In the last days of November, in the peach blossom village of Nong Tien ward, Tuyen Quang city, there were only a few households pruning the leaves of their gardens to ensure they would bloom in time for Tet. The atmosphere was not as bustling as in previous years.
Ms. Lien, a peach grower in Group 7, Nong Tien Ward, said that after the big flood in early September, many peach gardens were severely affected. The trees had rotten roots and dried up, and the ones that could still be saved could not flower for Tet.
"Every year at this time, dozens of households gather together to cut leaves for peach trees, but this year, only half of them remain. My family alone estimates the damage at over 100 million because many old peach trees were flooded for a long time and could not be saved," Ms. Lien said sadly.
Unforeseen natural disasters, after the historic flood, people in the largest peach growing village in Tuyen Quang immediately started to restore seedlings and take care of the trees that could still bloom.
For over a week now, Mr. Hung and his wife (group 9, Nong Tien ward) have been at the peach garden from morning to late afternoon. Their main job is to strip the peach leaves and fertilize the trees so they can bloom in the next 2 months.
"Removing leaves from peach trees requires technique. You can only strip them in the direction of leaf growth. If you strip them in the opposite direction, it will damage the buds and flower buds later on.
This year's income is not as good as last year's because many trees died due to the flood. However, we are still trying to survive and are still lucky to have trees to sell," Mr. Hung shared.
The people of Nong Tien ward have had experience growing ornamental peach trees for over 30 years, with ancient trees up to decades old. About half a month before Lunar New Year, the whole area is bustling with visitors coming to see the peach trees. Most of the beautiful ancient peach trees will be rented out, not sold.
Informing reporters, a leader of the Nong Tien Ward People's Committee said that in the ward, there are about 150 households growing peach trees with a total area of nearly 12 hectares. In previous years, the income for growers could reach from 100 to 300 million VND/year.
"This year may be a little worse due to the impact of floods, but people are still determined to restore the area. Peach trees are still considered a strong crop," informed the leader of Nong Tien Ward People's Committee.
Some pictures at Nong Tien peach growing village:
