Methods for protecting peach trees and choosing covering material

Why insulate peaches for the winter?

Previously, you had to go to the Crimea or the Caucasus to buy peaches, but today these delicious fruits can be grown in cooler regions. Competent selection and special agricultural technology helped to achieve this.

Despite the cold-resistant varieties bred by breeders, the southern tree still needs to be insulated. If you do not cover the peach for the winter, the tree will probably freeze at the first severe frost. Peach trees, regardless of variety, are demanding in terms of growing conditions and require delicate handling.

On a note! If cold weather approaches gradually, then the critical temperature for peach is the range -23...-24°C. If the temperature drops sharply, the tree can suffer even at -16...-17°C.

Why you need to insulate your peach for the winter:

• does not tolerate severe frosts characteristic of the middle zone;
• afraid of sudden cold snaps;
• reacts negatively to winter storms;
• a frozen tree will not give a good harvest, the yield will drop - the fruits will be small or there will be none at all;
• protection from the negative effects of ultraviolet rays;
• protection from rodents;
• the tree may die.

How to insulate a peach seedling. Caring for peach seedlings in winter

One of the most delicious fruits on our planet is the peach. Unfortunately, the cost of this fruit is quite high, even during the harvest period, so many land owners are trying to grow this tree on their land.

Peach is a heat-loving tree, but that doesn't mean it can't be grown in colder climates. Naturally, in such a situation, special attention must be paid to the wintering of the seedling, otherwise it may simply die.

Preparation for wintering a peach tree can be divided into three stages:

• preventive tree care;
• processing wood with various substances;
• direct protection from frost.

The first stage is preventive care

Before the arrival of cold weather, the peach tree, unlike other fruit trees, cannot be pruned. Peach is pruned in the spring, but autumn is the ideal time to combat various diseases. It is before frost that you should get rid of leaf curl, powdery mildew and clasterosporiosis. To prevent peach trees, it is recommended to use fungicides.

One of the main problems of peach is aphids, which also need to be combated in the fall. To do this, you will need to purchase and spray the appropriate pesticides, but in no case should you exceed their quantity - you should act strictly according to the instructions.

Stage two – tree processing

Immediately before the arrival of cold weather, the tree is treated with additional protective equipment. They should be applied after the foliage has fallen, or at least most of it.

Initially, the wood should be treated with Bordeaux mixture (3 percent solution), then the stamps should be whitewashed. Whitewashing is extremely necessary for peach trees, since ignoring this process can lead to early flowering, which is extremely dangerous in places with prolonged spring frosts.

In autumn, it is also necessary to water the seedlings abundantly and insulate the top layer of soil near the trunk. Sawdust is perfect for this.

The third stage – protection from the cold

One of the weakest points of a peach is its root system, so it must be insulated. A small layer of manure or ash is ideal for this purpose. If these elements are not available on your personal plot, you can additionally add another layer of soil.

We insulate with film and grass

Naturally, it is highly not recommended to plant seedlings of this heat-loving tree in the fall. But if there are no other options, then it is advisable to plant the seedling in a place that is maximally protected from cold winter winds.

Warming of seedlings and protection

The trunk of the seedling must also be protected. Straw or reeds are perfect for this; they can be wrapped around the tree and secured with a rope. This option, on the one hand, protects the seedling from frost, and on the other, gives it the opportunity to breathe in any weather.

Timing and methods of shelter

The timing of peach insulation for the winter depends on the climatic conditions in the region and on specific weather conditions. But before starting to insulate the tree, gardeners prepare the peach for winter.

Peach trees require special care in the fall. The main autumn activities are pruning and spraying. Having completed all the preparatory work, gardeners begin insulation.

They begin to insulate a tree under the following conditions:

• the leaves on the trees have completely fallen;
• The first frost hit.

Typically, preparatory activities take place from the end of September to the beginning of October. Adjusted for region and weather conditions. Warming is carried out 2-3 weeks later.

On a note!

To protect the peach tree from fungal infections, in the fall it must be sprayed with 3% Bordeaux mixture (from 2 liters per tree) or another copper-containing preparation.

An insulated peach has every chance of surviving the winter safely. The main thing is to choose the right method of shelter, corresponding to the level of threats, and remove the insulation in time. If you delay in “uncorking” in the spring, the tree may rot.

The shelter method is selected taking into account the regional climate. Options for covering seedlings and mature trees:

1. Warming the roots with humus. Instead of soil, a peat-humus mixture is used for hilling. The soil freezes quickly. And if the winter is not snowy, then the protective layer may not be enough and the roots will freeze. Other materials can be used for mulch.
2. Cover with spruce branches or corn stalks. These materials allow you to create a well-ventilated protective layer. Such insulation saves the roots and part of the trunk from cold, rain, sleet, and wind.
3. Dropping to the grafting level. This method is used to preserve seedlings. First, they dig a hole about half a meter deep, place seedlings in it at an angle of 45 degrees and dig in with soil. A prerequisite is that the seedlings must be positioned with their tops facing south.
4. Thermos style shelter. The covering material is placed around the trunk, leaving a gap between them. The empty space is filled with sawdust. The structure is covered with a film on top to protect the sawdust from getting wet.
5. Construction of a “hut”. The tree must be completely covered. All parts of the tree, including the crown, should be in the hut. First, a frame is built, and then covering material is thrown over it. To make the frame, metal hollow tubes or wooden planks are used.
6. Agrofibre wrap. The trunk and crown of the tree are wrapped with covering material. To make it easier to wrap the tree, the crown is pre-tied with twine.

