The Paraguayanwhose scientific name is Prunus persica var. platycarpis a fruit tree native to China. It is a plant that is not only very decorative due to its beautiful pink flowers, but it is also very rustic, withstanding the cold much better than other fruit trees.
Discover how should you take care of it so that it gives you an excellent amount of fruit.
Origin and characteristics of Paraguayan
The Paraguayan is a variety of the peach, originating from a natural mutation of the peach that arose in China. Grows to a height of approximately 6 meterswith smooth rind. Its leaves are simple, lanceolate, up to 15cm long and up to 3,5cm wide, deciduous. The flowers are normally solitary, pink to red in color and up to 3,5cm in diameter. The fruit is a large drupe, with a fleshy mesocarp and a bone endocarp that contains the seed.
There are varieties of white pulp with or without streaks, with green or reddish streaks, and yellow pulp, and even with the seed detached.
How is the cultivation of the Paraguayan?
Now that we know what it is like, let’s see what it takes to grow:
Location
It is a plant that needs to be outside in full sun. Its roots are not invasive, so that it can be grown close to the house without problems as long as it is planted about 3 meters from the wall. In this way, it will be able to grow and develop well.
Irrigation
Must be frequentfrom 3 to 4 times a week in summer, and from 2 to 3 / week the rest of the year. It is important to bear in mind that it is easier to recover a dry plant than one that has suffered from excess water; so when in doubt, check the moisture of the soil. In addition, if there is a forecast of rains, the irrigations should be more widely spaced.
Earth
- Garden: the soil must be fresh, deep, sandy, with a neutral pH (7).
- Flower pot: fill it with substrate for urban garden, or with mulch. You can get the first here! and the second for here!.
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It is highly recommended to fertilize with organic fertilizers, such as manure, guano or earthworm humus (on sale here!) putting a 3-5cm layer around the trunk once a month or every month and a half throughout the growing season -spring and summer-.
Planting or transplanting time
The best time to plant it in the garden is mid autumnbefore the cold of winter arrives, or at the beginning of spring.
If you have it in a pot, you will have to transfer it to a slightly larger one when you see that the roots come out through the drainage holes, and / or if it has been in it for a long time (more than two years) and you no longer notice growth. .
Pruning
It is usually pruned in the shape of a vase in autumn or late winter. It is a way of getting the fruits closer to hand.
Use appropriate pruning tools, i.e. pruning shears for green and tender branches (no more than 1cm), hand saws for thin branches (1-2cm), and saws for those that are somewhat thicker.
Disinfect them before and after use, for example with a few drops of dishwasher or pharmacy alcohol. This will prevent your Paraguayan from getting sick during or after pruning.
Need for cold-hours
To be able to bear fruit needs to be cold about 400 hours / year. For this reason, its cultivation is recommended only in temperate climates, with winters with frosts and / or snowfalls.
Pests
It can be affected by:
Mites
They are very small insects, about 0,5cm, that are found in the leaves, on which they feed. The most common are those known as spider mites, named for their cobwebs.
They can be fought with acaricides (for sale here!).
Related article:
San Jose louse
It is a type of limpet mealybug that causes damage to stems, leaves and fruits. During the spring and especially the summer is when it becomes much more active.
Fight with anti-mealybugs (for sale here!), or if the pest is not very advanced or the tree is still small, it can be cleaned with a brush soaked in pharmacy alcohol.
Related article:
San Jose louse
Aphid
Aphids are tiny insects, less than 0,5cm, green, yellow, or brown in color. They also feed on the sap of the leavesalthough they are easy to find in flower buds.
They are fought with diatomaceous earth, or with yellow sticky traps (for sale No products found.).
Diseases
It is quite vulnerable to fungal infectionspecifically to the dent (Taphrina deformans), monilia and powdery mildew. So if you see that its fruits are rotting, or that the leaves begin to come out or be deformed, do not hesitate to deal with fungicides.
Rusticity
It is a tree that supports frosts of up to -15ºC.
What uses is given to the Paraguayan?
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Ornamental
It is a very decorative and rustic tree, which can be grown both in gardens and in pots. It is interesting as an isolated specimen, in groups or as a hedge.
Culinary
Without a doubt, it is the use that is given the most. The fruits are eaten as a dessert, or as a snack. They can also be chopped up and put into fruit salads.
Its nutritional value per 98 grams is as follows:
- Calories: 48kcal
- Fat: 0,18g
- Saturated: 0,012g
- Monounsaturated: 0,048g
- Polyunsaturated: 0,049g
- Carbohydrates: 11,98g
- Fiber: 1,5g
- Proteins: 0,81g
- Sodium: 2mg
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Potassium: 202mg
Does the Paraguayan get fat?
No. It only has 48 calories and 0,18 grams of fat. That’s nothing. You have to bear in mind that when people spend an hour walking at a brisk pace, we can spend an average of 100 calories, so 48 are spent in a short time .
Happy cultivation!
