Prunus persica
Peach
Common names: Peach tree
Photo: Jack Dykinga, USDA · Public Domain · Source
Description
The peach supplies sun-ripened, juicy fruits straight from your own tree and is usually self-fertile. It needs a warm, sheltered spot, for instance against a south wall. Robust cultivars such as ‘Roter Weinbergpfirsich’ cope with our climate better than delicate dessert cultivars.
Care instructions
Plant it in the warmest place in the garden and protect the early flowers (March, week 12) with fleece during late frosts. Prune directly after flowering, not in winter; that prevents the dreaded peach leaf curl. Water thoroughly in dry summers so the fruits turn full and juicy.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, sandy, humus-rich, well-drained, lime-avoiding
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Pruning
Companion planting
Good neighbors
Rather not
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
Diseases & pests
3 relevantFrom the knowledge base, automatically linked by affected species. How to spot and prevent them is covered in full in the lexicon.
Taphrina deformans
Peach leaf curl affects peach and nectarine as soon as they begin to bud. The young leaves become blistered and thickened, curl up, and turn yellow-red to purple.
More on Peach leaf curlMonilia laxa
Blossom wilt infects stone fruit through the open flower and travels from there into the shoot. Affected blossoms and shoot tips wilt abruptly and dry up brown, as if frost had caught them.
More on Blossom wilt (Monilia twig blight)Wilsonomyces carpophilus
Shot hole disease is caused by the fungus Wilsonomyces carpophilus and attacks above all stone fruit such as cherry, plum, peach and apricot.
More on Shot hole diseaseVarieties
8 varieties‚Benedicte’
You will find *‚Benedicte’* a modern French breeding, especially interesting for your home garden because of its high…
‚Dixired’
The *‚Dixired’* is an early-ripening variety that brings the first peaches as early as mid to late July, ideal if you don't want to wait until late summer.
‚Fruteria’
The *‚Fruteria’* is a newer variety, specifically selected for sturdy home gardens and noted for good tolerance to the russet disease.
‚Kernechter vom Vorgebirge’
A robust old landrace from the Rhenish Vorgebirge that is considered true to seed: trees raised from the stone stay very close to the mother plant.
‚Red Haven’
The worldwide standard among peaches and a dependable start for your garden.
‚Revita’
A variety advertised as tolerant of peach leaf curl for home gardens, which shrugs off the troublesome curling of the foliage far better than the old classics.
‚Suncrest’
A classic Californian dessert peach, prized for its intense aroma.
‚Roter Weinbergpfirsich’
The traditional vineyard peach of the German wine growing regions, smaller and more tart than the supermarket varieties, but robust and vigorous in growth.
Notes from real gardens
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From the magazine
Peach leaf curl: why the timing is everything
In spring the peach leaves blister, curl and turn red: peach leaf curl. Why you can fight it only before leaf-out, how a rain roof protects the tree, and which varieties shrug off the attack better.
Pruning peach and nectarine: the firm cutback
Peach and nectarine bear only on the one-year-old shoot. Why you prune boldly, how the replacement spur works and when the best pruning time is.
Frost Protection for Early-Blooming Fruit Trees: Practical, Not Panicked
Apricot, peach and almond bloom in March, when night frosts are still normal. Here is how to protect the blossom with the right spot, fleece and overhead irrigation, without the panic.
Recognising fruit tree diseases: scab, fire blight, brown rot and more
An identification helper for the five commonest fruit tree diseases: apple scab, fire blight, brown rot, pear rust and peach leaf curl. How to recognise each by its damage, why fire blight is notifiable, and how an airy crown and tree hygiene prevent most problems.