A video about covering a peach with spunbond will help you master the insulation technique:

Peach pruning in autumn

The removal of peach branches that have grown over the period must be carried out in order to increase the future yield so that the crop can favorably survive a strong drop in temperature.

Peach is a plant that requires pruning at different times of the year:

• Spring - carried out “on a rose bud” . Old trees require a rejuvenation procedure. Young seedlings 2-3 years old undergo pruning to form a crown. Restoring is also advisable - to cut off all frost-damaged shoots.
• Summer - thinning of grown young shoots , which contribute to the thickening of skeletal branches. Removing dry branches that were missed in the spring and damaged by pests and diseases.
• Autumn – sanitary cleaning of diseased sprouts infested with pests. Removing branches that have broken off due to weather conditions and the weight of the harvest.

Each period of eliminating excess growth is important in its own way. For high-quality growth and good fruiting, you need to monitor the condition of the fruit tree throughout the year .

It is recommended to carry out autumn pruning of peach immediately after the harvest is harvested , but no later than mid-October. In addition, you need to choose a dry, windless and sunny day. In damp weather conditions, the atmosphere has a favorable effect on the attachment of infections and bacteria to fresh cuts.

Note! Pruning peach trees in the fall is necessary to properly prepare the plant for winter. In addition, all root stepsons are eliminated. They can overwinter harmful insects that can crawl from an infected seedling to a healthy peach.

Removal of excess growth is carried out only with clean garden tools disinfected with potassium permanganate . For different branches, a specific device is taken: a garden saw, a knife and a pruning shears.

The autumn peach pruning scheme includes the following procedures:

1. The upper branch is cut off at the very base.
2. The upper branches from the side are removed along the top, leaving 2-3 eyes on the lower shoots.
3. It is necessary to thoroughly thin out the shoots growing inward so that the skeletal branches are not thickened, and future fruits have space to grow and be saturated with sunlight.
4. Diseased, dry or mechanically broken shoots are removed completely.
5. Thin and long green shoots that have not yet ripened need to be shortened by 50%.

A young peach seedling , planted for permanent residence, is subject to crown formation already in the first autumn . The top of an annual peach is trimmed so that the height of the tree from the ground is 50 cm.

In the 8-10th year, it is recommended to rejuvenate the peach . To do this, carry out the following steps:

1. Broken and dried branches are pruned.
2. Fruiting shoots on which fruit formation is not observed must be cut off by a third of the entire length.
3. Control the growth of the peach so that it does not exceed 3 meters.
4. All skeletal branches need to be cut back to the level where they were at 3-5 years of age. The stump is made near a young and strong branch. It will later become a continuation of the skeletal one.
5. If the forecast for the winter is disappointing, with severe frosts and heavy precipitation, it is worth removing all thin and green branches.

Important! Not all varieties need to be pruned in the same way; some require special care. It is recommended to additionally trim such types of peach as Boxer, Royal, Autumn Blush, Glory, Skif, Krasnodarets using “household” pruning.

A large number of fruit-bearing buds form on the branches of these trees. During ripening, the fruits greatly weigh down the branch and prevent each other from fully developing and being saturated with sweetness.

Starting from September, part of the summer growth is shortened - weak and undeveloped shoots. They need to be cut to 3 buds or 15-25 cm. Fruiting branches are cut to 30-40 cm of the total length. They should contain a maximum of 8 previously fruiting buds.

Video: pruning peach in autumn

Thus, pruning should be carried out not only in spring or summer, but also in autumn before the cold weather. In addition, you need to know exactly the varietal identity of the peach in order to correctly perform the procedure for removing excess growth.

Shelter rules in different regions

Different regions have their own methods of sheltering. They are selected taking into account the climatic characteristics of the region. The colder the winter, the lower the temperatures and the stronger the piercing winds, the more securely the peach is covered.

Features of peach shelter by region:

1. In the southern regions, insulation is limited to hilling. In areas with warm winters, it is enough to rake the soil to the tree trunk. If snow falls, rake it up to the trunk. If there is a risk of roots freezing, instead of soil, a mixture of peat and humus is raked into the tree trunk circle.
2. In regions with little snowy winters and moderate frosts, the tree trunk circle is mulched with sawdust mixed with ash. The thickness of the mulch layer is 15 cm. This method of insulation is practiced in the Krasnodar Territory, Rostov Region, and the North Caucasus. Without global shelter, frost-resistant varieties can also overwinter in the Moscow region and the central zone. Less resistant varieties are wrapped.
3. In Siberia and the Urals, the most extensive protection methods are used. Here the trees are completely covered using the wrapping method or frame shelters with a crown (hut). A more radical method is also used here - bending down. The tree is first bent to the ground, secured, straw or spruce branches are thrown on top, and in winter the snow is constantly raked up.

