Peaches are the ultimate summer fruit – sweet, juicy, and fragrant. But growing them can be challenging, especially if you’re a beginner. The good news is that you can learn how to grow delicious peaches in your garden with some knowledge. Learn how to grow peach trees and grow the best peaches you’ve ever tasted. There’s nothing better than picking a ripe peach from the tree and eating it right in the garden.
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8 Tips for How to Grow Big & Tasty Peaches
1. Choose the right peach variety for your climate
The first step to growing great peaches is selecting the right variety for your area and climate. Check with local growers and neighbors to see what grows well.
A common misconception when selecting peach trees is assuming that all varieties can grow in any climate. Understanding chill hours plays a significant role in making the decision of which variety of peach tree to plant.
Chill hours are the number of cold hours (usually between 32°F – 45°F / 0°C – 7.2°C) a peach tree needs during its dormant winter period to produce fruit effectively. Each variety has specific chill hour requirements, which, if met, will help the tree blossom and yield fruit optimally.
Start by checking local agricultural extension offices or online resources for the average chill hours in your region. Then, pick a peach variety with chill hour requirements that match your area’s conditions.
Seek out local growers and nurseries that can make this process simple. Avoid purchasing fruit online unless you know it will grow well in your area.
Other considerations when deciding which peach tree to plant:
- Plant fruit you enjoy eating! Try to sample the fruit before you buy a tree. (Another reason why purchasing from a local grower is important).
- Ensure the tree you purchase is self-fruitful (does not need a different type of tree for pollination) unless you plan on planting both types of trees.
- Select small, healthy trees with established grafts and a strong root system.
This fruit planting guide lists the varieties of peaches (and many other types of fruit) that grow well in the low desert of Arizona.
2. Plant your peach tree correctly and in the best location
Peach tree location guidelines:
- Enough room to reach maturity (look at the mature size on the plant information tag).
- At least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight.
- Do not plant in lawn areas.
If you have a peach tree already growing in a lawn area, adjust the watering from shallow, frequent watering to a longer and less frequent watering cycle. This is better for trees and it’s better for the grass too!
Peach tree planting guidelines:
- Plant container-grown plants in fall or spring. Bare root trees should be planted in early spring.
- Dig a wide, shallow hole just deep enough for the roots.
- Backfill the hole with native, unamended soil. Do not amend the planting area. Roots adapt to the soil conditions of your garden.
- Do not plant too deeply or bury the graft.
- Tamp the soil down and water it well to settle the soil.
3. How to Grow Peach Trees: Learn how to prune your peach tree
Proper pruning helps maintain the tree’s shape and size and prevents common diseases and pest infestations. Consider keeping your fruit trees small and manageable. The book “Grow a Little Fruit Tree” is an invaluable guide for pruning and size management in the home garden.
Key concepts for successful pruning:
- Initial Hard Prune: Prune fruit tree to knee high. This keeps the overall size of the tree small.
- Early Years: Young peach trees require formative pruning to establish a strong framework and root system. In the first few years, focus on creating an open center shape, removing overcrowded or crossing branches to promote airflow and light penetration.
- Winter Pruning: During the tree’s dormant season, prune to remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood and open up the tree’s interior. This helps prevent the spread of diseases and encourages healthy growth in the spring. Remember, peach trees bear fruit on last year’s wood. Keep the number of branches manageable for better quality fruit.
- Summer Pruning: Lightly pruning in the summer months helps maintain a manageable tree size and slows the tree’s growth.
4. Learn how to water your peach tree correctly
Watering your peach tree correctly encourages deep roots and promotes healthy growth.
- Young trees need more frequent watering (but less of it) than established trees.
- For mature trees, the key is to water deeply but less often. A good rule of thumb is to water your tree about once a week while it’s actively growing and saturate the soil to a depth of at least 18 inches.
- Let the soil dry out at a few inches down before you water again. Avoid getting water on the leaves or fruit, which can cause fungal problems.
