The peach's annual cycle

The peach’s annual biological cicle has three parts:

1. Growth period: From wood germ spring budding to mid summer aproximately. During this period there’s intense vegetal activity and at the same time a fruit enlargement.
2. Elaboration period: Extends until the leaves fall. At the same time that the fruit matures, the tree accumulates an energy reserve, differentiates the flower germ for the next spring, and makes new wood stems.
3. Hibernation period: From when the leaves fall until the new vegetation cycle. The visual part of the plant phisiologically stops growing but, the roots are permanently active, although very slow in the winter.
   
   The peach’s biological cycle is influenced by the tree hormone activity, which produces both active and inactive hormones. The climate, the land, the cultivation practices influence the production of both types of hormones. The winter’s cold positively promotes the intensity of hibernation period. If the winter isn’t sufficiently cold, the plant will not come out of hibernation period.
   The inhibitor hormones are destroyed by the cold to begin the spring growth. A long vegetative growth period reduces the elaboration period, and it reduces the energy reserves and delays the wood production.
   Especially in fertil land, the cultivative practices mustn’t exceed nitrogen and organic fertilization, irrigation and pruning limits.