On a note!

The root system of a peach tree can be simply and effectively insulated by covering the trunk circle with plastic film.

Why is it important to cover a tree?

Peach is a capricious plant that originally grew only in the southern regions. It is not adapted to significant temperature fluctuations or severe frosts. Weather conditions can not only cause a decrease in yield, but also the complete death of the plant.

The main condition for growing a demanding crop is timely and proper care. Without protection, the plant will be damaged by frost. You will have to get rid of most of the branches. The quality of the fruit suffers: they become small and tasteless.

The hardiest varieties include Frost, White Swan, and Winter-hardy. They tolerate temperature fluctuations satisfactorily and can only die at extremely low temperatures.

Selection of material for insulation

When insulating a peach, a gardener decides two questions: what covering method to use and what material to choose for this purpose. The choice depends on which part of the tree is to be insulated.

May be interesting How to properly plant a peach at homeSpraying a peach in the spring against pests and diseasesDiseases and pests of peaches: measures to combat them, their treatment

Materials for insulation:

1. Underground part. To protect the soil from freezing and the roots from freezing, the tree trunk circle is insulated with peat, sawdust or ordinary soil. Less often - manure and sawdust. All these materials cope well with the functions assigned to them, they are accessible and cheap. Typically, gardeners choose the material that they have on hand.
2. Aboveground part. The upper part of the tree is wrapped or covered with burlap, agrofibre, spunbond, or plastic film. Spunbond is considered the best of these materials, but its cost is higher than that of its competitors.

Advantages of spunbond:

• allows you to create a favorable microclimate under the shelter;
• can last several winters;
• This material is easy to work with.

Work order

Insulation work consists of two stages - autumn maintenance and insulation. To prepare a peach for winter, it is first trimmed, sprayed and watered, and then insulated.

The procedure for preparing peach for winter:

1. Apply phosphate fertilizers. To do this, dig tree trunk circles 25 cm from the tree trunk. The depth of the grooves is 20 cm.
2. Feed the tree with organic matter - mullein, peat, humus or chicken droppings.
3. Carry out moisture charging. In autumn, the tree needs to be watered abundantly. Moisture prevents soil freezing, protecting roots from freezing.
4. Perform sanitary pruning. Remove damaged, diseased and dry shoots. Also remove overgrown young shoots.
5. Whiten the trunk to protect the bark from burns. To do this, prepare a mixture of fluff lime (2 kg), copper sulfate (250 g) and laundry soap (30 g).
6. Spray the tree with lime milk. It is also recommended to treat the peach with a mixture of fungicides and insecticides to prevent disease and protect against insect pests.
7. Insulate the tree. Choose the appropriate insulation method, prepare the materials and get to work.

Step-by-step instructions for beginners

In the video you can see how to care for a peach in the fall. Before insulating the plant, you need to prepare it for the next season:

1. Drainage grooves are formed at a distance of about 0.25 m from the trunk. Fertilizers are added to them.
2. After feeding, the tree is watered abundantly. In overdried soil, the roots will quickly die.
3. Remove young shoots and trim the plant.
4. For preventive purposes, the tree trunk circle and trunk are sprayed with chemicals against rot and pests. Before covering a peach for the winter, treatment with folk remedies is ineffective. Long-term protection must be provided. In addition, one should not be afraid of the accumulation of harmful substances in fruits. Until next season they will completely dissolve and wash off.

Only after all the mandatory agrotechnical measures have been completed can you think about how to cover the peach for the winter. The choice depends on the forecasts of weather forecasters and the region. But if the winter is too warm or cold, you will have to visit the site again to ensure proper protection or partially get rid of the insulating material, because in warm weather the wood may begin to warm up.

Interesting!

To whitewash the trunk, it is better to use not just lime, but a special mixture. It is prepared from fluff, copper sulfate and laundry soap. Ingredient ratio: 2 kg: 250 g: 30 g.

Wintering without shelter

Only peaches grown in the south can do without shelter. Gardeners in the temperate zone, Siberia and the Urals must necessarily insulate their trees.

If you leave a peach without shelter in regions with harsh winters:

1. The branches and roots will freeze. If the tree is weak, young, or the variety is not frost-resistant, the tree may die.
2. Bark burns from sunlight. The winter sun can cause damage no less than frost.
3. Injury to branches due to snow and ice.
4. Bark gnawing by rodents. The consequences of rodent activity depend on the degree of damage. This could be a decrease in yield, disease or death of the tree.

On a note!

You should not insulate trees if it is damp and raining outside. In such weather, all the covering material will be saturated with moisture, and it will turn from insulation into a refrigeration chamber.

Peach trees require increased attention in our latitudes. If you do not care for it and do not cover it for the winter, it is impossible to achieve good harvests. After spending half an hour insulating the tree, you can count on a harvest of juicy and large peaches.