Growing Peaches

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Peaches

By The Editors
Peaches

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Mmmm … peaches picked at their peak are pure perfection! Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest peaches at the right time. Plus, we have some delicious peach recipes to try with your bounty!

To grow peaches, the trick is to choose a type that will fit with your climate. Peach trees can be grown in USDA Zones 4 to 9, but do especially well in Zones 6 to 8. If you live in one of these latter zones, you can focus on choosing a variety based on its flavor and harvest-time. If you live in colder regions, there are some varieties that are more cold tolerant that you should choose instead.

Planting

When to Plant Peach Trees

  • Peach trees should be planted while they’re dormant—typically 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’s best to plant the trees the same day that you get them (if possible) to reduce stress. 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.

Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site

  • For the best fruit production, the tree should be planted in an area that receives full sun all day long. Morning sun is especially crucial because it helps to dry morning dew off the fruit. 
  • Choose a site with well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Peach trees won’t do well in areas where soil is compacted or remains consistently wet.
  • Soil pH should be on the slightly-acidic side, between 6 and 6.5.
  • Be sure to avoid planting in low areas, as cold air and frost can more easily settle there and affect the quality of your peaches.

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’s 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’s needed for fruit production.

Peaches

Check out our video to learn more about how to plant a bare–rooted fruit tree.

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—ideally a dwarf variety—on 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—directly and reflected off the house—year 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.

Care

How to Care for Peaches

  • About 4 to 6 weeks after the tree blooms, thin the fruit so that they are 6 to 8 inches apart on the branch. If too much fruit is left on the tree, it is likely to be smaller and subpar. Thinning the fruit ensures that the tree will focus energy on the remaining fruit.
  • Prune and fertilize to encourage 10 to 18 inches of new growth during spring and summer.

Fertilizing

  • About 6 weeks after planting, fertilize young trees with a balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer.
    • Tip: Apply fertilizer in a circle around the tree, but keep it at least 18 inches away from the trunk. This encourages the roots to spread outward, rather than in on themselves. 
  • During the second year, add ¾ pound of nitrogen fertilizer once in the spring and once in the early summer.
  • After the third year, add about 1 pound of nitrogen fertilizer per year to the mature trees in the spring.
  • To help make the tree hardier, do not fertilize it within 2 months of the first fall frost date or while the fruit is maturing. Fertilizer should only be applied between spring and mid-summer.

Pruning Peach Trees

Peach pruning should NOT be avoided. If left unpruned, peach trees weaken, may become diseased, and bear less fruit year after year. Peaches bloom and bear fruit on second-year wood; therefore, the trees need to make good growth each spring and summer to insure a crop for the next year.

Each winter, a large number of red 18- to 24-inch shoots need to be present as fruiting wood. If the trees are not pruned annually, the fruiting shoots move higher and higher, becoming out of reach. Alternate-year pruning results in excessive growth the year following heavy pruning, so annual, moderate pruning is essential for the long-term control of tree vigor and fruiting wood.

  • Be sure to prune the tree to an open center shape. In the summer of the first year, cut the vigorous shoots that form on the top of the tree by two or three buds. After about a month, check the tree.
  • As soon as you have three wide-angled branches, spaced equally apart, cut back any other branches so that these three are the main branches.
  • In the early summer of the second year, cut back the branches in the middle of the tree to short stubs and prune any shoots developing below the three main branches. After the third year, remove any shoots in the center of the tree to keep its shape.
  • Be sure to prune the tree annually to encourage production. Pruning is usually done mid to late April. Pinching the trees in the summer is also helpful.

Pests/Diseases

Harvest/Storage

How to Harvest Peaches

  • Peaches are harvested when they are fully ripe from late June through July and August.
  • With peaches, it’s 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.

Peaches in bowl

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.

