A Complete Analysis of the Key Points of Ornamental Peach Cultivation and Management Techniques

Ornamental peach is a small tree of the genus Prunus in the rose family (Rosaceae). It is widely used in landscaping: it can be planted in mass to form a peach grove, planted as a specimen dotting a lawn, or combined with flowering shrubs such as flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) to create a scene of a hundred flowers blooming together. Its cultivation and management techniques are described below.

I. Requirements for planting site and soil

Ornamental peach prefers a dry, sunny environment, so when planting, choose a site with higher ground and no shade. It should not be planted beside ditches or ponds, nor beside large trees with broad crowns, so as to avoid affecting its ventilation and light penetration. Ornamental peach prefers fertile, well-aerated sandy loam that is neutral or slightly alkaline. When planted in heavy clay soil or heavily saline-alkaline land, the plant will not only fail to bloom, but its growth vigor will also be poor and pest and disease problems severe.

II. Water and fertilizer management

Ornamental peach is drought-tolerant and afraid of excessive moisture. Generally, apart from one watering to break dormancy in early spring and one watering to seal in frost at the end of autumn, no watering is needed in other seasons. However, in hot summer weather, if there is a continuous drought, appropriate watering is very necessary. On rainy days, drainage should also be done well to prevent waterlogging from rotting the roots and causing the plant to die.

Ornamental peach likes fertilizer, but it should not be applied excessively. Fully decomposed and fermented cow or horse manure can be used as a base fertilizer. Before the onset of winter each year, apply some sesame paste residue. If 1 to 2 applications of quick-acting phosphorus and potassium fertilizer are made in June and July, flower bud differentiation can be promoted.

III. Pruning

Ornamental peach is generally pruned after flowering. Along with shaping, cut off diseased and pest-damaged branches, drooping branches, inner-canopy branches, dead branches, thin and weak branches, and water sprouts. Also shorten the branches that have already bloomed, leaving only 2 to 3 buds at the base. When these branches grow to 30 cm, they should be pinched in time to promote plump axillary buds and thereby favor flower bud differentiation.

IV. Pest and disease control

Pests and diseases of ornamental peach commonly occur in summer and autumn. Its main diseases are: shot hole disease, anthracnose, gummosis, and leaf curl disease. If they occur, a 1000-fold dilution of 70% thiophanate-methyl can be sprayed, and it can also be used alternately with chlorothalonil. The main pests are aphids, red spider mites, scale insects, and red-necked longhorn beetles. If they occur, a 1000-fold dilution of 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate can be sprayed to kill aphids, red spider mites, and scale insects. Adults of the red-necked longhorn beetle can be caught by hand, and the larvae can be controlled by injecting pesticides such as dichlorvos into the bore holes and sealing the openings firmly with mud. In winter, whitewashing the trunk and thick branches has a relatively good effect on controlling the breeding of longhorn beetle larvae.