Columnar varieties of peaches and their yield
Columnar peaches are named because of their resemblance to columnar trees. These are dwarf plants that are much smaller than traditional trees.
Their branches are short and directed upward. From the outside it seems that the fruits are “glued” to the trunk, since the branches are practically invisible. Not only peaches are columnar, but also other fruit trees: pears, plums, apple trees. For the first time, columnar plants began to be grown in Canada in the middle of the last century. Then they appeared in Europe, and then in our country.
The plants are quite capricious, and therefore it is recommended to plant only one-year-old seedlings. Older trees may get sick and simply not take root.
The peculiarity of columnar nectarines and peaches is that they are planted not only for harvesting, but also as ornamental plants. Peculiar trees with a cylindrical crown can decorate any garden. The trees are especially beautiful during flowering, when they are strewn with small pinkish flowers.
Varieties for gardeners in the Moscow region
The weather conditions of the Moscow region would be disastrous for ordinary peaches: the southern crop is not accustomed to severe frosts. However, columnar peaches are suitable for the Moscow region, since they can withstand sub-zero temperatures even lower than near Moscow, and get sick very rarely. All the previously mentioned varieties will take root in the Moscow region without any problems.
The columnar Fig peach also withstands the Moscow winter. It is more cold tolerant than conventional varieties. He was released relatively recently. The weight of the fig fruit is average - approximately 170 g. The plant is not cheap, but it is worth the money: the pulp of the flattened fruit contains a lot of vitamins, and the taste is very delicate. The only negative is that the fruit does not last long due to its thin skin.
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Columnar peaches: planting and care
Dwarf trees require some care. And it will be a little different from usual. It is very important to choose the right site on which the tree will grow . It is preferable to plant them on the south side, or in the southeast, so that the plants receive enough heat. A good option is to plant along the fence so that the trees are protected from drafts. But it is important that they are not shaded.
Columnar peach is planted in the spring. In the southern regions, planting begins at the end of March, in the northern regions - in May, when the earth warms up enough. But you should buy seedlings with a root system that is closed before mid-May.
How to plant a columnar peach in the spring? To plant, first dig a hole, the diameter of which is half a meter and 60 centimeters in depth. If there are a lot of peach trees, then they are planted at a distance of 60 cm from each other, leaving 1 meter of space between the rows.
Then a mixture of humus sand, black soil and soil is prepared in equal proportions. Drainage must be poured into the bottom of the hole: gravel, pieces of brick, expanded clay, and the prepared mixture is poured on top. The thickness of the layer should be no more than 15 cm, but not less than 10 cm.
After this, half a bucket of water is poured into the hole and the seedling is lowered, covered with earth and lightly compacted, and a wooden peg is placed for the first time.
Columnar peach cultivation and care
After planting a columnar peach, caring for it will not be difficult and will be similar to caring for ordinary nectarines and peaches. Loosening the soil under the columnar peach, treating weeds, controlling pests - all the usual activities are included in the care. But it should be borne in mind that the plants are smaller than others, so change some proportions.
In dry seasons, they are watered no more than 3 times a month, pouring 1-2 buckets of water under the plant. When it rains, watering once a month is sufficient.
Features of growing crops
There are some peculiarities of growing peaches in the Moscow region. Compliance with them will save you from unnecessary troubles of care and will allow you to reap a rich harvest.
Time and place for landing
Peaches can be grown in any soil that has good drainage. The best results were achieved on moderately carbonate loamy soil. Planting of seedlings cannot be carried out in areas where the following were previously cultivated:
- strawberries;
- alfalfa;
- clover;
- tomatoes.
There should not be any nearby:
The selected area should be well lit by the sun, protected from drafts and cold winds.
Selection and preparation of planting material
For cultivation in the Moscow region, you should choose varieties of peaches bred by local breeders or zoned for a given region. It is preferable to buy seedlings from local nurseries. Their age should be from 1 to 2 years. These are the plants that take root best.
The height of the tree suitable for planting is about 1.2 m, and the thickness of the main trunk is 1.5 cm. The buds must be fully formed, and the developed crown must contain 4 branches. The root system of the seedling selected for cultivation is well formed and has no external damage or defects, as well as signs of rotting or disease. Before planting, it is placed in a growth stimulator for several hours.
Planting scheme and process
Before planting peach, the soil in the selected area is carefully dug up and weed roots are removed. If the soil is depleted, then fertilizers are applied in advance. High acidity is neutralized by adding dolomite flour or wood ash. Seedlings are planted according to a 4 x 3 or 4 x 4 m pattern.
