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Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Peaches
Planting
For the best fruit production, peach trees should be planted in an area that receives full sun all day long. The morning sun is especially crucial because it helps to dry morning dew off the fruit and keeps it from rotting. Be sure to avoid planting in low areas, too, as cold air and frost can more easily settle there and affect the quality of your peaches.
Choose a site with well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Peach trees won鈥檛 do well in areas where the soil is compacted or remains constantly wet. Soil pH should be on the slightly-acidic side, between 6 and 6.5.
When to Plant Peach Trees
- Peach trees should be planted while they are dormant鈥攖ypically in late winter or early spring (depending on climate).
- In regions where the ground freezes during winter, hold off on planting until the soil has thawed and the ground is no longer waterlogged from snowmelt or heavy spring rains.
- It鈥檚 best to plant the trees the same day that you get them (if possible) to reduce stress on the seedling or sapling. Potted trees can tolerate not being planted for a little while, but bare-root trees should be planted as soon as possible.
- Select a tree that is about 1 year old and has a healthy root system. Older trees tend not to be as productive or vigorous overall.
How to Plant Peach Trees
- Dig a hole that is a few inches deeper and wider than the spread of the roots. Set the tree on top of a small mound of soil in the middle of the hole. Be sure to spread the roots away from the trunk without excessively bending them.
- For container-grown trees, remove the plant from its pot and remove any circling roots by laying the root ball on its side and using clean shears to cut through the offending roots. (Keep root pruning to a minimum, overall.)
- For grafted trees, position the inside of the curve of the graft union away from the sun when planting.
- Tip: Especially for dwarf or semi-dwarf grafted trees, the graft union must be 2 to 3 inches above the soil surface. If it鈥檚 any lower, the grafted tree (called the scion) may start to put out its own roots and grow into a standard-size tree.
- Do not fertilize at the time of planting.
- If you are planting standard-size trees, space them 15 to 20 feet apart. Space dwarf trees 10 to 12 feet apart.
- Most types of peach trees are self-fertile, so planting one tree is all that鈥檚 needed for fruit production.
An Alternative Planting Method
If your circumstances are suitable, you might want to try a technique practiced in England. It involves planting a peach tree鈥攊deally a dwarf variety鈥攐n the south side of the home (or other structure), directly under the eaves. Over time, the gardener prunes and trains the peach tree to espalier in a fan shape against or very near to the wall of the house.
Plastic sheeting is attached to the eaves and draped to cover but not touch the tree, similar to a lean-to tent. This keeps the tree dry in winter, and the tree enjoys the warmth of the sun鈥攄irectly and reflected off the house鈥攜ear-round. The plastic should be opened or lifted during bloom time to welcome pollinating insects and on hot, sunny days to ventilate the tree and prevent foliage burn.
Harvesting
- Peaches are harvested when they are fully ripe from late June through July and August.
- With peaches, it鈥檚 especially important to harvest at the RIGHT time.
- Though this timing depends on what type of peach variety, you can generally go by the color of the fruit. When peaches are fully ripe, the ground color of the fruit changes from green to completely yellow. No green should be left on the fruit. They should come off the tree with only a slight twist. The fruits found on the top and outside of the tree usually ripen first.
- Be careful when picking your peaches because some varieties bruise very easily.
- Tip: Peaches ripen faster in a closed paper bag at room temperature.
How to Store Peaches
- You can store peaches in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. They should keep for about 5 days.
- You can also make use of fresh peaches by making peach jam or peach butter.
- Peaches can also be canned or frozen for storage.
Catherine Boeckmann
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I planted a peach seed about 2 months ago. It grew very quickly and now stands over a foot tall. Most of it looks healthy. When it reached 6 inches, it stopped growing briefly and the five leaves at the very top of the plant became deformed and curled. They stayed a healthy green color and still are very green. A couple weeks later, it started growing two stalks from the top and has now more than doubled in size. No other leaves have curled. Just those few in the middle now. Those bad leaves have not grown or discolored or anything since. Should those leaves stay? Should I pull them off? Or should I just let the tree continue growing and doing whatever it's going to do? Just hope I have the start of a healthy tree.
