Peachy keen
Summer’s the peachiest time of year and, if you’re a real peach enthusiast, you might like to try growing a tree of your own so you can pick and eat the fresh fruit at its most luscious.
Peaches, which are thought to have originated in China and to have been grown since about 2000 BC, are very easy-going, deciduous fruit trees. While they need a certain amount of winter cold, recent introductions of ‘low-chill’ varieties allow peaches to be grown in even relatively warm areas.
Peaches are self-pollinating, which means that you only need one tree for successful cropping, and they’re pretty trees that are worth growing for their spring show of blossom alone.
Peach trees are most readily available in winter when, like so many deciduous plants, they’re sold bare-rooted or recently potted. But, more and more, they can be bought all year round. Interesting, relatively-recent introductions are the doughnut peach, a flat-fruited variety that’s available in high chill (more frosts) and low chill variants, and the dwarf peaches that are ideal for containers.
Peaches are great for impatient gardeners as they tend to fruit within a few years. They do best in an open, sunny position with well-drained soil. Mix in some compost or manure and some organic plant food (such as Dynamic Lifter) before planting. A layer of mulch over the root area will help retain moisture, but keep the mulch away from direct contact with the trunk.
Winter pruning should open up the centre, remove crowded branches and weak stems, and encourage new growth. Remove excess fruit – they can be rubbed off – in the early stages so that the remaining fruit will grow to a good size. Feed regularly with Dynamic Lifter for Fruit & Citrus.
With such popularity it’s not surprising that peaches are prone to a number of pests and diseases. Most can be prevented by following a regular care regime.
- Peach leaf curl, brown rot and other fungal diseases can be controlled by spraying while the plants are dormant. Use a copper-based spray, such as Yates Leaf Curl Copper Fungicide or Fungus Fighter, carefully following the instructions about timing and spray application. Good coverage is essential.
- Borers burrow under the bark, leaving a tell-tale trail of mangled sawdust covering their entry hole. Clean out debris and poke a piece of wire down the hole to skewer the pest. Most importantly, feed the plant (Dynamic Lifter for Fruit & Citrus) and, if conditions are dry, give it more water.
- Fruit fly is a problem in many areas. Yates Nature’s Way Fruit Fly Control is a lure that attracts the female fruit fly. She then feeds on the bait and dies before she gets to lay her eggs in the fruit. There’s no need to directly spray the fruit, which means no worry about withholding period.
Comments (14)
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Peter
Yates site member
10:01, 06 January 2010
I wish I had known about the ‘Yates Nature’s Way Fruit Fly Control’ as I have just endured months of spraying my one and only peach tree and the fruit fly still managed to invade and destroy a lot of the fruit. Be aware that once the fruit begins ripening, you will be in a contest with the local Grey-headed Flying-fox, Pteropus poliocephalus, as well as those beautiful (but noisy) multi-coloured lorikeets.
I covered my tree with two layers of bird netting but the ‘fruit bats’ and lorikeets still managed to feast on the ripest of the fruit, leaving a trail of ‘crumbs’ down the netting.
I tried a few of those ‘Searles Fruit Fly Traps’ with varying degrees of success as they targetted the male fruit fly. Come next year I’ll be using the Yates female fruit fly bait from about start of September until I harvest what’s left of the fruit. As for my remaining fruit, it has been removed from the tree and the majority is headed for the peach jam pot.
Robyn
Yates site member
10:05, 06 January 2010
I have been trying to grow a peach tree in Roma QLD for the last 3 years. It is still alive, does all the normal things like budding and small fruit, but they drop off every year. My main concern is that is has not grown in height and sits about 2 foot tall. I have recently transplanted it – in winter dormancy – to our farm garden 50 km away and it took off again and looks very healthy, but no height growth. It was purchased as a full size tree. Can you help?
Patricia
Yates site member
12:56, 06 January 2010
We have a fruit salad tree. Half peach and half plum. We
had both fruit in its first season but only peaches in
the second season. We pruned it at the right time and
fed it dynamic lifter. Why didn’t we get plums as well?
Jeanette
Yates site member
16:04, 06 January 2010
my husband has a habit of planting seeds from sweet fruit in pots. We now have three trees which are about 1 metre tall. Two of them produced a few flowers and one produced two BEAUTIFUL peaches. I am not sure if they are all peaches or one may be a nectarine. I have transferred them to bigger pots and we are hoping that they will continue to fruit for us. We were very excited as they are not very old.
Janice
Yates site member
10:13, 07 January 2010
I learn from your articles
Janice
Yates site member
10:14, 07 January 2010
Thanks so very much
Janice
Yates site member
10:16, 07 January 2010
ok for info
Anna Marie
Yates site member
10:23, 07 January 2010
Thanks. Armed with this knowledge, I look forward to planting my first peach tree.
Leena
Yates site member
07:25, 09 January 2010
Ooo i want a peach tree now!
Stan
Yates site member
08:58, 16 January 2010
I have been growing a miniture peach for three years now and have been getting a multitude of peaches.
We stew em and have them all over winter. It only stands about a metre, I feed it dynamic lifter watered down and give it plenty of water during the growing period, dont worry too much about leaf curl but do spray once before new leaf growth appears. We dont eat the leaves and the fruit is beautiful. plus we do put compost on base of tree. Only slightly prune in winter.
Terry
Yates site member
15:24, 16 January 2010
Donut peaches and clivias are my main interests
Lorraine
Yates site member
20:31, 17 January 2010
During last winter I planted a dwarf peach tree and to my surprise it has several peaches on it. It had some leaf curl but a friend told me to take those leaves off and the remaining leaves look healthy. I am very pleased with it. Living in Tasmania we don’t have fruit fly to worry about. I will be thinking about getting another dwarf tree next winter maybe a peacharine.
margaret
Yates site member
13:31, 18 January 2010
I really want a peach tree. As mine are to old. Can anyone help me , my old peach tree has produced a small tree from the trunk of the tree. Can i dig it out and replant it, it produce 5 peaches this season. and if i can dig it out how do i not damage the roots
darrell
Yates site member
11:09, 19 January 2010
i have this white sap on my peaches and some have been eaten how do i control this
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