A planting hole for a peach is dug with a depth of 0.6 m and a diameter of at least 0.5 m. On fertile soil, a hole measuring 0.7 x 0.7 m is dug. A bucket of water is first poured into it. After the moisture has been absorbed, place the tree in the hole and carefully straighten its roots, and then cover it with nutritious soil mixture, tamp it down and water it generously.
It is advisable to mulch the soil in the peach tree trunk. For these purposes use:
Advantages and disadvantages of columnar nectarines and peaches
Columnar plants have their pros and cons. Their main advantage is compactness. If the area is relatively small, columnar trees make it possible to plant it with a large number of plants. They begin to bear fruit in the second or third year and produce a good harvest.
Since the trees are short, harvesting will not be a big problem. In addition, cutting a peach into a column does not take much time. The branches grow slowly in length and have no side shoots.
But columnar nectarines and peaches also have disadvantages. First of all, they include low yields. The crown of the plant is small, and, consequently, there are fewer fruits than on large trees.
The fruiting period of dwarf trees is limited to 18 years (rarely more). Therefore, you will have to constantly plant new trees and renew the plantation, which is not easy and energy-consuming. Finding good seedlings is not so easy, and their cost is high.
It is good to purchase seedlings for those gardeners who have small plots and try to place a larger variety of crops on them. However, it must be taken into account that the plantations will have to be renewed more often than when planting ordinary fruit trees.
Peach propagation
There are two main ways to propagate peach:
The first is very convenient and common, not requiring significant effort and practical skills. However, it has a drawback: the properties of the mother variety may not be transferred to the grown tree. But such a seedling will be more resistant to climatic conditions and pathogens.
The vegetative method of peach propagation involves grafting with cuttings. What to use for grafting peach in the Moscow region? In this case, healthy seedlings of self-fertile apricots and winter-hardy plum varieties can serve as a rootstock. Cuttings are harvested in the first ten days of June. The method is based on the ability of plants to regenerate.
Columnar peach is a relatively new type of fruit tree, widely used both for decorative purposes and for harvesting. The use of columnar trees can significantly save garden space. Caring for such plants is quite simple and allows even novice gardeners to grow them.
How to choose the right seedlings?
When buying seedlings you need to be very careful. They are not cheap, and it may turn out that what you bought is not what you planned.
Experts recommend buying seedlings exclusively in specialized nurseries , and not in markets where sellers do not bear any responsibility for them.
The best option is one-year-old seedlings , which quickly take root and delight you with fruits the next year. What to look for when purchasing:
- the elasticity of the roots and the absence of dry branches on them;
- lack of leaves, they are not needed on the seedling;
- the top bud (it should be alive and green).
When seedlings are purchased in advance, they must be stored correctly - in a dry and cool room, wrapping the roots in a damp cloth.
Feeding
Columnar peach, like all other cultivated plants, needs timely feeding and processing. It is better to produce them without the use of chemical fertilizers, preparing all the mixtures yourself from natural ingredients.
- In the spring, when the buds have not yet blossomed, the plant is treated with urea at the rate of 0.7 kg of the substance per 10 liters of water.
- During fruiting and flowering, the tree should be sprayed with a decoction of lemon balm, orange peels, onion peels, burdock or red pepper. The composition must include laundry soap, thanks to which the fertilizer will best linger on the leaves. This treatment will help prevent the development of disease and the appearance of pests. It is best to carry out this procedure once a week.
- In autumn, the peach tree should be treated with a 10% urea solution. It is also possible to use manure or bird droppings.
Varieties of columnar peaches (descriptions + photos)
We offer varieties of peaches that are popular among gardeners
Columnar peach “Souvenir”: variety description and photo
The tree reaches two meters in height, the crown diameter reaches half a meter. The fruits are yellow-red, slightly pubescent, and their flesh is yellow. Peaches are harvested in August. Each weight is about 200 g.
“Souvenir” is a Crimean plant and is not frost-resistant. But the tree is self-pollinating, and can do without nearby growing pollinators.
Columnar fig peach, description, planting and care + photo
Planting peach of this variety is possible in the Moscow region and more northern regions, as it is frost-resistant. The tree is unpretentious in care. Its fruits are small, but very tender, sweet and juicy with a small seed, rich in vitamins. Therefore, columnar varieties of fig peach are very popular.
