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peach tree

bettysmeadbettysmead Posts: 2
in Fruit & veg

My son has just moved to a new house with a peach tree, about 12 ft high in garden but in poor shape! There are many dead branches and evidence of leaf curl from last year, but many bunches of new leaf growth on branch tips and elsewhere. We were told it has fruited in the past. I am a keen gardener but have never dealt with a peach tree before and would love to know what can I do to get it back to a nice looking, fruitful tree.

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Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Hi Betty, I was going to write a long reply to try and cover everything but while I was looking at websites for images to help illustrate, I came across this one which explains it so well that I don't think I can add much!

    http://gardening.about.com/od/treefruits/ss/How-To-Prune-Peach-Trees.htm

    The essence is to remove all dead/damaged/diseased wood and prune the rest to open up the tree to light and air.  Peaches grow on one year old wood, so the aim is to prune very spring to encourage new growth without removing too much of last year's growth (which will bear this year's crop.)

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    As far as i know, unless its one of the new super duper varieties, it needs to have some sort of cover to stop the rain getting on it and bringing leaf curl with it, ive got two peach trees but have had to cut them back and make a little cover which looks a bit like a bus shelter! It has worked, i took off all the affected leaves when i pruned them, they are going great guns now image
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    That's right bekkie - or grow a resistant variety like me (obviously not an option for Betty though!) image

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    I should have made a more considered purchace when i got mine Bob, but heart ruled the head! image
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    They are worth the hassle though bekkie! image

    Couldn't resist nipping out and taking a photo:

    image

    Nearly ready (slurp!) image

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    Oh wow Bob, mine will look like that next yearimage, i had to remove the fruit when i moved the trees ( all but 2, then mrs dozy nocked them off the tree!)



    I hope you are very proud image
  • bettysmeadbettysmead Posts: 2

    Great encouragement and help, thank you very much. I'll see what I can do over the next year!

     

     

  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    What variety was it Bob, i remember seeing it, but cant remember what post image
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Avalon Pride is the resistant variety I grow.  It's a 'good doer'! image

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
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