Prunus persica 'Rochester' (F)

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peach 'Rochester'

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Fruit Edible
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A yellow-fleshed peach with a reasonable flavour. Fruits are large, juicy, fibrous and gold. Cropping time is around the middle of August

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

2.5-4 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
2.5-4 metres
Max Height
2.5-4 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H4

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Rosaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Genus
Prunus can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs with showy flowers in spring, and often good autumn foliage colour. Some have edible fruit in autumn, and a few species have ornamental bark
Name Status
Accepted
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

This genus produces fruit, but not necessarily edible fruit

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a moist, but well-drained soil in full sun. Protect flowers from frosts with biodegradable horticultural fleece. Best grown fan-trained, although in the south of England can be grown free-standing bush. See How to grow: Peaches for further cultivation details

Propagation

Peaches are propagated by grafting onto a rootstock for fruit. Can also be propagated by seed, but the resulting fruit is likely to be inferior to that of the parent

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Wall side borders
  • Edible fruit

Pruning

Prune established fans in spring and summer. Free standing peaches are pruned in the same way as pruning acid cherries

Pests

Glasshouse red spider mite, aphids, and scale may be problematic, especially on wall-trained specimens or those grown in a glasshouse. Squirrels may damage fruit

Diseases

Protect peaches against peach leaf curl, by covering the plant from autumn to spring. Bacterial canker, silver leaf, brown rot and replant diseases may cause problems