Second season and my peach tree has blossomed and every blossom has a small peach attached should I thin out?
Yes, it is good idea to thin them out. Doing so encourages good air circulation (which helps prevent disease spores from getting a foothold) and allows room for fruit to grow to maturity.
Can we cultivate the subject plants in south India?
I have a Peach tree approx. 10' tall
that currently has fruit on it. It is leaning severely due to being located too close to a building. I live in Southeast Alabama and want to relocate it as soon as possible. Can anyone tell me is it safe to move it now or when should I relocate it? And to what depth and how far away from the base should I dig in order to safely remove it without damaging the root ball?
Transplanting mature trees is an involved operation, and causes much stress and risk to the tree. If your tree’s trunk (at 4 inches above the ground) is more than an inch in diameter, you’ll need to provide about 10 to 12 inches of diameter to the root ball for every inch of trunk diameter. For depth, one Cooperative Extension sites says that if the root ball is less than 20 inches in diameter, then depth would be 75% of that; for greater than 20 inches, but less than 30, about 66%. If more than 30 inches, 60% or more of the diameter. This can get very heavy, so you’ll need proper equipment or will need to call in a professional. (A ball 24 inches in diameter and 16 inches depth can weigh more than 200 pounds.)
To increase the chance of survival, it is recommended that for the first year, you root prune during very early spring, when the tree is still dormant, cutting into the soil with a flat spade at the diameter determined for the root ball, and to about 24 inches deep (but not under the plant). Mark where you have made your cuts. During the growing season, small roots will grow within the rootball zone, which will help with transplanting; water thoroughly after root pruning.
Transplanting is done when the tree is dormant — in colder climates, in late fall, when the leaves have fallen off the tree but the ground has not frozen. Or, in warmer areas, you can do this in winter when the plant is dormant. It is best to prepare the new hole with soil amendments a little beforehand—dig a hole 3 times as wide as the root ball and as deep as the rootball, and water it. Water around the tree the day before, to soften the soil. Dig a few inches out from where you want the rootball, so that you include the small roots formed during the growing season. Use loppers, shears, or a pruning saw to sever roots neatly to discourage disease. Wrap the rootball in burlap to transport it (when you get to the new site, remove the burlap before planting). Provide water and mulch after planting and pamper and monitor it closely during the first several weeks. It will take a while for the tree to recover from transplant shock.
Hello, my subdivision court has an apple tree and a peach tree that thrive every year, except for the bugs who eat the fruit. Is there any way that I can spray the tree or protect it from being eaten. Can you please give me advice on how to keep the fruit from being nasty. Ex: Is there any cure for the thick skin on the fruit? Thank You So Much!
Hi Jack,
Many fruit trees benefit from applications of non-toxic horticultural and dormant oils in the late winter/early spring. They provide a barrier when pest larvae emerge and when other pests start to visit. There are a number of brand options on the market.
My neighbor is disabled and can't care for his peach tree that is next to our driveway so I have been caring for it. I looked up how to prune it, and I did it, and they started out great about two months ago. I was so happy when I saw that it was growing "a lot" this year, however, they seemed to have stopped growing. They're about the size of a walnut and green and health looking. I just don't know if they should have fully developed already.
The tree is on the side of his house where it gets sunlight most of the day. I water it whenever I'm in town (twice a week). It's also got a lot of leafy regrowth. Should I cut some of that back or is it too late? Also some of the branches have about 15 to 20 peaches on them. Should I pull some off? If it is too late to save this years peaches, should I go ahead and prune it now?
Does pruning mean trimming it back while it's growing or is when you cut it back?
Thank you for any help you can offer.
Terry Pesek
Hi Terry,
What a nice neighbor you are! The amount of water needed is entirely weather-dependent, but a good, deep soaking is always preferable to frequent but shallow watering sessions. In terms of the fruit, yes go ahead and do some thinning, removing about 10 percent of the smallest peaches to make room for others to grow to full maturity. As for the new foliage, let it grow—it’s a good sign that your neighbor has a healthy tree.
