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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Hi David, We hope to help you

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on May 2, 2014 - 1:13pm

Hi David, We hope to help you in your research! There are so many peach tree varieties that grow well in Alabama. Here's a list: http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/...
However, here is a shorter list with suggested varieties for home gardens:
http://www.aces.edu/dept/extco...
It might be best to contact your Alabama Cooperative Extension system and bring them a photo and sample. If you go this their site on http://www.aces.edu/ Under "Offices," you'll find "County Offices" and you can click on your county to get a phone number. I hope that these folks will be more familiar with peaches in your county, too.  All the best, the OFA
 

Thanks for your help. I

Submitted by DAVID BLACK SR. on May 2, 2014 - 2:15pm

Thanks for your help. I forgot to mention that I am sure this variety has been growing here for at least 100 of the 160 years that this place has been a farmstead. Maybe someone else out there knows something or has some similar. These may have originated in South Carolina where my ancestors moved here from in 1837.
David

I have a peach tree and it

Submitted by Salvador on April 29, 2014 - 7:07pm

I have a peach tree and it bloom every year but the flower never stay. How can you help

Unless you have frost issues,

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on April 30, 2014 - 5:15am

Unless you have frost issues, it sounds as if your peach trees are not getting pollinated? If you want guaranteed fruit, pollinate the open blooms by hand using a soft brush.

I live in Kansas, and in the

Submitted by KSgal on April 16, 2014 - 3:48pm

I live in Kansas, and in the late Summer last year, the Colorado peaches arrived in town. They were the size of softballs and were absolutely the best fruit I remember having. I saved some of the seeds from these and kept them moist in some soil in my fridge over the Winter, and since removing them from the fridge and planting, I now have 5 beautiful little seedlings approximately 4-5 inches tall. Any idea what variety of peach this might be? I am also wondering the best way to introduce these little guys to the great outdoors? Right now, they are under a grow light in the basement, since our temperatures have fluctuated so much recently. I am also wondering at what point they will need transplanted into a bigger container? Each plant is now in a 6" square plastic pot. Any advice would be appreciated!

As for variety, we were

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on April 23, 2014 - 1:32pm

As for variety, we were thinking that it was 'Colorado'... 
The recommended varieties (in general) for Colorado are Elberta, Haven, Polly, Reliance, Hale Haven, and Ranger. These do not need pollination (one tree will produce fruit).
Recommended varieties for Colorado that need cross-pollination include J.H. Hale, Earlihale, Hal-Berta, Candoka, and Mikado. You need another variety in the presence of one of these in order to get fruit, and most other varieties will pollinate these.
Perhaps when the Coloradan who sells peaches comes by again you can ask him which variety he grows.
Since a lot of advice re growing peaches from seed actually suggest starting in the ground, you're ahead of the game. As the season warms, introduce your plants to the world in their pots for a couple or a few hours each day, longer as time passes. By mid-summer, identify a place in the yard that they can call home and plant them for life. Tend them for a few years and maybe they will reward you with fruit.
Remember that the peaches you grow from seed may not look (or taste) like what you ate. (You don't look exactly like your parents, do you?)
 

I want to plant a peach tree

Submitted by Amberh on April 7, 2014 - 1:59pm

I want to plant a peach tree in my back yard. I live in grand terrace, ca. I have a fenced in yard, with an orange tree already back there. I have a sprinkler system and of course the southern Cali sun yr round. What kind if tree is the best.

Peaches usually require 600

Submitted by georgewilson on April 7, 2014 - 3:46pm

Peaches usually require 600 to 900 hours of chilling which they would not get in Southern California, although I understand there are low-chill varieties that have been developed.

Peaches generally perform

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on April 7, 2014 - 3:53pm

Peaches generally perform better in cooler climates. According to University of California, however, some varieties have been adapted to the low latitudes of Southern California because they have low winter chilling requirements.
"Babcock" is a medium-size, freestone, low-chill variety with white flesh.
"Earligrande" is a semi-freestone, low-chill variety with yellow-red blush and excellent flavor.
Here's a full list of low-chill varieties:
August Pride, Babcock, Bonita, Desertgold, Early Amber, Earligrande, FlordaGrand, FlordaPrince, Midpride, Tropic-berta, TopicSweet.

There must be certain peach

Submitted by wayne benjamin on April 6, 2014 - 7:19pm

There must be certain peach trees that are hardier than others. My question, which peach tree is the 'best' for the Delmarva Peninsular?

A couple of favorites are:

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on April 7, 2014 - 6:37am

A couple of favorites are: Blushing Star Peach and Redhaven Peach. Check out an online nursery such as www.starkbros.com to learn more. Another good idea is to visit a local orchard and ask them about their on-the-ground experience.

I have a question that I just

Submitted by David Goodrich on April 2, 2014 - 7:27pm

I have a question that I just cannot find an answer to!! This will be the third season for my Freestone Tree. First year I got a tremendous crop, last year we had a late frost which killed all the blooms,so no peaches. This year looks to be a bumper crop, but almost every single peach is a twin fruit per bloom. Is there something I am doing wrong or can do to correct this, or does it really matter that almost every peach will be the twinster type?? I will thin to keep only the single fruits best as possible, but any input would be appreciated. Thanks and Happy Growing....

Hi David, We are stumped. The

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on April 4, 2014 - 2:58pm

Hi David,
We are stumped. The only thing we can suggest is to check for insect pests that may cause disfiguration of the fruit.
Contact your local cooperative extension service. They may have a better answer.
almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services
 

Hi David, I have a dwarf

Submitted by StephStens on April 10, 2014 - 9:44pm

Hi David, I have a dwarf peach tree in a container that I've had for a few years. This is my first year that it is fruiting and I have the same thing! From many of the blooms I have twin peaches growing, and in some cases three! If you happen to find out what is causing it, please let me know. I'm curious. I assume when it's time to thin the fruit I should one of the twins? Thanks.

I am commenting on this years

Submitted by David Goodrich on July 19, 2014 - 11:04pm

I am commenting on this years results for anyone who had the twin peach issue like myself??
I had a good harvest even after I broke off 1/2 of the twin. I was worried it might affect the remaining peach but it had minimal affect and the peaches are excellent. My watering habit changed since we have a serious drought here in California utilizing a drip system for my entire garden.
Growing Green and Water Smart..

I recently moved into a new

Submitted by Patrick V on April 2, 2014 - 2:37pm

I recently moved into a new home in the Dallas/Ft Worth area that has a peach tree. The tree seems fairly large/mature (about 15 ft tall) and flowers starting blooming in the tree last week. Since I am new to this, what should I be doing at this point to have a healthy harvest this year? Is it too late for fertilizing, pesticide, or trimming? Any help for a first time peach tree owners would be great.

The previous owner said it bore fruit every year, but that the fruit was often spoiled/rotten or eaten by bugs/fruit flies before they could enjoy it!

Congrats on your peach tree!

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on April 2, 2014 - 3:40pm

Congrats on your peach tree! Once your peach tree flowers, you just want to make sure it's getting pollinated. It sounds as if this isn't a problem in your area, but many peach tree growers will carry out pollinating by hand if they want guaranteed fruit. Just press the bristles of a small paint brush into every bloom on a sunny afternoon or two; it doesn't take that long and is kind of fun.
Make sure the peach tree has plenty of water during periods of sunny, dry weather. Be consistent and don't over-water or the peach can split its skin.
If you want decent size fruit (not small), it is very important to thin the fruit when they're very small (the width of your finger nail).  Remove the misshape fruit and get it down to one peach every six inches. You also want to thin fruit to avoid broken branches and keep the tree health long-term.
As you mentioned, the birds and pests show up when the fruit is ready, so you may need to have some protection.
In February each year,  you need to fertilize. Talk to a tree nursery or garden center.
Hope this helps! There's nothing like a peach at its peak!

Friend gave us 3 peach trees

Submitted by Susan Burkholder on March 25, 2014 - 7:09pm

Friend gave us 3 peach trees they had purchased at Walmart. No idea the variety. We live in the hill country just north of San Antonio. We cannot plant the trees in ground until we get a fence up; b/c we have longhorns who eat everything. We had to keep the trees on front porch with dappled sunlight. They bloomed beautifully and now have tiny fruit - blooms brown/falling away. They are about 5' tall. We fixed our sunny back deck to be cow proof, and yesterday (3/24/14) we re-potted the trees into large containers on the cow-protected deck.
(We will transplant them into the ground once the fence is up)
Question #1: Best time of year to transplant?

They will be getting 6-8 hours of sun per day for now on the back deck. I've read that we should pinch off all the current fruit to let the plant adjust/spend energy on root system/recover from trauma of re-potting.
MORE Questions:
Should we do this?
Can we leave some to get fruit this year?
or will these fruits just fall off?
Will we get any fruit this year?