Recommended Varieties

  • ‘Redhaven’, which is the standard and most popular choice. These peaches are medium-size, but can be small if the tree is not properly thinned. Its skin is tough and firm and red in color.
  • ‘Reliance’, which is a hardy variety. It produces small and soft fruits.
  • ‘Harmony’ (‘Canadian Harmony’), which is winter hardy and moderately resistant to bacterial leaf spot. It produces medium to large fruit and freezes well.
  • Some zone favorites are:
Zone  4  5  6  7  8  9  10
Variety  Hale  Madison  Saturn  Contender  Frost  Topaz Florida Beauty

Wit & Wisdom

  • Although peaches are native to the Chinese countryside, the peach was brought to the western world through Iran.
  • Test buds of peaches and other sensitive fruits for freeze damage. Bring in a few twigs cut from the trees and place them in a vase of water. If the twigs bloom in a week or two, expect blossoms in the spring and a crop the following fall.

Recipes

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Reader Comments

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Just Peachy

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on March 28, 2016 - 12:43pm

Hi, Ann: It’s tough to tell without knowing your climate, type of tree, and so on, but we would guess that your sapling is perhaps a year old. Usually, peaches take 2 to 4 years to bear fruit, so you still have some drooling … er, waiting… ahead of you. Good luck!

peach tree

Submitted by Bruce Morris on February 3, 2016 - 5:03pm

I bought a peach tree from a farm supply store its about 3 feet tall. I live in zone 6 in oklahoma when should i plant it.

If your tree is in a pot or

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on February 4, 2016 - 4:51pm

If your tree is in a pot or in burlap you can plant it as soon as the soil is workable. After planting the tree should be thoroughly watered. Also add a high-phosphorus fertilizer to help the roots become settled.

Peaches

Submitted by Judith Brown on December 16, 2015 - 4:30pm

I am a novice and have my first peach tree. Does it have a second fruiting in the one season? It's a bit too much when they all come at once!

Hi Judith,

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on December 17, 2015 - 4:21pm

Hi Judith,

Peaches usually only fruit once during the growing season. They bloom in spring and bear fruit in the summer.

 

The squirrels got all of my

Submitted by Mark Vickery on August 28, 2015 - 7:51pm

The squirrels got all of my peaches from a 10 foot tree I inherited in a house I bought - all in one weekend. the were hard, smallish and reddish. ---Ennis, Texas south of Dallas. It hasn't been pruned. It's full, but just wilted like a person losing their muscle mass right after the peaches were taken. Not a limb was bent or broken. It's now almost September and it's 10 feet from a huge pecan tree. What do I do to help it. It's not center pruned.
Thanks
Mark

Yes you can. Plant it about

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on August 2, 2015 - 9:35am

Yes you can. Plant it about 3-4 inches deep in good soil this fall, mulch it well, and with any luck it will germinate and begin to grow next spring. It will probably be nothing like the parent plant but it might be even better! We had a peach tree grow from a discarded pit that had the best peaches we ever ate.

When u buy peaches from a

Submitted by John Griffin on August 1, 2015 - 11:41am

When u buy peaches from a store can u plant the seed from the pit

John, Yes you can plant the

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on August 10, 2015 - 8:49am

John, Yes you can plant the pit of a peach. Plant it about 3-4 inches deep in good soil this fall, mulch it well, and with any luck it will germinate and begin to grow next spring. It will probably be nothing like the parent plant but it might be even better! We had a peach tree grow from a discarded pit that had the best peaches we ever ate.

We have an elberta peach tree

Submitted by kJ Olsen on July 22, 2015 - 10:33pm

We have an elberta peach tree about 5 years old. We live in Midway, Utah so we are a zone 5 . The tress growing really well and will produce fruit nothing I would say you can eat. They only get the size of a golf ball. But there is tons of them.
What is causing this? this tree is on an automatic drip system and gets plenty of water, we also fertilized this spring, and will give it a good soak every week.

I would really love some peaches!

