Stream Corner

Bush trees can be grown in two different ways: (a) in grass which must be kept constantly mown with the grass clippings allowed to remain each time as a mulch, thus helping to build up the necessary potash content of the soil; (b) on the straw mulching system by applying the straw all round the trees to the depth of a foot or so, and then using dried blood at 3 oz. to the sq. yard as a top dressing each February.

Today peaches are grown as bush trees, very much like plums, and in many areas are quite successful. It is important, however, to have some protection against the very cold winds of the spring, for me, who has been growing outdoor peaches for some ten years now, has only had heavy crops when the early spring was mild. It is not only the very early spring frosts, it is whistling cold winds also that can even damage the baby fruits soon after they are formed.

Generally speaking, if the land is in good heart, it is not necessary to apply the dried blood until the bush trees start to slow down in growth. This may happen quicker on the grass system than it does on the straw system and I had used, for peaches in grass, cocoa shell at 4 oz. to the sq. yard. It is not a dear organic fertilizer and it has given good results when applied in February.

Dig holes for peaches large enough for all the roots to be spread out evenly. Look for the soil mark on the stem and tend to plant a little more shallowly than in the nursery. Ram the soil down well as it is put into the hole over the roots spadeful by spadeful. After treading down well, rake the surface of the soil to leave a finished filth. Cover the surface of the soil with the straw mulch. If the idea is to grass down later, some people mulch round the tree with well-rotted compost after planting and then sow the grass the following year.

If a fan-shaped tree is to be planted against a wall or a fence, the base of the tree should purposely be planted 6 inches away from the wall and the half-circular hole dug out to a depth of 8 inches should be arranged so that the bulk of the roots can be spaced out properly. Should it be necessary to cut back some of the broken roots, the cut should be at an angle of 60 degrees, facing upwards. This encourages more fibrous roots to be produced.

Mr. Justin Brooke, on the other hand, believes in pruning his bush peaches like blackcurrants, cutting out the old wood and retaining the new. He hates the plum stocks and believes that peaches do well on their own roots. He is a very successful peach grower, with his bushes at 20 feet apart.