Anyone Have Peach Trees?

[SwampCat]

I have had three peach trees in my yard for 15 years. Just pushed two of them down. The third dropped all its peaches - green - a month and a half ago. I have never sprayed them and never had a peach make it to ripe. I have a few new peach trees coming on that I would like to get some edible peaches from. Those of you who grow peaches successfully - do you stay on a religious two week spraying schedule like most recommendations call for - or do you skip a few and still grow some peaches?

 

[Bill]

I have had three peach trees in my yard for 15 years. Just pushed two of them down. The third dropped all its peaches - green - a month and a half ago. I have never sprayed them and never had a peach make it to ripe. I have a few new peach trees coming on that I would like to get some edible peaches from. Those of you who grow peaches successfully - do you stay on a religious two week spraying schedule like most recommendations call for - or do you skip a few and still grow some peaches?

Can’t speak from growing experience but my place had 2 peach trees in the yard when I bought it. I never did a thing to them and they made the best peaches for about 5 years. Eventually they died, so maybe some maintenance is needed. I sure do miss them.

 

[Mortenson]

Turkey Creek Contendor peach tree. I think it's more of a northern tree, but could be mistaken that it can go any direction. Probably year 5? Last year produced maybe 3 bushels. A month from now these babies are all mine. Never been sprayed. Some of the peaches get bug damage, but I just cull those ones since it needs repeated thinning anyhow. I have 2 others planted the same day at the farm. This tree has always been triple the size of them. Something to be said for a little yard fertilizer and weed control vs none. But that's for a different thread :)

 

[SwampCat]

I wonder if the 100 degree heat and 50% humidity is what makes them so difficult to produce down here

 

[Mortenson]

You're probably onto something. I was about to say something about GA being the peach state, then I decided to look up the top peach states and was surprised to learn SC grows over twice as many as GA. And NJ is a leader too. And of course CA. So maybe the humidity thing has something to do with it. CA supplies 96% of the processed peaches.

 

[SwampCat]

You're probably onto something. I was about to say something about GA being the peach state, then I decided to look up the top peach states and was surprised to learn SC grows over twice as many as GA. And NJ is a leader too. And of course CA. So maybe the humidity thing has something to do with it. CA supplies 96% of the processed peaches.

And I always thought Georgia was the peach state

 

[Turkey Creek]

Peaches are susceptible to lots of fungal diseases. Heat isnt so much the issue as is high humidity. Plant them where they get good air flow if possible, prune the tree for more of an open center so that it dries out quicker from dew and rain. You will probably have to spray if your climate isnt drier. Peach trees are short lived compared to other fruit varieties, they tend to grow fast and bear fruit at an early age. Most commercial orchards are ripping out and replacing entire blocks of trees by age 15.

 

[SwampCat]

Peaches are susceptible to lots of fungal diseases. Heat isnt so much the issue as is high humidity. Plant them where they get good air flow if possible, prune the tree for more of an open center so that it dries out quicker from dew and rain. You will probably have to spray if your climate isnt drier. Peach trees are short lived compared to other fruit varieties, they tend to grow fast and bear fruit at an early age. Most commercial orchards are ripping out and replacing entire blocks of trees by age 15.

At my age, I wont have to worry about ripping them out and replacing.

 

[b116757]

I planted three peach trees 20 years ago at about years 6-8 I cut them all down I was done wasting my time with them.

 

[Charles Clear]

Awesome thread. My peach trees seem to cull their own peaches as well. They get to be about the size of a .50 cent piece and fall off.

 

[SwampCat]

Awesome thread. My peach trees seem to cull their own peaches as well. They get to be about the size of a .50 cent piece and fall off.

That is exactly what mine usually do. This year, a late cold spell saved me the misery of seeing peaches growing, looking good, and then falling off - no peaches even started growing this year.

 

[Barndog56]

I have a 3yo Contender peach here in zone 5a. It's got about 40 peaches on it, a little larger than a golf ball. It had about a dozen that never grew larger than a marble, and fell off. A handful of those had gel leaking out of them, from plum curculio I'm guessing. I never got around to bagging them.

Haven't had any signs of fungus, but we would need rain for that.

That thing needs more water than a half dozen apple trees! I've been giving it 5 gallons at least 3 times a week. If I don't, leaves turn yellow and fall off.

 

[Maddog66]

I have a Contender peach in zone 4 in Wi. 6 years old this year.

I got a nice crop 3 years ago. Excellent peaches imo.

But the last 3 years running I set tons of peaches every spring and my hopes get high…..until the get to about the size of large grapes. That’s when the squirrels and chipmunks descend on the tree and eat every single one of them.

My pellet gun got a great workout this spring, but it was a losing battle.

I’m going to drive over to Michigan in a few weeks and buy a flat of Mackinaws

P.s. I heard from someone that peach trees are very short-lived up here . Maybe 8 or 10 years of good production, maximum. Is that true?

 

[Barndog56]

That's what I hear about their lifespan too. I have yet to have any critter problems with my fruit. There are about 30 cats that live in our barn and pair of sheds. They kill any squirrels or rabbits that come around.

 

[Teeder]

I have 2 Reliance and a Red Haven. The older Reliance is atleast 15 years old. The Red Haven is about 10. The other Reliance is about 3. Both Reliance produce well every year. No watering, no fertilizing and only spraying 1-2 times a year. Every year they get frosted, but pull through with fruit. The Red Haven puts out 3-5 peaches a year and has barely grown. I'll probably pull that one and plant another Reliance.

 

[Telemark]

I have 2 Reliance and a Red Haven. The older Reliance is atleast 15 years old. The Red Haven is about 10. The other Reliance is about 3. Both Reliance produce well every year. No watering, no fertilizing and only spraying 1-2 times a year. Every year they get frosted, but pull through with fruit. The Red Haven puts out 3-5 peaches a year and has barely grown. I'll probably pull that one and plant another Reliance.

Are the reliance self fertile?

 

[Teeder]

I assume so. We had loads of peaches when we only had one tree.

 

[J B]

I have a love hate relationship with peaches in zone 5 (WI). I planted one contender peach roughly 10 years ago. It had a couple big crops, then I decided to prune a bigger limb off that was going to split off during the winter. It has never been the same and will likely kick the bucket soon with this drought. I’ve been planting a couple each year since. One had a good fruit load last summer, but blew right over in a storm. Another snapped the top off from the heavy fruit load. This year I added a couple Reliances since a friend had luck with them. They were super slow to wake up this year, but both are still hanging on. Fresh back yard peaches are the best, but they are a pain. I have never sprayed mine and the contenders are a clean tree. I also had some die back after pruning this winter. I’ve since read that they should be pruned after waking up in the spring? I’ve also heard that you should not plant one near where one was planted before?

 

[Teeder]

"Another snapped the top off from the heavy fruit load. "

I support each branch with a board when the fruit starts filling out.

 

[SwampCat]

A couple times my trees have had fruit a little bigger than a golf ball and the coons and possums clean them off in a night or two. They have done that with apples, too - way before they are ripe.

Do folks not have coons where they live - and if you do - how to keep them out of the trees. I have trapped over 60 since first of Apr.