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Introduction to HorticultureIntroduction to Horticulture
Plant: Peach TreePlant: Peach Tree
Term: DrupeTerm: Drupe
Peach treePrunus perisca• Deciduous flowering Tree
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5b to 8a
• Height & Spread: 15 to 25 ft
• Exposure: full sun for optimum fruit growth
• Fruit: Mid July to Mid August
• Soil: moist neutral to acidic, Well drained
Drupe:
• A stone fruit having a hard, nut-like inner part surrounded by a fleshy or fibrous outer layer (i.e. cherry, peach, olive, walnut);
Open form
• Pruned to
Propagating Fruit
• Apples– Cross pollinated– Seed will not grow true– Seeds can be used to
grow root stock– Cuttings (genetically
identical) used for scions
• Peaches– Self pollinated– Seed usually grows
true– Growing from seed
takes longer– Most commercial
growers used grafted plants
Growing Peaches
• Peaches are very sensitive to disease, drought and cold
• Peaches have a chilling requirement expressed in # of hours below 45 deg F
• All non-citrus fruits & nuts have a winter dormancy period
• There are two phases:– Endo-dormancy – winter cold – certain # hours rqd– Ecto-dormancy – spring warmth – spurs budding
Annual Cycle for Fruit
Grafting
• Bottom is root stock
• Top is scion
Virginia Varieties
• Select variety based on chilling period – need >800 chilling hours for Virginia
• Freestone or Cling stone• Peaches and nectarines are basically the
same. Nectarines have been bred for fuzzless skin.
• Do not require cross pollination• Irrigation is usually required in Va. during
July and August
Virginia Peaches
• Some fruit produced by third year
• Full fruit production by 6 or 7th year
• Redhaven, Cresthaven, Encore, Harken, and Harcrest are best varieties for Virginia’s winters.
• Trunks are frequently painted white in winter to decrease temperature changes.
Types of grafting
Creative grafting
Cleft Graft
Bark Graft