Peaches;Sonette- SN 879

Cultivar;Sonette

Clone Number;SN 879

Origin;RSA, ARC 1987

Royalties/ Levies; not enough data

Yield; good,

Fruit use; fresh,

Type;free

Shelf-life; 2 weeks at -0.5C

Water requirements; 36 inches of water per tree per year or about 1508760mm per hectare

Sun requirements; full sun (at least 6-8 hours daily). Morning sun is best as it helps dry out the cold morning dew

Chill hours; 200 to 400 hours

Pruning; Prune to keep the tree short, and ensure that the branches don't block out sunlight for the rest of the tree.

soil requirements; deep,sandy clay (if it can be amended to drain well) or loam soil with a pH of about 6.5 is best.

Soil depth; 30cm deep at least, loose soil is recommended

Fertiliser requirements; 10-10-10 fertiliser can be sprinkled around the base at a distance of 21cm from the trunk

Pollination requirements; self-fertile

Successful test-crosses; not necessary

Bloom time;August

Harvest time; November

Vigour; strong

Size and shape; spreading

Tree age; will start to fruit at 2 to 4 years, but will only produce significantly once they mature to 4 years.

Average life span; approximately 20 years (maximum) depending on the rootstock used.

Susceptibility to pests and diseases; normal

General notes;recommended for the Highveld region