- Adjust the frequency based on rainfall and soil type. Sandy soil may need more frequent watering, while clay soil retains moisture longer. Over-watering can lead to root rot and other diseases while under-watering can stress the tree and hinder fruit production.
- Signs of over-watering include yellowing leaves and wilted new growth.
- Underwatered trees may have wilting or curling leaves, stunted growth, and reduced fruit size.
- Use a hose or drip irrigation system to water at the tree’s drip line, allowing the water to penetrate deeply into the soil. Avoid wetting the foliage to prevent fungal diseases.
- Add a layer of organic mulch around the tree (leaving some space around the trunk) to help retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weeds.
5. How to Grow Peach Trees: Fertilize your peach tree as needed
Apply organic fertilizer in late winter or early spring. Give your tree a boost by adding compost and/or worm castings to the soil around the tree anytime during the growing season.
6. Thin the fruit to improve quality
Thinning your peach tree might feel counterintuitive, but trust me; it’s worth it! Properly thinning your peach tree allows the tree to focus its energy on growing fewer, larger peaches. On average, remove up to 75% of the fruit.
- Early Thinning: Thin your peach tree as soon as the fruits are about the size of a dime (20 mm). Leave at least 6 inches (15 cm) between each fruit to prevent overcrowding.
- Second Round: Check back after a week or two and then thin it again if needed. This ensures the tree isn’t wasting energy on too many small fruits. Allowing it to focus on producing larger, tastier peaches.
- Keeping your peach tree pruned to a comfortable height makes it easier to reach and thin the fruit.
- Quality Over Quantity: Remember, having fewer but bigger and juicier peaches is better than an abundance of small, hard ones.
Learn more about how and why to thin fruit trees in this article.
7. Harvest peaches at the right time
Another benefit of keeping peach trees small is that you don’t need a ladder to harvest the fruit. Allow the fruit to ripen on the tree as long as possible. Peaches will soften once picked but won’t get any sweeter. Look for firm but slightly soft fruit, a vibrant color change, and a sweet aroma as indicators that it’s ready to be picked.
The birds often know when the fruit is ripe before we do. To protect your peaches from birds and other animals, consider picking them a little earlier than fully ripe and putting them in a paper sack to let them ripen.
Even with our best efforts, the birds peck a few (or many) peaches from our trees. I feed the pecked peaches to my chickens and also add the pecked peaches to my in-bed vermicomposting bins. The chickens relish the fruity treat, and the worms work their magic, transforming the leftovers into nutrient-rich worm castings.
8. Store and use peaches in a variety of ways
Handle peaches carefully; they bruise very easily. Once ripe, peaches need to be eaten or processed quickly. Putting them in the fridge gives you a couple of extra days before they go bad.
- Freezing: To remove the skins, blanch peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer to ice water to cool. The skins will slip easily from the peach. Slice and store in airtight containers or freezer bags.
- Canning: Prepare a simple syrup (sugar and water), peel and slice peaches, pack them into jars, and cover them with the syrup. Process in a water bath canner according to proper canning guidelines.
- Freeze Drying: Arrange sliced peaches on freeze dryer trays and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for drying. For more information about freeze-drying, read this article.
What about peach tree pests and diseases?
Common peach tree diseases and pests can be difficult, but the best way to prevent them is by keeping your tree healthy through proper care. Enough sunlight, proper planting, consistent watering, careful pruning, and overall attentive care for your tree will help it build resilience against diseases like leaf curl, brown rot, and pests like borers or aphids. A healthy, well-maintained peach tree is more likely to withstand these challenges.
Learning how to grow peach trees requires a little effort, but the rewards are well worth it. By choosing the right peach variety for your area, learning how to prune your tree, watering deeply, fertilizing, thinning, and harvesting properly, you can grow delicious, juicy peaches that will make your mouth water.
Angela Judd
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