Peach "Veteran"

Peach Veteran (Prunus persica Veteran) – a high-yielding peach cultivar of mid-season ripening. Obtained in Canada in the province of Ontario in 1925 from a cross between the cultivars 'Vaikan' and 'Elberta Early'. Accepted for state varietal testing in 1948.

It is a medium-vigor tree with a spherical dense crown. The cultivar is self-fertile. Flowers are rose-colored.

Fruits are round with a blunt apex and a rounded base, large, weighing 120-140 g, size 59Х62,4х63 cm. The abdominal suture is well defined. The skin has medium, coarse pubescence, of average thickness and density, and is difficult to remove from the fruit. Ground color yellow, with a carmine blush covering half of the fruit surface. Flesh yellow, with an uncolored or slightly colored cavity, fibrous, semi-clinging, medium density, juicy, with a faint aroma. Taste harmonious (4.2 points). Sugar content - 9.28%, acids - 0.28%. Stone medium-sized, broadly ovoid with a small point. It separates from the flesh, sometimes semi-separated. Ripens in mid to late August. Fruits ripen unevenly and are usually harvested in several pickings. Fruit attachment is firm. Yield 92–186 centners/ha.

Hardiness zone: 5-8 (−23°C). Flower buds withstand frosts down to −18°C.

Location: requires sunny and wind-protected sites. Moderate watering is recommended during fruit set. Prefers loamy or sandy loam soils. Drought tolerance low, heat tolerance below average.

Planting and care: planting is recommended in spring, but can also be done in autumn (in that case mulching the tree circle and covering to a height of 20-30 cm is necessary). The planting hole should be at least 0.7x0.7 m, with spacing 4x4 m. Mix 10 kg of well-rotted manure and 150 g of superphosphate with soil and backfill the seedling with its root system spread out. Firm the tree circle to the edges, water well (4-5 buckets) and mulch with a layer of compost to a height of 8-10 cm.

Pruning: requires moderate watering and formative pruning. For improved yield the improved vase-shaped pruning method is used. After planting the seedling it is necessary to remove all lateral branches. 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 direction of growth. In subsequent years pruning should be aimed at fruiting. Rejuvenating pruning is performed from bud swelling to the beginning of flowering. If frost damage occurs, prune after water sprouts (suckers) appear on the trunks and branches. The cultivar requires yield regulation.

Diseases and pests: susceptible to leaf curl, but resistant to powdery mildew.

Use: the cultivar is suitable not only for private but also for commercial cultivation. Resistant to frost and cold.