Landscape Uses:Container, Espalier, Firewood. Requires a well-drained moisture retentive soil[1, 11]. Thrives in a loamy soil, doing well on limestone[11]. Best not grown in acid soils. Prefers some chalk in the soil but it is apt to become chlorotic if too much is present[1]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7[200]. Succeeds in light shade but fruits better in a sunny position[11]. Requires shelter from north and north-east winds[11] and also from spring frosts[200]. Widely cultivated for its edible fruit in warm temperate areas and continental climates, there are many named varieties[183]. There are numerous divisions of the varieties according to skin colour etc. Perhaps the most useful from the eaters point of view is whether it is free-stone (the flesh parts easily from the seed) or cling-stone (the flesh adheres to the seed)[200, K]. Trees are normally hardy in southern Britain[11], tolerating temperatures down to about -20°c when they are dormant[184], but they require some protection if cropping is to be at all reliable[11]. This is not due so much to lack of cold hardiness, more to the cooler summers in Britain which do not fully ripen the wood and the fruit, plus the unpredictable winters and springs which, in a mild spell, can excite the tree into premature flowering and growth which is then very liable to damage in any following cold spell. Hand pollination at this time can improve fruit-set[200]. The cultivar 'Rochester' is more likely than most cultivars to succeed outdoors in Britain[200]. In general it is best to site peaches in a very warm sheltered sunny position, preferably against a south or west facing wall[200, 219]. Most cultivars are self-fertile[200]. Trees are often grafted onto plum or other rootstocks but are said to be better when grown on their own roots in southern Britain[11]. Trees are not generally long-lived[200], this is partly because of the need for the tree to produce a constant supply of new wood since most fruit is formed on one-year old wood (though some fruit spurs are formed)[200]. Garlic is a good companion for this plant, helping to prevent disease, especially peach leaf curl[20, 201]. Tansy grown below peach trees helps to keep them healthier[201]. Peach leaf curl can also be prevented by protecting the plants from winter and early spring rains, perhaps by covering them in plastic[200]. Plants grown or overwintered indoors do not suffer from leaf curl[260]. Most members of this genus are shallow-rooted and will produce suckers if the roots are damaged[238]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200]. Special Features: Edible, Not North American native, All or parts of this plant are poisonous, Attractive flowers or blooms. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 8 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a standard with a non-suckering single trunk [1-2]. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is flat with shallow roots spreading near the soil surface. The root pattern is suckering with new plants from runners away from the plant [2-1].