It sounds like your peach

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on July 28, 2015 - 9:42am

It sounds like your peach tree needs thinning. The best time for this chore is late February, or after the worst of the winter freeze has passed.

peaches

Submitted by Cece-NM on October 4, 2015 - 7:49pm

Are you pruning your trees? If you want larger fruit, you must prune and thin when the fruit sets and it's still little so you have fewer and the fruit grows larger. We have 5 peach trees and when we don't prune and thin, we have that same problem. Best of luck!

I was excited that the house

Submitted by Bepjones on July 6, 2015 - 2:37pm

I was excited that the house we just moved into in Oct of 2014 had 4 or 5 very mature peach trees. I saw the fruit mid-May and it was about the size of a quarter, maybe a little bigger. Consulted a friend who had an orchard and since these trees were in a very unkept, brushy area I sprayed with Bonide fruit tree spray. My peaches haven't grown any since I discovered them- is this normal? None have fallen off, really. Just no growth. Anybody have any thoughts?

5 year old peach tree, good

Submitted by dennis knutsen on July 4, 2015 - 6:08pm

5 year old peach tree, good peaches last year
this year mealy peaches with rotted pits. curly leaf in the spring not too bad. please what could be wrong.

Hi, Dennis: It's a little

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on July 6, 2015 - 2:35pm

Hi, Dennis: It's a little tough to tell, but obviously your tree has developed some disease, and most likely a fungus. It could be that the leaf curl was indeed more extensive and embedded than you thought. Regardless, the only thing to do is to start right away in removing anything that is diseased, and doing so very fastidiously (including anything on the ground) and thoroughly. In early fall, give what remains of the tree a very thorough application of an organic fungicide, preferably based on copper or sulfur. Do the same thing in early spring. Starting now and until next spring, remove anything, however small, that does not appear to be healthy. You can do it!

Thank you much! I will get

Submitted by dennis knutsen on July 8, 2015 - 11:06pm

Thank you much! I will get started right away

Dennis

I PLANTED A PEACH FROM A

Submitted by rooney on June 25, 2015 - 11:06am

I PLANTED A PEACH FROM A PEACH PIT AND IT HAS BEEN FOUR YEARS BUT NO FRUIT. WHAT CAN I DO TO BEAR FRUIT

We don't have much

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on June 26, 2015 - 2:55pm

We don't have much information to go on, but here are some things that may help explain what happened. Did you plant the pit directly in the ground or did you let it germinate? Did you plant in the fall (preferred time to plant peach pits)? Sometimes removing the hull (outer pit) from the seed inside helps.

March 2014 we bought two

Submitted by Ron LaVigne on June 23, 2015 - 5:30pm

March 2014 we bought two Flordacrest trees at HOme Depot. By June the clingseed fruit was plentiful and delicious.

They grew well, had abundant fruit on the tree in May, but they began to get brown mildewy rot on the end of each peach. This quickly took over before they ripened. Some even looked ripe but were firm and not sweet or ripe. We pretty much lost the whole crop.

Any suggestions for next year?

Thanks so much for your help.

If the dark spots are big and

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on June 26, 2015 - 2:49pm

If the dark spots are big and increasing in size, it may be brown rot. If the dark spots are small, it may be some form of bacterial spot. They are fairly harmless, though they will affect the taste. You can apply a copper spray in fall and spring.
As peaches need an entire spray program to thrive, we would suggest you contact your local cooperative extension. Here is a list of offices so that you can find the one nearest you: http://www.almanac.com/content...

I live in a Houston suburb

Submitted by L. Dooley on June 22, 2015 - 5:20pm

I live in a Houston suburb and have a peach tree that was grown from a seed that has produced peaches with no fertilizer, chemicals, or special care. The peaches are small, but edible, especially in baked goods. I have had one good harvest. Two years in a row the peaches have just gotten to the point of picking when all of a sudden ALL of them have disappeared. There are no signs of them anywhere! Some have fallen off due to storms or natural windfall, but this has happened overnight. Any clue what may have happened (besides a band of wayward monkeys)?

