Peaches

Not as many as last year, hardly surprising considering the "butchering" it got in the autumn BUT, although smaller in size and number, the ripened ones taste like heaven. Not such a bad year afterall.

 

Sounds like you're the only one with any fruit this year Vince.

 

Hi Vince, I was just browsing through all these old threads and I noticed your post...

I would love to grow a peach tree, but was put off by reports that they frequently fail due to disease and when successful, need elaborate systems of spraying, protecting from rain, covering with fleece etc.

However they are my favourite fruit! I would love to know what variety you grow, how it is trained and how you care for it?

 

Hi Sam, I don't know where you got your reports from, inaccurate in my opinion!

I grow "Peregrine" and spray once at bud stage with a diluted Bordeaux mixture to alleviate "peach leaf curl", which looks unsightly but through experience has no real effect on fruit production.

My tree is left to its own devices, apart from the one spray and a gentle prune, I let it get on with things.

It's not trained or fleece protected but I live in London so hardly have any really severe frosts, I note you live in St. Ives, you shouldn't have any problems.

Hope this helps

Vince

 

Thanks Vince, that's really great to know! Penegrine was the variety that I liked the sounds of too. It's good to know that peach leaf curl doesn't have to be terminal.
I would likely have to buy a fan-trained tree or feathered maiden, as OH doesn't like to lose too much of the lawn space (though somehow I've managed to sneak two cherries in there lol), but just out of interest, how big is your tree? I've read that St. Julian can grow to 4m!

 

Sam, my tree is about 4m tall.

With judicious pruning, it's easy enough to keep them shorter.