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Prunus persica 'Rochester' (F)
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

peach 'Rochester'

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

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Size
Ultimate height
2.5–4 metres
Time to ultimate height
5–10 years
Ultimate spread
2.5–4 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Pink Green
Summer Green Gold
Autumn
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

West–facing or South–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H4
Botanical details
Family
Rosaceae
Native to the UK
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

Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in a moist, but well-drained soil in full sun. Protect flowers from frosts with horticultural fleece. Best grown fan-trained, although in the south of England can be grown free-standing

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
  • Wall side borders
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

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