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