# Peach Tree Help



## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

About 5 years ago I planted 5 peach trees in my garden and they have been producing some small but extremely good tasting fruit for the last 2 years.

Problem:
They are not growing as fast as I feel they should. The soil is relatively fertile, they are in my garden which produces well and they get adequate water, I add a few bags of composted cow manure around the base of each tree in the spring.

I have only recently started to grow peaches and in the learning curve now. If there are any experienced peach growers out there, have any suggestions?

My pears and plums are nearby and they are doing well.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

I have trouble with them here in N Fl. . I think they need a cold spell almost like apples to do well. Also here we have almost spring weather then they bloom and a cold spell will come along and kill the blooms and this interfers with the fruit.
I've heard some do better than others but I gave up on peach's after losing a few trees . 
My plums so far have survived and produced ok but my Anna Apples not so good because of fluctuating temps.


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## Elinor0987 (May 28, 2010)

Are you pruning the trees? That will help with the growth. I also read a while back that apple trees will sometimes produce smaller fruits. To avoid that problem, people will clip off one or two fruits from a cluster when their diameter is about the size of a dime. That will lower the yield but produce larger fruits. The same might help with peach trees.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

About the only pruning I've done is to keep the "suckers" trimmed off the lower trunk when they appear, They have not gotten big enough to do much pruning but since the fruit is produced mainly on new tree growth, I plan to start that this spring. 

The trees have not been producing a large enough quantity to try thinning out the fruit yet but that is an option that I have considered.

This area is the Peach capital of Texas and there are large orchards in the area so I know that the climate and soil in general is rite for them.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

My planted peach trees did almost nothing for about 5 years before they really started to grow and put out peaches.. then they just rocketed.. Same with the apple trees and so far it looks like my cherry/plum and apricot trees are going to be the same.. slow low growth and no fruits(or hardly any) and then they get to going well.. Peach trees are not a long lived tree tho and I would recommend planting another few when your trees are around 10 years old.. by the time the younger trees start to produce your older trees will be slowing down. But peaches will reproduce by pits reliably compared to other trees.. so if you find one of your trees does better and tastes better than the others try planting the pits in pots (sunk in the ground )in the fall and let them winter over outside and then thin for the strongest tree.. they do like to have a bit of a chill to break dormancy. Once they start fruiting more heavily start fruit pruning to about 6 to 7 inches apart one fruit per cluster.. should help with fruit size.


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## becky3086 (Aug 6, 2011)

My neighbor has several peach trees from pits. They have always grown very small peaches that were never really good for much.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I dont recall the veriety I bought but I got them because the rootstock was from a local veriety that was developed in, adapted to this area and the grafts were supposed to produce large fruit. The peaches themselves are some of the best I have ever eaten but are quite small though. 

I am going to let them grow a few more years b4 I make any decision to get more. I am going to keep these trees regardless but may get additional trees in hopes that I can get larger fruit.


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## Frugal_Farmers (Dec 13, 2010)

I am not a peach grower and never played one on TV.

My recommendation would be to find a local peach grower and go out and pay them a visit. I have found that the smaller orchard operators typically will share information with the "backyard grower". I found one in North Georgia who will be selling me trees and teaching me how to maintain them for maximum production.

Call around and visit some of your growers and learn from them.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Frugal_Farmers said:


> I am not a peach grower and never played one on TV.
> 
> My recommendation would be to find a local peach grower and go out and pay them a visit. I have found that the smaller orchard operators typically will share information with the "backyard grower". I found one in North Georgia who will be selling me trees and teaching me how to maintain them for maximum production.
> 
> Call around and visit some of your growers and learn from them.


Where I live, the peach capital of Texas, thee are a number professional growers so I will pay them a visit after he holidays.

It may sound like I'm dunce but I had never thought of that, talking to a professional grower.

Thank you Mr. Frugal_Farmers


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## AlabamaGal (Dec 27, 2011)

Also consider a chat with your local agricultural extension office. In most areas they are more than happy to talk to home growers.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Emerald said:


> My planted peach trees did almost nothing for about 5 years before they really started to grow and put out peaches.. then they just rocketed.. Same with the apple trees and so far it looks like my cherry/plum and apricot trees are going to be the same.. slow low growth and no fruits(or hardly any) and then they get to going well.. Peach trees are not a long lived tree tho and I would recommend planting another few when your trees are around 10 years old.. by the time the younger trees start to produce your older trees will be slowing down. But peaches will reproduce by pits reliably compared to other trees.. so if you find one of your trees does better and tastes better than the others try planting the pits in pots (sunk in the ground )in the fall and let them winter over outside and then thin for the strongest tree.. they do like to have a bit of a chill to break dormancy. Once they start fruiting more heavily start fruit pruning to about 6 to 7 inches apart one fruit per cluster.. should help with fruit size.


Well, they are growing and going like their is no tomorrow and its been 5 or 6 years like you mentioned. The trees are all loaded down with fruit, the limbs are starting to break on a few trees.

I understand now why I always see people out in the peach orchards pruning the trees in the spring just before the sap starts flowing. To cut the small limbs that would break under a full load of fruit.

The sun was bright so I couldn't get the pictures I wanted but these show some of the fruit that the trees are loaded with.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

:bump:

I just picked about 1/2 bushel of peaches from one of my trees, looks like its going to be a good year for them.

I think this is the 5th or 6th year for them so your 5 year mark was spot on.

They are some of the sweetest and best tasting fruit I have ever eaten.



Emerald said:


> My planted peach trees did almost nothing for about 5 years before they really started to grow and put out peaches.. then they just rocketed.. Same with the apple trees and so far it looks like my cherry/plum and apricot trees are going to be the same.. slow low growth and no fruits(or hardly any) and then they get to going well.. Peach trees are not a long lived tree tho and I would recommend planting another few when your trees are around 10 years old.. by the time the younger trees start to produce your older trees will be slowing down. But peaches will reproduce by pits reliably compared to other trees.. so if you find one of your trees does better and tastes better than the others try planting the pits in pots (sunk in the ground )in the fall and let them winter over outside and then thin for the strongest tree.. they do like to have a bit of a chill to break dormancy. Once they start fruiting more heavily start fruit pruning to about 6 to 7 inches apart one fruit per cluster.. should help with fruit size.


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## Possumfam (Apr 19, 2011)

Davarm said:


> About 5 years ago I planted 5 peach trees in my garden and they have been producing some small but extremely good tasting fruit for the last 2 years. I have only recently started to grow peaches and in the learning curve now. If there are any experienced peach growers out there, have any suggestions?


DAVE!!! Who hacked your PS account???? This just doesn't sound like you!


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## Possumfam (Apr 19, 2011)

Davarm said:


> :bump:
> 
> I just picked about 1/2 bushel of peaches from one of my trees, looks like its going to be a good year for them.
> 
> ...


that's better - much better. Pretty fruit, too!


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Recommended source of peach trees*

What growing zone are you in? I am in 6 and have found what works for this zone.

I used to buy peaches from the local farmer's market. Once I had one of their peaches, I was hooked on how large, juicy, and flavorful they were. I asked them where I might get a tree or two of that variety and they made a recommendation. The peaches that I really like is redhaven and is available through Stark Brothers.

http://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees/peach-trees/redhaven-peach

I purchased a dwarf, planted it in the spring. The next year, the tree was loaded. Yes, on its second year in my yard. It was so loaded that I culled hundreds of small peaches so that I could have a few good sized peaches. I have a neighbor who talks about that peach tree frequently. The third year it was in my yard, there was not one blossom. This year, it's fourth year, it is loaded again.

I do know that fruit trees are supposed to be pruned back each year.

What I like about redhaven, besides the flavor and juiciness is that the tree is known for being hardy and disease resistant. They are recommended for zones 5 to 8.

This is what Stark says:
Redhaven Peach

The "blue ribbon" peach! The fruit is large, spectacular--and award-winning. You'll enjoy bushels of big, luscious peaches with almost fuzzless skin over firm, creamy yellow flesh. Fruit is medium to large--just right for fresh snacks, canning or freezing. This heavy-bearing, cold-hardy peach is also disease resistant--shrugging off leaf spot. Ripens late July.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

You kinda startled me about the "hacking", I can be a bit slow now and then.
Thanks for the +.


Possumfam said:


> that's better - much better. Pretty fruit, too!





weedygarden said:


> What growing zone are you in? I am in 6 and have found what works for this zone.


I'm in zone 7b, just west of Dallas/Ft Worth. I dont remember the verity I bought but they are a locally developed type. Some Universities do a lot of that kind of stuff and we have a lot of local type fruits and vegetables around here.

Like I said, I am on a learning curve and didn't think to thin any of the fruit out so my peaches are a bit smaller than if you'd find in a market or store, but, they are GOOD. The nice thing is I have 3 more trees full of them(one tree is kind of a runt and does not have many on it).


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## stayingthegame (Mar 22, 2011)

they grow a lot of peaches around here and most of the growers will trim the inside branches of the trees so that they get lots of sun on the inside of the trees. I had a peach tree and it grew lots of peaches trouble is that the squirrels got most of them just before they were ripe enough to pick.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Squirrels (furry tailed rats)*



stayingthegame said:


> they grow a lot of peaches around here and most of the growers will trim the inside branches of the trees so that they get lots of sun on the inside of the trees. I had a peach tree and it grew lots of peaches trouble is that the squirrels got most of them just before they were ripe enough to pick.


They get too much of my stuff. They eat green peaches, all my strawberries, cantaloupe and cabbage. I have a neighbor that I think traps them and then somehow gets rid of them. He has also done wonders to eliminate the pigeon population in our neighborhood. Again, I don't know what he is doing, and that is best.

But, when my peaches were ripe and ready to pick, I don't think it was a squirrel that picked them. My peach tree is by the sidewalk and alley and I am sure someone was waiting for them to be ready for picking. I have an image of sitting on the porch with a shotgun across my lap.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

weedygarden said:


> They get too much of my stuff. They eat green peaches, all my strawberries, cantaloupe and cabbage. I have a neighbor that I think traps them and then somehow gets rid of them. He has also done wonders to eliminate the pigeon population in our neighborhood. Again, I don't know what he is doing, and that is best.
> 
> But, when my peaches were ripe and ready to pick, I don't think it was a squirrel that picked them. My peach tree is by the sidewalk and alley and I am sure someone was waiting for them to be ready for picking. I have an image of sitting on the porch with a shotgun across my lap.


get sign that reads: 
DANGEROUS PESTICIDES IN USE DO NOT EAT FRUIT!


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