Growing the mini peach Bonanza in garden in the U.K. year 3 - early summer

Описание: Filmed in the first week of June & July showing the watering set using a "dirty water" pump (as described on the label which can be seen in the video) suitable for submersion. This submersible pump was bought solely to pump rainwater though out of several water tanks set up to collect it off the roof (shown is a 1200 litre with an 1500 litre ex orange juice container in the background). This is using the standard diverter kits in the rainwater downpipes and channelling the water into the tanks through pipework. The tank is shown with the lid off and the lid is only ever removed when I want to use the submersible pump. This type of set up is used by many gardeners. I have also installed taps in the tanks for when I just need to fill a watering can .

In the film posted last year I showed yellowing leaves dropping from the tree and mentioned that in my opinion there is some natural leaf drop of the leaves which initially emerged when the new shoots start extending to allow space for them. To some extent this may be the case however underwatering last year may also have been a factor. The tree is in a suntrap area on a slight slope ensuring good drainage. Some of the yellowing and dropping of older leaves may have been the tree reacting to a lack of water and initiating a natural response involving shedding older leaves to reduce transpiration to ensure the survival of the new shoots on which the fruit will form the following year. As the tree establishes this may become less of a concern (update 25th June - new shoots have been growing and there has been hardly any yellowing and dropping of the older leaves that initially emerged in spring)

Due to last summer being so warm and dry I also noticed far more fruit tree spider mite from mid summer to mid autumn. The larger fruit trees tend to tolerate this well but on the mini peach I altered the way I watered this tree to try to deter them. Usually I water the roots via the soil directly with the pipe and do not spray to reduce evaporation, but began watering the mini peach by showering the leaves in the evening to try to keep levels of spider mite down at the same time. Depending on this summer and whether they reappear will determine whether this is repeated (otherwise would avoid as regularly doing this could encourage fungus depending on weather conditions). I am just showing this in the film for illustration purposes (also the water jet helped to show the small fruit).

It again set a lot of fruit so was thinned to around 20 peaches. I consider peach branches to be relatively brittle so do not overload.

The first peach tree I grew was Bonanza and the next one was a full size peach tree which would produce hundreds of large peaches despite some peach leaf curl (it was never covered or sprayed for peach leaf curl) and did this for many years until the main trunk split. The weight of the fruit in my opinion may have played a part in this. Perhaps more attention to pruning and shaping though and well as thinning the fruit would have prevented this.

On a fast growing full size peach tree a broken branch may be less of a concern unless it is a major one perhaps, but on a slow growing mini peach it can set the tree back significantly as it could take a while to regrow (if part of it is still attached you can try taping it back into place and supporting it)

Bonanza peach is considered to require minimum if any pruning. The frame around the tree consists of the arch/arbour strengthened by tall heavy duty steel stakes firmly secured into the ground and painted white to blend in arranged around it. The frame should provide some support to the main branches in a few years when they reach it and can be utilised for supporting branches that look like they may break from the weight of fruit. I have illustrated some typical ways gardeners could use jute string and bamboo sticks/ frames to provide plants support and of course there are many more which may be more appropriate for your situation e.g. without the use of string lines.

In later years when thinning fruit there is generally more choice of fruit to select and it is likely you could select more fruit in the thicker section of the branch rather than towards the thinner end of the branch end which will also help the branch to support the weight of the fruits.

The root suckers (which I called runners in the film by mistake) are from the rootstock (probably the plum var. Julien A). These appear regularly and are removed as they do. They may also appear from the above ground part of the rootstock i.e. below the graft point with the scion Bonanza.



Next post mid/late summer - final size of canopy/ fruit. Thanks for watching