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How to Grow Peaches | Planting, Pruning & Harvesting Peach Trees

Juicy peaches hanging on a branch in the orchard
Image Credit:
Pixabay
Botanical Name
Prunus persica
USDA Zones
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
10a
10b
Toxicity
Toxic to Dogs and Cats
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
10–20 feet
Spread
6-10 feet
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Flower Color
Pink
White
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Fall Color
Fragrant
Attracts Pollinators
Attracts Songbirds
Resilience
Cold Hardy
Heat-Tolerant
Plant Type
Fruit
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

There’s nothing quite like biting into a sun-warmed, juicy peach straight from your own tree! With the right care, growing peaches can be surprisingly easy and incredibly rewarding. 

From selecting the best variety for your climate to pruning, pinching, and picking, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to grow your own peach paradise.

The trick to growing peaches is to choose a type that will fit your climate. Peach trees can be grown in USDA Zones 4 to 10 but do especially well in Zones 6 to 8 (learn more about plant hardiness zones). 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, some varieties are more cold-tolerant, which you should choose instead.

Planting

Where to Plant Peaches

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-draining, moderately fertile soil. Peach trees won’t 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—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 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’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 on peach tree
Homegrown, juicy peaches are within your reach!

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.

Growing

  • 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 3/4 pounds 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.

Pinching Peach Trees in Spring

In the spring (often April), pinch your off the tips of new branches so the tree will make side branches and be shaped nicely, and your fruit will be within reach. Otherwise, the branches will keep growing long and straight without side branching. 

For pinching, you can easily use your fingers to snap off tips by hand. Just pinch off the tip of a new branch just above a bud. Choose buds a distance of 1 to 2 feet from where the branch begins from a larger branch. Then your tree will grow out buds just below the pinched bud to make side branches.

Pruning Peach Trees in Summer

Pruning in the summer can 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 for lots of fruit!

The goal is to keep peach trees small, no more than six to ten feet tall. In general, you will be 1) cutting out any branches at the top from getting too high so the fruit is reachable and 2) cutting outside branches so that enough light is getting to lower branches for flower and fruit development.

You want a globe or 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 so the tree doesn’t grow too tall. Then, remove some branches from the center. Look for three wide-angled branches, spaced equally apart, then 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.

You may need to prune a couple of times a summer. The first time you prune is when the tree has put on about two feet of new branches. This can happen as early as May, or it may not even happen at all (in which case you don’t need to prune, or it may harm the tree because some shade from leaves is important to avoid sun scald).

NOTE: Summer pruning is NOT the time for any dramatic cutting. This is done in late winter when the tree is dormant. 

Harvesting

  • 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
These look ready for your favorite Peach Cobbler recipe!

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.

Pests and Problems

Types

  • ‘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 TopazFlorida Beauty

Wit and Wisdom

  • “An apple is an excellent thing—until you have tried a peach.”  –George du Maurier
  • 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.
  • Peach blossoms are the state flower of Delaware.

Fruit

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening, so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 08/10/2016 - 18:30

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.

 <span>Jack Pizzo</span> Tue, 07/12/2016 - 22:30
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!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 07/13/2016 - 12:41

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.

 <span>Terry Pesek</span> Sat, 07/02/2016 - 15:37
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
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 07/05/2016 - 12:11

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.

 <span>David Poucher</span> Mon, 07/04/2016 - 20:01
Terry I thin my peaches so they are about 6 inches apart, that way I get a very nice peach. I'm not sure where you live so I don't know if that is too much or too little water. I live in eastern WA State and I put about 3/4 of an inch of water on mine twice a week. Do not trim the new growth as that is what will produce peaches for you next year. Good luck Dave
<span>Al</span> Wed, 06/22/2016 - 17:02
I planted a peach tree 2 weeks ago. Approx. 6 feet tall, about a 1" caliper. We put it in a fruit tree soil mix with some root stimulator formula. It is only partially shaded after 2 PM. It has not been watered excessively. Is it too soon to apply a general fertilizer? It is dropping a fair amount of leaves. They were solid yellow, no green veins (no curling). I see info about waiting 6-8 weeks to fertilize after planting. Please help, don't want to drop all the leaves!
<span>Al</span> Wed, 06/22/2016 - 17:04
Meant to say that I live in Houston, TX. It is a Floridaking peach appropriate for my zone
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 06/23/2016 - 14:05

Hi, Al, Almost any plant will suffer a shock during transplanting. Keep in mind that you planted this in its growing season; best tree planting times are fall and spring. What does "it has not been watered excessively" mean? Almost any transplant needs to have enough moisture to allow its roots to relax and spread. Fertilizer is not a miracle potion; There may be many things to consider, based on your information about the plant and its circumstances; we suggest that you consider the growing advice here (it champions this plant in Texas, too): http://nassau.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/fruit/peach.html

Here is very good guidance on growing fruit trees in general; note the description of the hole and its preparation; did you do this?? http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/8048.pdf

Another option is to contact the source from which you got the plant.

We hope this helps. There is nothing like homegrown peaches!

 <span>Al</span> Wed, 07/06/2016 - 15:41
Thanks for the reply. We planted it in a hole like they recommended. We have clayey soil, but I scored and penetrated it as shown in the UC Davis link. I think it might be excessive shock due to the heat down here. I applied a general balanced NPK fertilizer and watered deeply, but the yellowing has gotten worse. More leaf shriveling and drop now. Pretty much only the top leaves are left. I'm not sure if heavy watering can revive it really. Late spring down here on the gulf is as hot as summer everywhere else when planting a tree. Any other ideas on how we might be able to salvage it? I've done tomatoes and okra but never fruit trees, I appreciate the advice. Thanks! I guess I can try to replant another one in the fall and let is settle in during winter dormancy if needed.