As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
The following puzzles me as I have always believed in conspiracies like citrus trees were never hybridized to grow to Virginia, because that would hurt the monopoly.
I was aware that pears for example could be grafted upon quince rootstock, and know of the various apple rootstocks to produce dwarf, semi dwarf and trees in clay or dry soil. When though I came across this 1841 insight from England, it made me wonder, be pleased and frown.
I have an obsession for peaches, as I like them in pure form, as I doubt if God planted any peaches in the Garden of Eden, as Eve would have told satan to bugger off in some tree of good and bad understanding, as she would have known nothing was better than the peach..........
I digress.....
But the point is, peaches only grow from USDA Zone 5 south and only do better in warmer climates. The problem with peaches is the rootstock, as in colder regions, sometimes the soil dries in winter, and the peaches then are winter killed below the soil.
So this puzzled me when I found this from the English horticulturalists.
"In England, where peaches are invariably raised upon walls, or trellises, they almost universally make use of the plum as a stock to graft upon. In our country, where peach trees grow so luxuriantly, we should not recommend this stock, as the scion not only overgrows it in a short time, producing an unsightly appearance, but is exceedingly apt to be blown down by the wind; the roots of the plum, being of a much slower growth, are not sufficiently large and expanded to support the larger top or branches.
Budding the peach upon this stock, even to the height of six or eight inches from the ground, we have found no security from the ravages of the borer, as that insect will pass over the plum, and enter into the peach at, or just above, the junction. We have generally preferred to bud on stocks of seedling peaches, considering them decidedly superior to the plum, particularly when wanted for standards."
Manning, Robert, 1784-1842. The New England book of fruit
I understand the non compatibility of the peach and plum growing cycles, but I also have seen some American native plum which grow to long ages into Zone 3, which have large enough trunks. The point being I might be able to using an American wild plum grow peaches, using T grafts.
The only problem being acquiring the peach buds.
I have raised sweet plums, and they like sour cherries are not very long lived in my locality, due to rootstock. This then grafts into the wild plum, and I am figuring that a wild plum is a plum as in England, and American wild plums do live at least the time a peach tree would, so now I have a new adventure to attempt at some year.
This is for my reference, but it would require peaches I want and suffering through eating them with cream and sugar. Then finding one which will not make me ill. Then cold storage peaches.......cracking pits to stones, planting stones, getting trees to sprout and survive one winter..........while meanwhile back at the ranch I have started wild plums to graft onto and then see if it all survives.
I believe it would be easier in Jesus just coming back, being the Light of the world, and me planting peach trees where I am........but at least in the memory banks now I have a reality of something which is possible.
Hmmmm......still frowning.
Thank you God though.
agtG
