Peach Tree #1 (~Daygan)

[daygan]

Here's a peach tree I collected this past December. I'm posting it here for advice regarding development and care, and constructive criticism.

Collection: Rescued from a field in Zhejiang to be cleared for apartment development. Potted in native soil at the time because I didn't have anything better. Repotted in diatomite March 13th.

Trunk diameter: about 8 cm X 8.5 cm
Height: ~ 52 cm
Immediate plan: Allow to grow freely for a season to ensure vigor... maybe do some guy-wiring on some branches?

Photos (for each new photo the pot has been turned slightly clockwise)

 

[daygan]

and a slightly larger version of the photos

 

[JudyB]

Nice rescue work Daygan. I think I would let the tree rest and recover, and do nothing this year. You wouldn't want to do guy wiring and break any fragile roots that may have formed, and you won't want to do any branch cutting until you find out what branches live thru the collection. Peach trees in my experience (only as orchard trees) tend to branch die off on regular basis. It is a nice find, just try to get it healthy first.

 

[daygan]

good points. Thanks, Judy

 

[Dav4]

I think you have a nice trunk with several different fronts possible, though much depends on what nebari, if any, lies underneath the soil. I wouldn't make any styling decisions until that has been clarified. Good luck with it.

 

[daygan]

Over the last several days, buds have been appearing everywhere on this tree.

 

[JudyB]

Daygan, you have to get out there and rub the buds off that you won't be using, so all the energy goes to the ones you want to keep. Looks like it's a lively one! Pretty exciting stuff!

 

[daygan]

Judy, so, I guess you're saying you think it looks vigorous enough that that's okay to do... cool. Okay, now I have to make some decisions It was easier when I could just let it grow and just slowly turn over in my head what direction it might take.. Well, I'll start slow for now and only get rid of the ones I know for sure I won't want - like those practically at the soil line... thanks

 

[JudyB]

Yes, indeed, you just need to make sure that the ones you want are the only ones that are getting that energy, and not wasting it on more shoots than the roots can handle at this point. Get rid of all of them except likely ones.

 

[daygan]

I think you have a nice trunk with several different fronts possible, though much depends on what nebari, if any, lies underneath the soil. I wouldn't make any styling decisions until that has been clarified. Good luck with it.

Hey - Dav4, thanks for your input regarding the surface roots. I moved the soil around a few days ago and took a picture of the top level roots, which you can see in the photos below. As you can see from the bottom-most photo (one of my repot photos), this tree has a lot of good radial roots, but they unfortunately don't all intersect with the same horizontal plane, which means what I have immediately on top still has a lot of gaps. I'll have to get a better picture of the entire root ball from the top for everyone to see next year when I repot.

 

[daygan]

Good Spring growth so far!

 

[JudyB]

Very nice daygan, looks strong. Going to be a good one.

 

[daygan]

Here's a photo-update (1st picture is on May 20 and 2nd is on May 27, just a few days after a partial defoliation)

 

[daygan]

Setback

I came back to Zhejiang on Wednesday to find that the superintendent of the building had evidently decided to go into my apartment and turn off the water that was feeding the watering system for my trees. As with my other peach tree, I lost quite a few important branches (they were just dry husks when I found them on Wednesday). I think for the rest of the year I'll just let things grow unchecked, and then next Spring, depending on vigor, I'll probably prune back hard to induce back-budding and get more branches in the places that I want them.

 

[Dav4]

That's terrible. Good luck with the tree's recovery.

 

[linlaoboo]

too bad u're not in Peking where there's water everywhere.

 

[daygan]

Ha - yeah - my wife told me about that today - really, it's just a poor street-level rain-water-drainage system that's the cause of the problem, I think. Unfortunate. I hear some people actually got stuck in their cars and drowned..

 

[daygan]

quick update

This tree is growing well and the main branches that remain have thickened up nicely. I'm hoping next spring it will back-bud well because I want to add some branches further along length of the main trunk.

 

[gergwebber]

I'm hoping next spring it will back-bud well because I want to add some branches further along length of the main trunk.

or... bust out the dremel wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

It could have been hit by lightning, or hit by a comet, or just an old prunus......

btw, what brands do they have over there? makkida, dremmel... not that it matters

 

[daygan]

Ha ha - I vote for "hit by an old prunus"

Seriously, though, it does have an interesting "old and damaged" characteristic to it that I would like to focus on, so we'll see what the spring brings and figure out how that develops.

As far as dremmels go, I have no idea how to search, at this point. Not exactly one of those easily translatable concepts. "Special drill thingies with lots of interchangable attachments" typed in Chinese doesn't really cooperate well with search engines Although I did find THIS which looks like a likely match... hmmm