Peach 'Kievskiy Ranniy'

Персик Киевский ранний (Рrunus persica Kievskiy ranniy) – a high-yielding and precocious early-ripening peach variety. Obtained in 1939 at the Institute of Horticulture of UAAN from a cross between the varieties Gros Mignon and Kashchenko 208. Breeders - A.P. Rodionov, I.A. Sheremet, B.I. Shablovskaya.

Forms a compact tree 3-4 m in height. Crown vigorous, spherical. Shoot-forming ability is good in young age; in middle and older age branches grow steadily. Bears fruit on mixed shoots.

Leaves long, narrow, tapering toward the tip, dark green in color.

Flowers: fragrant, bright pink, 5 petals in a cup shape, sessile on the branch 1-2 per node. Flowers in late April, flowering period is 10-12 days. Fruits reach full maturity in 3 months. Self-fertile peach variety; for more substantial cropping it is recommended to plant nearby the varieties Knyazhya Krasa and Redhaven.

Fruits round, less often flat, with «beaks», weighing about 100 g. Skin velvety, light yellow, less often with a striped blush. The ventral suture is pronounced. Flesh greenish-white, juicy, of excellent taste. Stone elongated, pointed at the ends, with fine grooves, poorly separates from the flesh. Fruits ripen in August. Yield 30-50 kg per tree. Bears fruit for 10-15 years after planting.

Зона морозостойкости: 5-8 (-23°С)

Месторасположение: needs sunny and wind-protected sites. During fruit set moderate watering is recommended. Prefers loamy or sandy loam soils. Drought resistance low, heat tolerance below average.

Посадка и уход: planting is recommended in spring, but can also be done in autumn (in that case mulching the root circle and mounding to a height of 20-30 cm is necessary). The planting hole should be at least 0.7x0.7 m, with a spacing of 4x4 m. Mix 10 kg of well-rotted manure and 150 g of superphosphate with soil and backfill the seedling with the root system spread out. The root circle must be compacted to the edges, well watered (4-5 buckets) and mulched with a layer of compost to a depth of 8-10 cm.

Pruning: requires moderate watering and formative pruning. For improved yields the improved bowl (cup) pruning method is used. After planting the seedling, all lateral branches should be removed. Leave 3-4 scaffold branches spaced 10-20 cm apart. The leader should be cut at the base of the upper lateral branch. In the second year shorten first-order branches if they are longer than 50 cm or change their growth direction. In subsequent years pruning should be aimed at fruiting. Rejuvenation pruning is carried out from bud swelling until the start of flowering. After frost damage pruning is performed after water shoots appear on the trunks and branches. The variety requires crop load regulation.

Болезни и вредители: susceptible to leaf curl, but resistant to clasterosporiosis and powdery mildew.

Использование: the variety is suitable not only for private but also for commercial cultivation.