and secondary branches.
(3) Pruning: Dormant period (winter) pruning. It can be carried out from after leaf fall to before bud break. Pruning adopts a combination of heading back and thinning, as well as measures such as long pruning, renewal pruning, and branch bending. Fruiting branch pruning: for long fruiting branches, about one third of the branch length is cut off; for medium fruiting branches, apart from thinning dense branches, they are generally not headed back; for short fruiting branches, it is suitable to retain 1 branch about every 10 cm. The number of branches retained depends on site conditions, management level, tree age, tree vigor, and yield requirements. Growing-season pruning mainly includes: supplementary pruning after flowering, removal of sprouts and bud rubbing, branch thinning, branch twisting, pinching, branch pulling, shoot tip pruning, and branch repositioning.
V. Fruit Management Techniques:Peaches have a high fruit-setting rate, so fruit thinning must be carried out to control the number of fruits retained. Fruit thinning should be done in 2 rounds, respectively in late April to early May and mid-to-late May. Generally, short fruiting branches retain 1 fruit, medium fruiting branches retain 2 fruits, and long fruiting branches retain 3-5 fruits. After final fruit setting, spray pesticide and bag the fruits in time. The fruit harvest period depends on variety characteristics, and it is suitable to harvest fruits at 80% maturity.
VI. Pest and Disease Control:To control diseases, the first step is to do a good job of winter orchard cleaning, and promptly remove diseased branches and diseased leaves in combination with winter pruning; whitewash the trunk around the Beginning of Winter; before bud break in early spring, spray 5 degrees Baumé lime sulfur mixture, and during the growing season control diseases such as brown rot, anthracnose, scab, and leaf curl. Pests harmful to peach trees include aphids, oriental fruit moths, small green leafhoppers, peach borers, stinging moths, lace bugs, white peach scale, and others. Spray pesticides in time for control according to occurrence conditions.
Click to get more peach tree planting techniques
Click to get more fruit planting techniques