Very sweetflat fruit peaches have been present on the shelves of grocery stores for several yearsDue to their unusual, highly flattened shape, these peaches are often offered under the name UFO. As it turns out, the cultivation requirements of trees bearing such fruits are similar to those of traditional peaches, and for amateur cultivation on a plot in our climate, the best seems to beflat fruit peach 'Saturn'
Flat fruit peach 'Saturn'
China is the cradle of flat fruit peaches, from where they came to England and the USA at the beginning of the 19th century.Currently, they are grown on a commercial scale in the USA, Mexico, Argentina, Spain and France. However, they are still the most popular in China, where they are called Pantao. In our climatic conditions, the&39;Saturn&39; peach varietywas the best among flat-fruited peaches. It was bred in the 1960s in the USA, so it is quite an old and well-known variety. In Poland, research on it has been carried out since 1999 by the Institute of Pomology and Floriculture in Skierniewice. Thanks to this, we already know a lot about its usefulness in our climate and now it is most easily achievable in nurseries. "
This tree grows vigorously and forms an extensive crown.Flat fruit peach 'Saturn'is an exceptionally dessert variety, with a medium early ripening time and high fertility. The fruits are strongly flattened, small or medium-sized, 6-8 cm in diameter and 60-80 g in weight. Larger fruits can be obtained by thinning the buds, which I will write about in more detail later in the text.The skin of the 'Saturn' fruit is creamy, mostly covered with a red blush, and the flesh is creamy white, soft and juicy.
The fruit of the 'Saturn' peachripens in late July. They are sweet and are considered tasty, although to some people they seem even too sweet and therefore a bit bland. They are perfect for direct consumption, and due to their original shape and sweet taste, they are liked by children. The flat shape also makes it easy for the child to bite the stone around, so the 'Saturn' growing on the plot will be an undoubted attraction for our children.
Probably everyone who would like to have such original peaches in their garden wonders how to grow them. Well,the cultivation of flat fruit peachlooks quite similar to the traditional varieties of peaches. But let's discuss everything in order.
Planting flat-fruited peaches
First of all, to get you started,'Saturn' peachesare best planted in the spring.They are quite sensitive to severe frosts and young specimens, planted in autumn, may freeze in the first winter. If we have already planted in the fall, they must be covered with anti-frost covers for the winter.
Cutting and guiding the crown
In spring, after planting,flat fruit peach treesshould be pruned (if planted in autumn, it is cut next spring). The general rule is: keep it short. All shoots are pruned behind 2 or 3 buds, and a conductor about 30 cm from the left pegs to the side shoots. Very grown trees should be trimmed so that they are not higher than 1.5 meters.
In order for the trees to form a strong crown and the branches not to break off under the weight of the fruit, the shoots should grow as horizontally as possible. Therefore, during the firstcut of a flat-fruited peach , we also remove shoots with very sharp angles and growing too low. The next step will be to bend the newly emerging shoots horizontally.To do this, toothpicks, clasps, strings, or weights suspended from drives are used.
Cutting peach fruit trees is best done on a warm, sunny day, and the cutting wounds should be covered with garden ointment. You do not have to hurry with the cut, but it should be done no later than when the buds are swelling.The cut is to facilitate the formation of the crown. A properly trimmed and guided tree will not require intensive pruning in the first 2-3 years. We only remove breaking, drying or diseased shoots. Later on, it will be necessary to cut through the skin and rejuvenate it. We will carry out these treatments in the summer, after harvesting the fruit.
Fertilizing flat fruit peach
Of course, before planting trees, the soil must be properly prepared and the soil that is filled in the hole must be mixed with compost. If we decide to use mineral fertilizers, remember that spring nitrogen fertilization is performed only when the root system has already started to actively absorb nutrients from the soil (this takes place when new growths reach 10 to 15 cm).During this period, it is worth sprinkling good-quality mineral fertilizer for fruit trees under the trees.In the autumn, fertilization with potassium and phosphorus becomes more important. For the autumn fertilization of peach trees, natural bas alt flour, rich in these minerals, is perfect.
Fruiting and harvesting of the peach 'Saturn'
Flat-fruited peachesset flower buds relatively easily on annual shoots, so we can expect the first fruits in the second year after planting. In order for the fruit to be tasty and large, the thinning of the buds is carried out, starting with the removal of the smallest, damaged and deformed buds. Ultimately, the buds remaining on the tree should be spaced fairly regularly, with 10 to 15 cm spacing between them. Thanks to the proper thinning of the buds, you can get fruits weighing even more than 100g.
Fruitof flat fruit peach 'Saturn'must be harvested a few days before full maturity. We pick them in the morning, before the sun warms them up. We do it carefully so as not to damage the skin around the peduncle. Unfortunately, after harvesting, they rot easily and soften quickly, so they can be stored at home for no longer than 3 days. They can be eaten fresh or used for compotes.
Finally, it is necessary to mention the necessity to protect the flat peach from the common disease, which is peach leaf curl. For this purpose, the plants are sprayed with copper preparations, for example Miedzian 50 WP. Spraying is performed in the leafless period, twice a year - in early spring and in late autumn. These treatments will also reduce the risk of bacterial cancer.
I wish you the most satisfaction from growing these original peaches and … tasty!
