Peach tree

Loz46

I bought a cheap Redhaven peach tree from a discount store for the princely sum of £2, it has new buds on it and is about 1m tall.

The roots were wrapped in what looked like damp sawdust with some plastic around it. When I opened it up, there was a little bit of mould on the roots where the damp sawdust had been, but it all came off when I shook all of the sawdust off. Do you think it will be okay?

Also, the bigger roots had been 'folded', and the two thickest ones (just less than 1cm thick) were a bit damaged at the fold.

I have planted it in appropriate compost and left in a sunny spot and will hope for the best!

Any comments welcome.

happymarion

I had a peregrine peach tree as a Christmas present.  It had beautiful scented blossom on it so I got out my sable paint brush and hand pollinated it.  I lost count of the number of peaches after 20  they are now the size of gooseberries.  i put it in a big pot and in the conservatory as it is very tall.  My fig, Turkey Brown, fruits well in there.  I keep it well watered and eventually will feed it like i have the fig.  I expect to have to thin some of the fruit but will wait to see if they drop any fruit like apples and pears do. I expect your bargain tree will be fine.  mine came 14ft tall so the ones from nurseries are usually a bit older when sold.  keeping the young leaves from getting wet by rainwater is the way to stop them getting peach leaf curl which is a fungal disease spread by the spores being brought down by rain.

BobTheGardener

Good advice, above.  Grow it agaist a south-facing wall if you can.  The extra warmth and protection that gives will really help.  Quite a bargain!

Loz46

Thanks for the info re leaf curl, I will sort out some cover for it... Is it only susceptible when the leaves are very young and not established?

Verdun, I did all of the above apart from the goodness - I read that peaches like around ph 6.5 well draining soil which mine is, is there anything else I should give it?