Columnar peach “Steinberg”: variety description, photo
The tree bears fruit well and is drought-resistant. Even dry weather does not affect the yield. If you follow all the rules when caring, the yield will be high. The fruits are oval in shape with red-yellow skin and small in size. One peach weighs 150-160 grams.
Columnar honey peach: variety description and photo
The tree is frost-resistant and rarely gets sick. It grows up to two meters, and its lush crown has an oval shape. The fruits ripen at the end of July. Their color is yellow, with red on the sides. For columnar peaches, they are quite large, sweet, weigh 200-220 grams, and the pit is easily separated.
Columnar nectarine “Fantasy” variety description, planting and care + photo
The trees are frost-resistant and are planted in regions with harsh climates, especially since they do not require much care. The peach reaches 1m 80cm in height, and begins to bear fruit two years after planting. The fruits weigh 150-170 grams, have orange skin, and taste sweet.
Columnar peach “Golden Triumph”: variety description and photo
This is one of the shortest columnar peaches. The maximum height of the tree is one and a half meters. But the variety has an advantage over many other species - self-fertility and above average yield. 10-12 kg of peaches are harvested from one tree. The weight of each fruit is more than 200 grams. They are juicy, sweet and can be easily stored and transported.
Columnar peach “Gardener’s Totem”: description of the variety
The peach is early, the fruits ripen in the first month of summer. During the period of active fruiting, up to 14 kg of fruit can be collected from a tree. They are round, slightly flattened, the skin is red. The weight of each reaches almost 300 grams. The pulp of the fruit is juicy and sweet. Peach is unpretentious compared to many other varieties
Columnar peaches for the Moscow region: varieties
Of those listed for the Moscow region, almost all of the listed varieties are suitable except for “Souvenir”, intended for more southern regions. But in harsh winters, it is better to cover the plants. The best varieties of winter-hardy columnar peaches also include “Capital Anniversary”, “Steinberg”, “Pendant”.
Rules of care
Caring for columnar peaches is easy. It is not necessary to have any special knowledge or experience. Even a beginner can grow delicious fruits. The rules for caring for trees look like this:
- In the first year after planting the seedlings, all flowers should be removed from the trees. This must be done so that the future peach tree has the opportunity to become stronger and not waste itself on early fruiting;
- The roots of the tree love to breathe oxygen, so do not forget to loosen the soil around the plant in a timely manner;
- Abundant watering is the third important rule. Without it, plants simply will not survive. It is also important to mulch the moist soil with rotted grass.
Columnar peach is an exotic tree that will decorate any cottage. It is easy to care for, frost-resistant and has good immunity to most diseases. The taste and juiciness of the fruits of the columnar peach deserve the highest praise, and even a beginner can grow it in his garden.
Reviews about columnar peach and its cultivation
Andrey Matkin lives in Belarus and has a large garden in which apple trees, pears, cherries, cherries, plums, cherry plums, dogwoods and even goji trees from Tibet grow. He believes that “speakers are for suckers.” He doesn't understand why they are so good. They have weak roots, so you have to tie them up. The frost resistance of the “columns” is also reduced and the likelihood of freezing is high. The trees do not have a tap root, meaning they cannot seek water on their own and require constant watering. Unfortunately, there is no information about this in catalogs, and it is not reported when sold on the market.
https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/212453/page-5
Andrey Vasiliev has been growing columnar apple trees for a long time, which produce a rich harvest. He heard that columnar pears are grown in Europe, but in Russia they do not take root and freeze to death. The gardener has not heard of columnar stone fruits. Even if there are such, there is a high probability that they will freeze even in a greenhouse, and it will be almost impossible to buy them. But it is realistic to select a dwarf rootstock for stone fruit and grow plants in greenhouses. They did the same in the 19th century when growing peaches in Russian gardens, including in the Yaroslavl region. Saltykov-Shchedrin wrote about this in his book “Poshekhon Antiquity.”
Vladimir is trying to plant the Steinberg variety, but he is having no luck. He bought seedlings twice, planting them in autumn and spring, but each time they did not wake up. They are green, but no leaves appear on them. Although the gardener seems to be doing everything according to the instructions, the seedlings do not grow, although they do not dry out.
Columnar peaches and nectarines: variety selection and growing recommendations
Characteristics of the variety
This variety got its name because the crown of its tree resembles a column in shape. Each tree reaches only a meter and a half in height. They do not take up much space in the garden and benefit it with their decorative appearance.
The crowns of columnar peaches are simple and uncomplicated. The trunk has lateral branches with leaves that lack branches. It looks very unusual and charming. It feels like the large fruits are stuck to the stem itself.
