Peach Tree Care

by Beryl
(Rotherham S Yorkshire)

Question:

My peach tree is 5/6 years old. After pollinating with a paint brush every year, it fruits. The fruit grows to walnut size and is as hard as a walnut. I had a peach tree at my previous house & it was always full of lovely juicy peaches so please can you advise.

B.Burgin

Answer:

Beryl,

To produce the maximum amount of ripe fruit, peach tree care and basic maintenance are important requirements. At the top of the list are fertilizer, pruning, and thinning out of fruit.

Fertilizer

Fertilizer for peach trees should include nitrogen, phosphorus, pot ash and trace minerals. Peach trees should be fertilized three to four times a year. Add approximately one cup of 10-10-10 water soluble fertilizer around the drip line of the tree. Water soluble fertilizer is easily absorbed by the peach tree's roots.

Pruning

Prune any dead, damaged or diseased branches. Remove vertical growing branches since they rarely produce fruit. Prune your peach tree so that branches angle off each other and have plenty of room, in other words cut the branches so that they are not going straight up but start branching out between seven and eight feet in height. Remove older peach tree branches because they produce less fruit after approximately three years.

Thin Out Fruit

It is important to thin out fruit because a peach tree limb with too many peaches can produce small fruit that does not ripen. The number of fruit on a limb should be thinned out depending on the size of the limb. A generally rule of thumb to follow is a limb the size of your index finger should only hold four to five peaches. Bigger limbs will be able to hold more peaches. You can also apply this rule: one peach to every six inches on a branch. To remove the fruit, hold the branch with one hand while picking off the excess fruit with the other hand. Be aware that tearing the skin of the branch can leave it susceptible to disease.

Good luck with your peach tree Beryl! Please feel free to return and post a comment, give an update, or ask another question.

Warmest Regards,

Wendy