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Columnar peach is a relatively new type of fruit tree, widely used both for decorative purposes and for harvesting. The use of columnar trees can significantly save garden space. Caring for such plants is quite simple and allows even novice gardeners to grow them.
Benefits of growing columnar peaches
Compared to regular columnar peaches, they have quite a few advantages. These include:
- Small in size, which allows you to place quite a lot of different varieties in a small area.
- Convenience of care and harvesting.
- Resistance to diseases and pests.
- Early onset of fruiting.
- Good fruit taste.
- The fruit size is larger than usual.
- The crown requires almost no pruning.
- High winter hardiness.
Despite the fact that reviews of columnar peaches are very good, they are not without their drawbacks. Such trees do not have high yields due to their small size. Their lifespan is much shorter than usual.
Columnar peaches have another drawback - the high price of seedlings, reaching up to 1000 rubles per 1 piece.
General description of columnar peaches
Columnar peach gets its name from its characteristic column-shaped crown. It is a low deciduous fruit tree. Its height is usually no more than one and a half meters, although there are varieties with a higher crown. Columnar peach is planted singly or in group plantings for decorative purposes. The plants look very impressive both during flowering and during fruiting.
Characteristics of columnar varieties of peaches
Columnar varieties of peaches have increased resistance to pests and diseases compared to ordinary trees. Due to their small size, their yield is much lower, but the fruits themselves are larger and tastier. They are more winter-hardy than ordinary ones and can easily withstand temperatures down to -40°C.
In terms of flowering and fruiting times, trees of this type do not differ from ordinary peaches; among them there are both early and late varieties.
Popular varieties of columnar peach
Gardener's totem. It is one of the most popular varieties of columnar peach. This is a medium-early ripening variety; the fruits usually reach maturity in the second half of July. The height of the tree does not exceed 1.7 m. The fruits are large, weighing up to 300 g, round. The pulp is juicy, yellow-orange in color, and has a sweet taste. Ripe fruits have a good presentation, high transportability, and are well stored. The total yield can reach 12-14 kg per tree. The gardener's totem is one of the most unpretentious varieties, not demanding on growing conditions.
Steinberg. The variety is distinguished by a pyramidal crown shape.The height of an adult tree can reach 2 meters. The fruits are round, orange-yellow in color. Their average weight is 150 g. On the sunny side, a crimson blush appears on the peaches. The pulp is aromatic, juicy yellowish in color.
Anniversary of the capital. A tree of this variety grows up to one and a half meters. Its fruits are bright yellow, weigh 230–250 g, and have a sweet taste. They can be used both for fresh consumption and for canning.
Golden Triumph. An early ripening variety, ripening in early July. The average height of the tree is up to one and a half meters. The crown is compact. The fruits are red, the flesh is orange, sweet, aromatic. The average fruit weight is 250–280 g. The total yield can reach 10 kg per tree. The variety is highly resistant to diseases, as well as increased frost resistance.
Honey. This is an early variety, ripening in early July. The crown is medium in size, the height of the tree can reach 2 meters. Fruits up to 200 g, round in shape, yellow with a characteristic blush, slightly pubescent. The taste is sweet.
Souvenir. Crimean variety of columnar peach. The tree can reach 2.5 m in height, with a crown up to half a meter in diameter. The fruits ripen quite late, in the first half of August. They are yellow in color, with a slight blush and slight pubescence. The pulp is yellow, juicy, sweet.
Varieties of columnar peaches for the Moscow region
The climate of the Moscow region is by no means ideal for such a southern crop as the peach. However, the high frost resistance and disease resistance of these trees makes their cultivation possible even in such conditions. Now columnar peaches grow well not only in the Moscow region, but also in more northern territories.
All the varieties described above have high winter hardiness, so they can easily withstand winters near Moscow. In addition, you can try to grow the columnar Fig peach in the Moscow region. This is a relatively young variety. The height of the tree does not exceed 2 m. The fruits are flattened, sweet and juicy, but lie and are poorly transported due to their delicate skin. Their weight is 150–180 g.
Planting and caring for columnar peaches
For planting, annual seedlings of columnar peach are usually used. When choosing them, you should be especially careful, taking into account their cost. The seedling must look good and have a developed root system. Columnar peach is planted in late autumn or early spring, before the beginning of the growing season.
Site selection and soil preparation
For good growth and development of the plant, a large amount of sunlight is necessary, so it is advisable to choose a place on the south side of the site. It is not recommended to plant it in the shade of other trees, buildings and structures. Wetlands and low-lying areas, as well as areas with high groundwater levels, are not suitable for planting.
Preparing the soil for planting should be done in advance. The place for the future seedling is cleared by removing weeds and excess trash. After this, the area is dug up and humus or rotted manure is added to the soil. It is best to do this in the fall if planting is planned in the spring. When planting in autumn, the procedure should be carried out at least a month before the planned planting date.
Landing algorithm
Planting holes for planting columnar peach are dug taking into account the size of the root system of the seedling.Usually this is a hole with a diameter of about half a meter and a depth of 50-60 cm. A drainage layer of broken brick, crushed stone or expanded clay in a layer of 7-10 cm is laid on the bottom, then the same layer of fertile soil is poured. Near the center of the hole you need to drive a peg to which the young tree will be tied.
The seedling is placed vertically in the hole and carefully covered with soil. It must be lightly compacted to prevent voids from forming in the ground. Then the tree trunk circle needs to be watered generously. The planted tree must be tied to a support, this will protect it from damage by the wind.
Caring for Columnar Peaches
Further care for columnar peaches is not particularly difficult. Throughout the year, it is treated to protect it from diseases and pests, watered, fertilized, loosened and mulched. The frequency of watering depends on the amount of precipitation. In dry weather, trees are watered approximately once a week. If there is enough precipitation, watering can be done once a month or less. The tree needs to be fed several times a season. As a rule, complex mineral fertilizers are used for this in spring and summer, and organic matter in autumn.
During the season, wood is treated 2-3 times with special preparations to prevent diseases. Despite the fact that the columnar peach is a fairly frost-resistant plant, it must be covered for the winter. To do this, you can use various materials that allow air to pass through: burlap, paper, parchment, straw, dry reeds and others.
How to trim a columnar peach
Pruning of columnar peach is done in early spring, before the beginning of the growing season. At this time, old, diseased, dry branches are removed, and the annual growth is also shortened to a length of 15-20 cm. This will allow the tree to maintain its decorative appearance. In the fall, a preventive inspection of the peach is carried out, during which damaged and dry branches are also removed.
A video about pruning columnar peach and other columnar trees can be viewed at the link below.
Conclusion
Columnar peach is no longer a rare and ornamental plant. More and more gardeners are planting these trees on their plots, which combine both decorative purposes and harvest functions. Caring for such trees is much easier than ordinary ones, so they attract not only experienced, but also novice gardeners.
