Detailed Explanation of Cultivation Techniques for Wangmu Hongxiantao Peach

Wangmu Hongxiantao peach is an extremely late-ripening, high-quality new peach variety in China, belonging to the northern variety group.

1 Characteristics and traits

Large fruit, single fruit weight 700-1000g, known as the king of peaches; red color, bright and gorgeous red after ripening, more than 70% of the fruit surface colored; sweet, crisp and tender flesh, sweet and refreshing; late-ripening, storage-resistant and transport-resistant, blooms in early April, fruit ripening period from late October to early November, can be stored in ordinary indoor conditions until the Spring Festival, and with constant-temperature storage, can be stored until late February to early March for market, resistant to bumping and pressing during long-distance transport. Wangmu Hongxiantao peach has strong adaptability, strong drought resistance and tolerance to barren soil, and can achieve high yields when cultivated in plains, hills and mountainous areas. It has very strong self-fruiting ability and does not require pollinator varieties. It bears fruit in the second year after planting, and reaches full fruit-bearing period in the third and fourth years, with a general yield of 2000-2500kg per mu.

2 Cultivation techniques

2.1 Orchard establishment: planting density 3m×3m or 3m×4m. Before planting, dig pits of 1m square, apply 50kg of farmyard manure plus 0.5kg of diammonium phosphate per pit, mix well with soil, water thoroughly to settle the soil, then plant the seedlings. Immediately after planting, cut the trunk to a height of 25-30cm.

2.2 Fertilizer and water management: Since peach trees grow quickly, are easy to form flowers, have many flowers, and consume a large amount of nutrients annually, strengthening fertilizer and water management in the peach orchard is the foundation for ensuring good growth and development of peach trees and achieving early fruiting and high yields.

2.2.1 Deep strip plowing and sufficient basal fertilizer: Before planting, dig planting trenches 1m deep and 1m wide according to row spacing. When digging, separate topsoil and subsoil. When backfilling, first backfill 20cm of subsoil, cover with a layer of straw, sprinkle 2-3kg of urea on the straw, then backfill 20cm of subsoil, cover with another layer of straw, sprinkle chemical fertilizer, then cover with 20cm of subsoil, and finally mix topsoil with organic fertilizer and backfill within 40cm of the soil surface. Apply 5600kg of organic fertilizer, 110kg of superphosphate, 1000kg of straw, and 30kg of urea per mu.

2.2.2 Sufficient basal fertilizer: Begin applying basal fertilizer every year in August-September. The basal fertilizer type is mainly organic fertilizer, 100-150kg per tree, combined with chemical fertilizers, 1-2kg of ammonium bicarbonate and 1-2kg of superphosphate per tree. The basal fertilizer application method is ring trench application.

2.2.3 Timely topdressing and irrigation: Carry out soil topdressing before peach flowering, before fruit pit hardening, and during the second fruit growth peak. In the early stage, mainly nitrogen fertilizer; in the middle stage, mainly mixed nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer; in the late stage, mainly potassium fertilizer. Application rates: apply 0.5-0.7kg of urea per tree before and after flowering, apply 0.5kg of ternary compound fertilizer per tree during the pit hardening stage, and apply 0.5kg of potassium sulfate compound fertilizer per tree 20-30 days before harvest. After each topdressing, irrigate according to weather conditions, and water once before the soil freezes.

2.2.4 Foliar topdressing: Combined with orchard pesticide spraying, carry out foliar topdressing through mixed spraying of pesticides and fertilizers. In the early stage, mainly urea at a concentration of 0.3%; in the middle stage, mainly monopotassium phosphate at a concentration of 1%. To increase fruit firmness, spray 600-800 times fruit and vegetable calcium twice during the young fruit swelling period, and spray once after bag removal; in the late stage, mainly urea at a concentration of 0.5%-1%.

2.3 Training and pruning: The tree shape is natural open-center, trunk height 25-30cm, 3 main branches, each main branch equipped with 3-4 side branches. During winter pruning, remove upright branches, water sprouts, and overly dense branches; for weak branches, appropriately thin out branches on the back. Strengthen summer management. From late May to early June, focus on pinching new shoots; from late May to July, pay attention to twisting shoots and thinning out overly dense branches.

2.4 Flower and fruit thinning: This variety has a large number of flowers and a high fruit-setting rate. Naturally grown fruits are not large, so fruit thinning is essential. The first fruit thinning is in late May, and the second fruit thinning is in early June, also called "final fruit setting." Generally, long fruit branches retain 2-3 fruits, medium fruit branches retain 1-2 fruits, and short fruit branches retain 1 fruit.

2.5 Bagging and leaf removal: Carry out in late June. Using double-layer paper bags gives better results. Remove bags all at once 2 weeks before harvest, which can effectively avoid fruit cracking, and the fruit color is bright and gorgeous, with tender and smooth skin. After bag removal, remove leaves that are pressed against the fruit and leaves that block light, to promote even coloring on the fruit surface.

2.6 Pest and disease control: This peach is prone to bacterial shot hole disease, fruit shrinkage disease, anthracnose and other diseases. Spray 3-5 degrees Baume lime sulfur mixture before bud break, and during the growing season spray 50% carbendazim 500 times and 70% thiophanate-methyl 800 times, which gives good disease control results. Among insect pests, peach aphid, peach fruit borer, leaf roller, and leaf miner cause more serious damage. Taoyajing has good control effects on peach aphid, peach mealy aphid, and peach leaf-curling aphid, and diflubenzuron No. 3 has a special effect on controlling leaf miners.

2.7 Harvesting: Harvesting should be done on sunny days after dew has dried or in the evening. When picking, handle gently and place gently; do not press hard on the fruit surface with hands to test firmness. Do not pull the fruit forcefully; instead, support the fruit with your hand and twist the stem, picking with the fruit stem attached, so as not to cause the stem to fall off, thereby reducing opportunities for pathogen infection. Peaches on the tree ripen at different times, so they should be harvested in stages and batches.

2.8 Storage: The suitable storage temperature is 0-1°C. If kept below 0°C for a long time, chilling injury is likely to occur. Peach fruits easily lose water and shrivel, so during low-temperature storage the relative humidity should be controlled at 90%-95%.