Hi, L: How about a band of

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on June 23, 2015 - 10:53am

Hi, L: How about a band of wayward squirrels? Or a neighbor who likes to bake? For the former (or any peach varmint)--and for a good neighborhood conversation starter-- try hanging some Christmas ornaments, and the sparklier, the better! Good luck!

Thank you! we had a peach

Submitted by April Foulks on July 12, 2015 - 3:43pm

Thank you! we had a peach tree full of peaches almost ready to pick yesterday.. went out to check them today and all but 8 were gone.. only the seed remaining on the ground below the tree.. still moist. are there any specific animals besides squirrels (raccoons or deer for example) that would do that?

There is another critter that

Submitted by Millie J. on July 24, 2015 - 3:51pm

There is another critter that will steal your peaches: a human. It happened to me. I went to bed one night with a tree full of peaches. Woke up the next day, and every single one was gone. No pits left behind. Years later I actually overheard a conversation in a car repair shop. This guy said he looks for trees bearing fruit just so he can steal them. I have a tree right now that's pretty loaded and its fairly close to the road. We'll see. I live in a different state now, but thieves are everywhere!

Hi! I have a new problem with

Submitted by Alex_82 on June 20, 2015 - 12:20pm

Hi! I have a new problem with one of my peach trees. I settled down this peach in spring this year. It was Flaming Fury. It issued leaves fast enough. Its branches increased about four inches during the month. But my tree began to wither two weeks ago. Some leaves became brown. I had thought anyone had ate its root. I thought Gryllotalpa ate the root of my peach. I poured the ground around the stem with Swiss pesticide named Aktara last Sunday. And today I poured around the stem a rooting stimulator. Then I saw Gryllotalpa that it come out from the soil. It was poisoned and was creeping slowly. Could you advise me whether I have a chance to save my peach? What do I have to do? It was the best of my new trees, and it continue wither now.

Hello all...I planted my Gala

Submitted by Levie on June 13, 2015 - 1:47pm

Hello all...I planted my Gala Peach tree in early winter. I have found its not getting enough sun. When is a good safe time to move my "baby" I live in Marietta, Ga. Any advice is appreciated!

Spring is a good time to move

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on June 17, 2015 - 9:28am

Spring is a good time to move your tree. Just be sure that you get all the root ball. Not only is sun important but a sheltered spot is also important. Ensure the soil has enough nutrients. Take a soil test to make sure the pH, or soil acidity, is between six and seven. 

Hi! I'm glad to say to you

Submitted by Alex_82 on June 6, 2015 - 4:19am

Hi! I'm glad to say to you that my peach tree Vinegold has issued a few leaves! What fertilizer can I give to my peach trees? I have sprinkled the potassium humate on leaves of my peaches. I'm afraid to add carbamide because I think it can kill my trees. Please advise me about fertilizer for my peaches.

Hi, Alex: Congratulations!

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on June 8, 2015 - 11:49am

Hi, Alex: Congratulations! Your tree needs a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0. Do a soil test and adjust accordingly, if necessary. Otherwise, don't go overboard with messing around with its roots or leaves. A periodic light dressing on the ground with a 10-10-10 balanced fertilizer is fine, but don't worry about holding its hand too much unless you see or sense something wrong. And it sounds like things are going right!

I live in Ne last year we

Submitted by Anita Wisecup on June 3, 2015 - 7:49am

I live in Ne last year we planted two peach trees they both produced a little fruit late in the fall, but it is June and neither of them has even bloomed.
Winter was a little mild but Spring has been very wet and overcast this year

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Growing Peaches

Botanical Name Prunus persica
Plant Type Fruit
Sun Exposure Full Sun
Soil Type Loamy, Sandy
Soil pH Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time Spring
Flower Color Pink, White
Hardiness Zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
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