Not so. I kept my little container grown Crimson Leaf Patio Peach Tree in the greenhouse at the start of the year to avoid Peach Leaf Curl. Keeping rain off the tree prevents spores from germinating and I was successful in avoiding this disease. If you remember last year, my peaches suffered from Stone Fruit Pit Split after a deluge of rain. This is where splits appear in the fruit caused by heavy downpours after a hot, dry period. I decided that I'd try keeping the tree in the greenhouse this year to see if I could avoid this but it seems to have hampered the fruit production. The peaches are only the size of a ping pong ball, some even smaller. Actually, they weren't much bigger than this last year either.
I think I may try repotting the tree to see if that helps at all. I don't want to plant it in the ground as it would make covering it to keep the Peach Leaf Curl at bay much more difficult but there may not be any other thing for it if it isn't happy growing in a pot.
I count it a success if they are better than the previous year.
ReplyDeleteI suppose you're right. I just hope they do even better next year and that I get at least one which I can eat.
DeletePeaches are tricky aren't they. I had just three fruits from mine this year (the few others that set were mostly knocked off by small boys), but fortunately very little peach leaf curl, which I'm guessing was because of the dry spells earlier in the year.
ReplyDeleteI've had good beginnings both years, it's just getting the fruit to the stage where they're ready to eat which seems to be the problem. How lovely that you managed to get some peaches to reach maturity. I think they're relished all the more when the harvest is small.
DeleteThat's a shame. I think that I'd do as you suggest if it was my tree. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteI definitely need to do something if I'm to get some peaches to reach maturity. I think starting off by repotting the tree is my best bet.
DeleteWish I could give you some advice here ... but alas I can't.
ReplyDeleteLets hope next year will be more successful.
All the best Jan
I hope so. They can't do any worse than they've done the last couple of years.
DeleteYou have done better than me Jo, last year we had a good crop even though we lost a third of the tree, it snapped as it had so much fruit, this year we re-potted it and transferred it to the tunnel rather than keeping it in the sun room, it flowered well, we hand pollinated it and forty peaches set, one by one they dropped off and we were left with just two, they have also dropped off, so no peaches for us this year.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a shame. I wonder why they all dropped off. My little tree seems able to hold on to the fruit but they don't grow very big. Perhaps I should try leaving just three or four on there and seeing if that does the trick.
DeleteHey Jo,
ReplyDeleteI think it's brilliant that you even attempt to grow peaches! My blueberries were a disaster this year. A couple of withered fruits. Even the Blackbird turned his nose up.
Leanne xx
I don't think I'd have bothered if I didn't have a greenhouse, and even now it's proving tricky. I'm sorry to hear about your blueberries, I've never heard of a blackbird turning its nose up at them, though I haven't needed to net mine at all this year, the birds haven't found them.
DeleteI am struggling with a patio peach too; the fruits are small. In fact, I reckon they're even smaller than your fruits, so you're one up on me! I'm going for repotting and a bit of rigorous feeding next year (I was negligent on the feeding and watering front this year, so I have only myself to blame for the sorry state of the fruits). I will watch with interest to see how your peach gets on next year.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how be both do with our little trees next year. I'm going to use a larger container when I re pot it, I don't think you can go too large where trees are concerned.
DeleteAs you know we to left our peach in the greenhouse to try to avoid peach leaf curl. Like you that was a success, however the tree was infested with red spider mite. We did have about eight or nine peaches grow to maturity that many had been nibbled by something. In the end we harvested about three but the flavour wasn't as good as it should have been. We did give ours a weekly feed of tomato food which may have helped. I am hoping that the lack of flavour was down to the lack of sunshine. Next year we will also have to keep an eye out for spider mite. It's a challenge if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteIt's a case of finding a cure for one thing and then another rears its ugly head. I'm hoping that repotting might work for my little tree, but a good dose of sunshine certainly wouldn't go amiss, that's been sadly lacking this year.
DeleteBased on your experiences, I have no plans to acquire a peach tree!
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised, it hasn't done that well for me and they seem tricksy things, especially in our climate.
DeleteOh, how sad - well, at least you were able to enjoy some fruit, even though smaller than you would have liked. Many of my plums were smaller than they should have been and I read that this can be due to lack of thinning. The tree is fairly young and the roots are likely not sufficiently developed enough to support the number of plums that were on there. Had I thinned, I would have had fewer, but larger plums Perhaps it is the same situation with your peach tree?
ReplyDeleteI didn't get any plums on my little plum tree this year. It gave me a really good harvest last year but not one thing this year, I'm hoping that it does better again next year. I think thinning fruit can help in lots of situations, I may well do it next year with my peach tree.
DeleteThey might not be enormous, but they are better than last years! Perhaps the third year will be a charm! xx
ReplyDeleteTrue. Fingers crossed for next year.
DeleteWhat a shame. Your little tree looked to be going great guns in Spring. Maybe it's just because it's been so cold and grey this year?
ReplyDeletePerhaps, but I'm not convinced. I'm hoping that it might help if I repot it, well, it can't harm it.
DeleteNot sure how peach trees go in UK, but I do know that some stone fruit doesn't give much in the way of crops till they mature more, so maybe that it's more about a waiting game for a few years and then all will be well. Take care.
ReplyDeleteI must be honest and say that I don't know much about peach trees, I should really do a bit of research to see if I can find out why the fruit is so small. I hope that I can help by repotting the tree.
DeleteSo interesting! Both of the leaves and fruit are so beautiful. The only one peach variety that I have ever seen is 'local' variety. The fruit is fairly small, about 3-4 cm on diameter with green leaves.
ReplyDeleteThis is a Crimson Leaf Peach Tree so the leaves are a different colour to usual, they're so pretty. I just hope that I can eventually get it to produce some edible fruit.
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