Peaches and Rootstocks

Good Evening GC!
My sibling has just moved house and plans to be there for quite a while, so I thought i'd get her a peach tree to age with the house. I've located Avalon Pride as the most disease resistant, especially to leaf curl which has plagued the peach at my current abode. To our dismay we are forced to spray to stay away the dreaded 'shroom.

It is offered on either Montclare or St. Julian A rootstocks, but i can't find many reviews online of either the peach or the rootstocks! On one obscure forum (the greatest source of all modern wisdom) one individual noted their Montclare was a bit more productive than their St. Julians, but the latter seems to be more vigorous/less dwarving which would suggest to me better longevity (would it?!).
Anybody have any experience with either of these rootstocks, this peach cultivar or any others?

ANY COMMENTS ON PEACHES WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!
It's so hard to find good info online these days!

Thanks Greatly, Adam.

 

It all depends on how big the garden is and if prepared to climb a ladder to pick the fruit.

 

My old one was on St Julian but that was years ago it did sucker and I'm now on the third generation of tree by regrafting it back onto suckers.
The variety was/is peregrine but I'm not well up on varieties these days, more dwarf plants available I think.

I doubt the rootstock will have much bearing on peach leaf curl which is my biggest problem.

 

The garden is a decent size, im sure a ladder isnt out of the question, but perhaps a smaller one is best.

Good to know you can regraft them! Thanks.

 

Well you can re graft anything if you have a suitable rootstock.

 

St Julien is described as a semi vigorous rootstock giving a mature tree 3 - 5m tall.
I found this interesting on Montclare Peach Avalon Pride
So if sibling is in a cold spot it might be an idea.
Peach leaf curl is a fungal problem, spores overwinter on the bark of the tree. In spring rain splashes the spores onto the new foliage so if you grow against a wall and put a plastic sheet on a frame over the front of the tree to keep the rain off you will reduce the problem as will clearing up fallen leaves.

 

Hi @Adam I
This is my Avalon Pride on St Julian, photo taken when it was about 8 to 10 years old.
South-facing position. It still got peach-leaf curl, but in lesser amounts, and always recovered well.
The peaches were lovely and full size, too.

 

Wow @BobTG that's fantastic! I am lucky to get any at all from my nectarine. And you're in Leicestershire which is not extra warm!

 

Can't remember the year possibly 2020 when we had a very dry spring I noticed hardly any leaf curl.
Dread think what it will be like this year, it's showing already.
Some years the whole tree would defoliate.

 

I sprayed some fungicide as leaf buds were showing, and also all over soil around it this year. Although it has some curl, it's not half as bad as last year. But I was also more careful about clearing fallen leaves last winter as I understand they act as a reservoir of spores

 

Hi @CarolineL
Yes, I was surprised at how well it did! The peaches all tended to ripen simultaneously, so the harvest involved giving away a lot of fruit to family and neighbours etc.
All I ever did was remove the worst of the leaves, if they were affected by curl.
I remember reading that 'avalon pride' was a chance seedling discovered by a lady somewhere, but can't recall who.

 

Wow, looks really healthy! Id say that was pretty robust resistance, if all you had to do was remove bad leaves.
Thanks for all the information! Glad you had success with it, those peaches look delicious.