We plan to prune as we've read about here.
Last Question: When should we prune?
Many thanks for help :-)

Hi Susan, Your trees should

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on March 26, 2014 - 1:04pm

Hi Susan,
Your trees should do fine in the bigger containers. Just make sure to water so that they don't dry out. Remove fruit that is too close together. You can leave some fruit on the tree but remember that the branches are still weak and you don't want to overload them. Transplant your trees in the fall. Pruning is best done when the trees are dormant in the winter or early spring.

I have heard that peaches

Submitted by Dorothy Stalnaker on March 15, 2014 - 12:36pm

I have heard that peaches need a quick freeze to 'SET' them. Can you please explain.

Peach buds go dormant in the

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on March 19, 2014 - 4:52pm

Peach buds go dormant in the winter and need chilling hours (hours where temperatures are 45 F or below) or they may not flower. Different peach tree varieties have different chilling requirements. If you contact mail-order sources for fruit trees, they can provide the chill hours for each peach tree and which grow well in your area.

My father, who has passed

Submitted by Lomonade Lonnie on February 6, 2014 - 4:05pm

My father, who has passed away recently, has left me with 3 peach trees, several black berry bushes, and grape vines that I know nothing about. Any suggestions on how to care for tree and plants that haven't been pruned in years, and how to spray and what to use?
Last year we produced an abundance of peaches, but the problem was they weighed the branches down completely to where some snapped in half. The peaches were nice in size but didn't spray in time due to dad's health issues. I do not know how old these trees are.
Thanks,
A hopeful producer!

You can find some good advice

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on February 11, 2014 - 11:47am

You can find some good advice for pruning and caring for peach trees on this page. Also see the many comments below. Pruning is best done when the tree is dormant in early spring. Remove old, gray-colored branches and shoots. It's recommended to remove about 40 percent of the tree annually to stimulate new growth. It's also important to open the center of the tree so that the branches will get more sunlight. It's sounds like your trees are producing well. If the tree has too many peaches on a branch you need to remove some early on so that the weight of the fruit doesn't cause harm.

HELP!!! I'm growing a peach

Submitted by Theresa Y. on January 23, 2014 - 12:22am

HELP!!! I'm growing a peach tree in a container. It got very cold outside so to avoid freezing it I brought it inside. And now it's blooming. What can I do? It can't go back outside because it's still freezing in Charleston SC.
Thanks

Just keep it indoors until

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on January 27, 2014 - 3:35pm

Just keep it indoors until you can put it back outside. Enjoy the flowers and hope for spring to arrive soon.

We have one white peach tree

Submitted by JAGRUTI PATEL on January 19, 2014 - 2:37pm

We have one white peach tree and one yellow peach tree - 7 years old.

The white peach tree bears fruits but since last three years- only half side of the tree -fruit ripens(are big/sweet/juicy) but the other half portion -fruit remains green/small!!

Since last two years-the yellow peach tree gets very tiny fruits-does not ripen-falls off.

Please help....

thanks,

Lack of pollinators, cold

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on January 27, 2014 - 3:45pm

Lack of pollinators, cold weather and too much or too little water can cause fruit drop. Fertilize your trees in early spring and early summer with a balanced fertilizer (20-20-20 for example). If you haven't pruned your trees lately you may want to open the trees to sunlight, as shaded branches won’t produce much fruit.

I am writing a Novel about a

Submitted by Kimmey on January 16, 2014 - 4:40am

I am writing a Novel about a man who inherits a huge peach orchard that has been left unattended for decades. Would they still be alive if they were ignored for countless years? More importantly could the orchard be rejuvenated and how long would it take to produce a thriving crop?
Thank you for your time.

Interesting question. I

The Editors's picture

Submitted by The Editors on January 16, 2014 - 6:21am

Interesting question. I suppose peach trees can last 15 to 25 years, however their fruit life is probably long over.  If you want a long-lasting tree, go for a pear tree that "could" last 100 years if not killed by blight. Or, go for an apple tree which could last 100 years. Cherry trees can have long lives, too. Peach is probably the most limited of the bunch.

I want to plant a peach tree

Submitted by jan byard on December 6, 2013 - 6:04pm

I want to plant a peach tree in Florida but need to know when fruit will ripen.. I head north the ladt of May, will the fruit ripen by then?

Pages

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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