Some peach tree care guide is an important part of the beginning of your peach gardening. If it is your first time, this is the place to be.
Therefore, this page will present how to grow and harvest peaches.
Contents
The Origin of Peach
The botanical name of peach is Prunus persica. Indeed, this fruit plant needs full sun exposure to grow.
Also, keep the soil pH around acidic to neutral. The spring season is its blooming time. So, you may start planting it from July to August.
The flower color tends to be pink and white. Meanwhile, the height and spread of the peach tree depend on the rootstock.
It is not so difficult to grow this plant which is considered moderate.
Many people would agree that peaches and nectarines are different fruits. Actually, they both come from the same species.
The one gene made them different. Further, the peach becomes fuzzy because of the dominant gene.
Besides, the nectarines are smooth-skinned because of the recessive gene.
It is easy to say the growing requirements for both of them are identical. You can treat them the same way.
The peach tree care will be the same as how you care for nectarines. Originally, peach come from NW China.
So, it is recommended to grow them in warmer areas.
In the US, the best zone to grow peach trees is from 6 to 8. Otherwise, choose the varieties that are tolerant to cold if you grow them in a colder region.
Planting Preparation
First of all, you have to know the right time to plant the trees. Typically, they will be recommended to be planted at the end of winter or in the first week of spring.
That depends on the climate. During those times, the trees would be dormant.
When you get the tree to plant, you have to put it into the soil as soon as possible. It is the best time to plant it in order to reduce stress.
Thus, to avoid the stress, you can choose to purchase the potted ones. Make sure to select a tree that is about a year old.
Besides, it should have a healthy root system.
After that, pick the right spot to plant and prepare the land. If you want to get the best production of fruit, search for a spot that receives full sun all day long.
The morning sun is very important for fruit production and peach tree care.
Furthermore, the area should be well-drained with some soil that area fertilized moderately. Avoid planting peach trees in low areas.
It would get the cold air and frost easily settled around them. Thereupon, the quality of the fruits will be lower.
How To Plant Peach Trees
After picking the right tree and choosing the right site, it is time to plant them. Starting with digging a hole.
Deeply dig a wide hole to accommodate the roots spread. Then, set the peach tree on top of a small soil mount in the middle.
Make sure the roots are spread enough.
For those who plant it in a container, just remove the small tree from the pot. Afterward, prune the root to a minimum overall.
Do not fertilize after this process. The space between the trees should be 15 to 20 feet. For the dwarf trees, the space should only be 10 to 12 feet.
Most of the peach trees are self-fertile. If you want to plant it just for the fruit, planting one tree is enough.
Additionally, knowing the peach tree care is essential.
Taking Care of Peach Tree
After planting it into the soil, the next is time to focus on peach tree care. This guide would give you all things needed to make the tree produces good quality fruits.
About four to six weeks after the tree blooms, you may want to thin the fruit.
Importantly, the space should be about 6 to 8 inches between each fruit on the branch. It is to prevent smaller and subpar fruits.
When there is much fruit on the tree, it is not good for each of them. So, thinning them will make the tree focus its energy on the remaining ones.
Moreover, do the pruning and fertilizing during spring and summer. It will encourage a few inches of new growth.
Fertilizing and Pruning
Six weeks after the planting, you need to fertilize the young trees with a balanced fertilizer. Apply it around 18 inches in a circle away from the trunk.
During the second year, you will also need a ¾ pound of nitrogen fertilizer. Add them twice, once in spring, and the other in the first week of summer.
For its third year, it will need a pound of nitrogen fertilizer per year during the spring. Avoid applying fertilizer in mid-summer and spring.
The important part of peach tree care is pruning. It cannot be left unpruned. The tree needs to give a good crop for the next year.
So, you have to prune it. Otherwise, there will be many issues.
The gardeners have to know this peach tree care step. It is essential for the long-term control of fruiting wood and tree vigor.
Treating The Pest or Diseases
Here are some of the most common diseases in peach trees.
Bacterial Canker
It is a serious condition that can kill the plant. If you witness the long oozing cankers from around the bases of bud and on the limbs and trunk, you should deal with it right away.
You just need to apply a high concentration of fungicides sprays that have copper in them. Then, prune back the affected twigs and stems about a few inches behind the bacteria.
Bacterial Spot
This pathogen will destroy the leaves, twigs, and fruit. The plant would get weakened. You may notice some tiny, purple, black, or brown, lesions on the leaves.
The leaves might become yellow and fall off the tree. Therefore, it is important to treat them with dormant sprays in the fall to protect the plants.
This peach tree care in fall will deal with the problem. It can minimize the chance of Bacterial spots ruining the peach.
Brown Rot
This disease is one of the most common ones that need the right peach tree care guide. It is a serious fungal infection that would ruin the flowers, shoots, and fruits.
Furthermore, it can spread so fast. Hence, you have to protect the plant immediately.
If you notice the fruit mummies, remove them from the trees. The ones on the ground should also be eliminated.
Prune the tree in the winter season. It will make sure the tree gets proper airflow and eliminate any cankerous areas.
Apply the fungicides sprays that contain propiconazole.
Other Disease
Besides those three common diseases, several others also require some peach tree care.
– Crow Gall
– Peach Leaf Curl
– Peach Scap
– Powdery Mildew
– Rust
– Shot Hole Blight
– Peach Mosaic
Before all of those bacteria and diseases appeared on your plant, be sure to check and treat it regularly.
When it gets the proper peach tree care, you will enjoy some healthy peaches.
Varieties to Plant
There are many kinds of peach varieties to choose from. Then, there are some recommended ones you need to plant.
These are the top 3 and they will be worth it. The first one would be Redhaven. This is the most popular kind.
The second choice is the Reliance variety. This one is the hardy variety. The fruit would be small and soft.
Last but not least is the Harmony. It is also known as the Canadian Harmony. This winter hardy variety will give you medium to large fruit.
It will also need some peach tree care in winter.
There are some other varieties to consider, such as Hale, Madison, Contender, Saturn, Frost, Topaz, and Florida Beauty.
Harvesting the Peaches
The right time to harvest the fruits is from late June through July and August. Most of them may be fully ripe during this time.
It is important to harvest at the perfect time. The timing might be depending on the variety of the peach.
When you see the green peaches turn yellow, it means the fruits are fully ripe.
Make sure there will be no green color on the fruit. Then, take it off the tree with a slight twist. Be careful during this process because some varieties will get bruised easily.
After harvesting, you should know how to store the peaches properly. When you apply the right way for peach tree care, you will have a great quality fruit.
Then, storing them becomes essential. Store them in the fridge inside a plastic bag. Keep it for at least 5 days.
Instead of storing fresh peaches, you can turn them into processed ones like peach butter or peach jam. It can be stored longer.
Frozen or canned peaches can also be a good product to store.
Conclusion
When you are planting and growing the peach the right way, the result would be some perfect fruits. This peach tree care guide is so helpful for you to harvest the first peaches in your garden.