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Peach
Prunus persica
Fan-trained on a warm wall, one small tree gives baskets of fruit.
Sun
Full sun, sheltered
Water
Weekly in dry summer
Soil
Deep, well-drained, pH 6.0–7.0
Spacing
Fan on 4 m wall
Days to harvest
1st fruit year 2–3
Hardiness
Zones 5–9
Seasonal Calendar
S
S
S
H
H
H
S
S
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Sow Harvest
The method
- 1
Protect early blossom
Peach flowers open in late winter — drape with fleece on frosty nights.
- 2
Hand-pollinate
Bees may not fly in early spring. Dab flowers with a soft brush.
- 3
Thin fruit
Thin to one fruit every 15–20 cm to grow real peaches, not marbles.
- 4
Cover in winter
A polythene cover January–May prevents leaf curl fungus.
Common problems
Peach leaf curl
Winter cover to keep spring rain off is the only reliable cure.
Split stones
Steady watering — big fluctuations cause stones to split.
Good neighbors
GarlicChiveStrawberry
Field tips
- “A wall-trained fan crops harder than a free-standing tree.”
- “Test ripeness by scent — a ripe peach announces itself.”