- Peach stone and peach tree at a glance
- Varieties and Seeds
- ripe fruits
- Growing a peach tree: instructions
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The peach tree or Prunus persica is characterized by its tasty fruits. The peach pits it contains are stone pits and have exactly one seed. Pulling a peach from a pit requires patience and multiple steps. These range from the selection of suitable seeds and the choice of substrate to pre-breeding and site selection.
Peach stone and peach tree at a glance
The fruits of the peach contain a firmly anchored stone core that contains the seed. Basically, a peach tree grown from the core needs a few years of care before it bears fruit itself. Some seeds and varieties are good for propagation, others will not germinate. The growth and yield of the home-grown peach tree depend, among other things, on the variety selected.
Peach tree, Prunus persica
Varieties and Seeds
The right choice
Basically, the pits of almost all known peach varieties have the potential to develop into trees. However, many of them do not develop as desired, remain small or do not produce any fruit.
In order to enjoy the peach tree project in the long term, we recommend genuine Sorts. These are also known as wild peaches. Core authenticity means a transfer of the attributes of the mother plant to the seed. In modern hybrids, there is often no core authenticity, so that the seeds and the plants grown from them have different properties than the original plant. With seedless varieties, gardeners can have some confidence that they will grow into a fruiting peach tree.
Genuine varieties
Some of the genuine varieties already have their properties in their names. In general, many white-fleshed varieties belong to the genuine ones:
- Naundorfer Kernechter
- Foothill Peach or Red Ellerstadt
- White Ellerstadter
- Ussurian wild peach
- proskauer
These varieties usually reach their fruit maturity at the end of August to mid-September. The Ussurian wild peach is a later variety.
ripe fruits
The right choice
In addition to the pure variety, the ripeness of the fruit also plays an important role in the peach tree. This is linked to the time of harvest. It is usually not possible to grow seedlings from peach stones that are not sufficiently ripe. The ripeness of a peach can usually be recognized by the fact that the peach tree already grows by itself yields fruit. Care should be taken with purchased fruit as it is often harvested when it is unripe. It is therefore advisable to buy peaches at the regular harvest time. Local varieties offer a greater chance of a mature harvest. Furthermore, they have the advantage of being already adapted to the local environmental conditions.
In any case, it is worth planting several peach stones at the same time. This increases the likelihood that one of the seeds will develop well and the plant will be easy to grow.
Growing a peach tree: instructions
Preparation of the peach stone
First, remove the flesh around the peach stone. Special care is required here, because if the fruit pulp is stored for a longer period of time, it would otherwise rot. A brush and running water are recommended for cleaning. It is then advantageous to lay the peach stone on newspaper or kitchen paper to dry for a few days.
Remove shell from seed?
The components of the peach stone include a woody shell and the inside seed. The question here is whether the hard wooden shell should be removed. The shell does not necessarily have to be removed, as the seed will germinate even if it remains in the shell. Attempting to open the hard shell can also injure the seed.
If you still want to remove the peel, you should especially use the peach stone leave to dry for a long time. This causes the seed to shrink slightly and then detach from the shell more easily. In addition, the wood becomes brittle and can then be opened with a nutcracker. Care should be taken when handling this seed. On the one hand it is very sensitive and on the other hand it contains toxic cyanidee.
cold spell
Importance of the cold period
The peach stone needs a certain period of cold before it can germinate. Botanists also speak of one germination inhibition, which prevents the seed from germinating at an unfavorable time of year. Young plants would not survive the impending frost. The peach stone needs temperatures below 8 °C to germinate. The process serves to break the germination inhibition and is also called stratification.
In regions with long and cold winters, the peach stone can be planted directly in the ground in autumn or winter. A shady location without direct sunlight is preferable. A sandy, well-drained soil is suitable for growing a new peach tree. With a planting depth of 2 to 4 centimetres, the peach stone only needs to be watered occasionally. The soil should be slightly damp, but not completely wet. This variant requires a permanent cold phase.
Artificial cold period
The method of an artificial cold phase is safer. The core should be planted in a sealable container with moist sand, which is then placed in the refrigerator. One challenge is keeping the core moist without causing mold growth. Before the peach stone comes into the jar, it should be soaked in water overnight. The right time is between mid-December and early January. Until the beginning of spring, the core should now rest in the refrigerator for about 8 weeks while keeping it moist. Alternatively, storage in a cool cellar is also possible as long as the temperature there does not exceed 7 °C.
Seedlings during the cold phase?
Germination can already occur during stratification. In this case, the seedling should be planted immediately. These little plants are very sensitive and therefore require careful handling. The core should be placed on a humus-rich soil mixture, taking into account the direction of planting. As a rule, the root grows first before the shoot appears on the other side.
Plants that have already germinated during the cold period should be treated very carefully. Place the core on the humus-rich soil mixture that you have filled in up to 4 centimeters below the edge. Pay attention to the direction of planting. Of course, the roots must be planted downwards and the shoots upwards. If only a small green tip protrudes from the woody shell, position it downwards. Because normally the root grows first and only much later the actual shoot on the other side.
Dealing with the seedlings
As soon as the seedlings have developed into a small peach tree, it is advisable to plant them in a small pot. Containers about 15 centimeters in size are suitable. Positioning against an east or north facing window is good until the trunk has reached a size of about 30 centimeters and is slightly woody. The plant should remain indoors until it is consistently warm outside. A young peach tree needs a lot of light and not too high temperatures. The slower the growth, the sooner the plants form a strong trunk. Such is important to be prepared later against wind and weather.
planting
timing and substrate
The actual planting begins in spring, after the core has survived the cold spell. From March most cores are ready after the previous treatment. The substrate should be permeable. Potting soil or cactus soil are recommended. The substrate should also not contain excessive amounts of nutrients. The planting depth is also about 2 to 4 centimeters here.
A warm and bright location without direct sunlight is preferable when growing the peach tree. The earth or the substrate must always be kept slightly moist without soaking it. The germination time after planting can be between several weeks and several months.
plant out
If the plants have developed a slightly woody stem and the temperatures are consistently high, they can be planted directly in the garden. The earliest time to plant out is mid-May. It is of great importance that night frost no longer occurs under any circumstances. The young peach tree wants to slowly get used to its new outdoor location. It is therefore advisable to initially place them in a shady to semi-shady place. The plant can now be accustomed to a little more sun every day. The ideal substrate is still a well-drained and humus-rich soil.
selection and location
Gardeners can already assess which peach tree will develop well when the young plant germinates and develops. Young plants with broad leaves tend to develop beautiful fruits later.
During the early growth of the plant, it is particularly important to regularly check the soil for optimal moisture levels. Watering is required once the top layer has dried. The roots need a while to grow before they penetrate deeper regions of the soil, which is why regular watering is necessary.
