Fruit and Nut Trees

The Peach - Prunus persica is a species of Prunus. It belongs to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It is native to China and produces an edible fruit also known as a peach.

The peach is a deciduous tree growing to 5-10 m tall. The leaves are 7-15 cm long and 2-3 cm broad. Flowers are developed in early spring before the leaves; they are solitary or paired, pink in color and with five petals. Peaches, along with cherries, plums and apricots, are stone fruits (drupes).

The fruit is 8cm across, yellow or red-brown in color, has a single large seed encased in a hard wood cell, oval shaped and 1.5-2 cm long. Flesh is yellow or whitish with a delicate aroma It can easily bruise in most cultivars.

Peach trees grow in a restricted range of climates since they have chilling requirements that subtropical regions cannot offer and, they are not very cold-hardy. Trees can generally stand temperatures up to −30 °C. However, blossom buds begin to die at temperatures between −15 °C and −25 °C for most cultivars and if temperatures drop below −4 °C, most flowers will be killed.

Most peach trees are listed cultivars grafted onto a desirable rootstock. It is possible to raise a tree from seed, but the fruit quality will be uncertain. Peaches are best planted in early wintertime, as this provides time for the roots to be established. Peaches favor full sun position and good air flow. They have a high nutrient requirement and need a good water supply.

The trees are prone to a disease called leaf curl and the fruit is very vulnerable to brown rot.

Almond - Peach (prunus amygdalus persica) is a hybrid which produces an edible fruit with an edible kernel and can be grown and cultivated the same way as the peach tree.

peach

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Lychee (Litchi chinensis) is the solitary member of the genus Litchi in the Sapindaceae family. It is an attractive, evergreen, dense, slow-growing, tropical fruit tree that grows from 10 -30m high. Leaves are glossy, leathery, dark-green on the upper surface and grayish-green beneath, 5-8 cm long. The greenish-white to yellowish flowers are borne in terminal clusters. There are 3 types of flowers appearing in irregular sequence or simultaneously; a) male; b) hermaphrodite, fruiting as female and c) hermaphrodite fruiting as male. The latter possess the most viable pollen. The flowers require insects for transfer of pollen.

Fruits are strawberry-red in color sometimes rose or amber making a striking contrast against the dark green foliage.  Theyare aromatic, oval, heart-shaped about 2.5 cm wide and 4 cm long with a thin, leathery, rough warty skin, easily peeled when fresh. The delicately flavored, sweet, white flesh can be eaten fresh, preserved or dried. The yields will depend on the cultivar, age, weather and pollination. Fruiting ability and quality are variable from seeds (seeds remain viable only 4 to 5 days) and usually lychee is grafted or air-layered.

The lychee grows well on a wide range of soils but prefers a lightly acid, fertile, sandy loam soil. Young trees benefit greatly by wind and frost protection but when mature can tolerate light frosts. Newly planted trees must be watered but not fertilized; when fertilized it is best if only organic material is used. In areas where lychees are grown, the most serious foliage pest is the erinose, or leaf-curl, mite. Other pests include: Aphis spiraecola on young plants, armored scale. Birds, bats can damage ripe fruits on the trees. Few diseases have been reported from any lychee-growing localities.

Lychee

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The orange tree, Citrus sinensis (sweet orange) or Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) is a member of the Rutaceae family the genus Citrus. Its most likely origin is Southeast Asia in either India or southern China. It is a hybrid possibly between the pomelo (Citrus maxima) and the tangerine (Citrus reticulata). It is a small evergreen tree growing to about 10 m tall with alternately arranged ovate shaped leaves 4–10 cm long, shiny and leathery with many oil glands.

The orange flowers are white, some times purple, have a sweet smell and five petals. The fruits are a type of berry (hesperidium),
usually spherical in shape divided in 8-14 sections with many seeds soft, fleshy and juicy and with a flavor that varies from sweet to sour. The fruits are commonly peeled and eaten fresh, squeezed for their juice or made in to marmalade. Citrus fruits are prized for their health values.

Orange trees are cultivated in orchards and in gardens in areas with suitable climate and soil. Citrus fruits can be produced on many kinds of soil from light sandy kinds to clayey. However, the ideal is a loamy soil that holds moisture and has adequate drainage and contains plenty of vegetable matter. Oranges are susceptible to frost damage and growers commonly use sprinklers when temperatures go below freezing. This practice regulates the temperature and protects the crop.
Most common varieties are: Valencia, Navel, Blood, Persian and Trovita.

orange

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