Peach orchards require sunlight and well-drained soil, and growers must be vigilant against diseases. Peach trees can produce an abundance of fruit, and farmers thin out the crop to preserve tree health. Peaches originated in China and are now grown in over 70 countries, with China as the leading producer.
Orchards are where large agricultural producers and smaller farms grow fruit trees and peach orchards, as the name suggests, are where they grow peaches. A peach farm has many varieties of fruit to choose from to include in its orchard because the varieties of peaches number in the thousands. Peach orchards can grow one of two types of peaches, clingstone and freestone. A peach has a hairy outer skin and a pit, or “stone,” within its aromatic, juicy flesh. In a stone peach, the flesh does not separate easily from the stone, while in a stone peach, the flesh does not stick to the flesh. Food experts sometimes classify nectarines as naked or skinless peaches, but experts say its origins are unknown.
Peach orchards have specific requirements to ensure the growth of a successful fruit crop. The trees need lots of sunlight and appreciate well-drained, loamy soil. Some agricultural experts even recommend preparing the soil in peach orchards a few years before planting. Different varieties of peaches need to chill for different lengths of time before flowering. An unexpected cold snap after budding can significantly reduce or destroy a crop, making growers very concerned about the weather in their peach orchards.
In a successful year, without too much cold or frost, a peach tree can produce an abundance of fruit and peach farms have to thin out the crop. Farmers pick part of the fruit off the trees, a practice which allows the remaining fruit to successfully develop and grow larger, and this practice also preserves the health of the tree. Farmers tending peach orchards must also be vigilant against a number of diseases affecting the crop, including powdery mildew and peach leaf curl, and fertilizer is required in adequate amounts at certain times in the growing cycle .
Peach farms have a long history and can be found in many parts of the world, including Canada, China, the Middle East and the United States. Historians say peaches originated in China and were spread throughout the Middle East by travelers along an important and historic trade route known as the Silk Road. More than 70 countries now produce peaches, and nearly 35 billion pounds of the fruit are grown each year. China is the world’s leading producer, followed by Italy, with the United States in third place.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
