FULL SUN
Protect trunk with white latex paint
pH
Neutral, 6-7
PLANTING
Bareroot Jan-Feb or leafed out through May
FEEDING
Compost in the fall
EXPERIENCE
Beginner- Level 1
There is something quintessentially summer about a fresh, tree-ripened and juicy peach. A homegrown peach is immeasurably better than those from the store, like so many other things, with an increased depth of flavor and sweetness. Growing peaches in Phoenix or any desert climate is quite easy as long as you provide the proper care and watering. Common, conventional wisdom dictates that your yard must have an adequate number of chill hours for the various varieties to product healthy fruit- defined as hours at or below 45F degrees (~7C) during the winter months. In general, chill hours help control peach tree’s cycle from dormancy through budding and fruit production. However, some believe this may apply more to commercial orchards and not for backyard growers, meaning you can still grow fruit with fewer chill hours. What may be equally important is choosing early ripening varieties so you can pick fruit before the onset of the heat of the summer (especially in the desert Southwest of the US).
Varieties
There are a variety of early-ripening and low-chill varieties that produce and abundance of absolutely delicious fruit here in the desert. Some of the best varieties of peach trees to grow in Phoenix include:
- Floridaprince. A very tasty yellow flesh peach that ripens in late April to early May. 150 chill hours.
- Desert Gold. Sweet yellow flesh, and heavy bearing. ripens late May to early June. 250 chill hours.
- Dwarf Bonanza. This is a unique variety that only grows 5-6ft tall but can set an impressive amount of fruit. Great for containers. Sweet yellow flesh with red blush. Freestone, ripens late May through mid June. 250 chill hours.
- Tropic Snow. A favorite among a lot of our readers with a sweet, white flesh. Freestone, ripens throughout May. 200 chill hours.
- Donut. A donut-shaped peach with white flesh. 300 chill hours.
- Babcock. White flesh, freestone and self-fruitful, with fruit ripening in June. 250 chill hours
Rootstock selection is important and can impact a peach tree in the following ways:
- Provide disease resistance or tolerance to pathogens such as nematodes
- Impact performance in different soil types
- Control growth and overall tree height/dwarfing
- Increase drought or salt tolerance
- Citation: Dwarfs peach trees to 8-12ft, advances maturity and sugar content of fruit.
- Lovell (peach seedling): Tolerant of wet soils, slightly resistant to bacterial canker.
- Nemaguard: Root Knot nematode resistant. Vigorous strong tree.
- ROOTPAC®: Resistant to fungus and nematodes, tolerant of salt and alkaline soils.
- Viking®: Vigorous, resistant to nematodes, tolerant to alkaline and saline soils.
HOW TO GROW
Choose a cool/cold spot in your yard, such as low points, or places you notice frost in the winter, to increase the number of chill hours you tree receives. Dig a hole wide enough to stretch out all roots and as deep as the root system. Back fill with native soil and create a berm at the drip line. Mulch heavily, but do not let it touch the trunk. As the mulch breaks down, it feeds the tree and helps maintain a neutral pH. Continue to provide high quality compost and mulch, particularly in the fall as the tree goes dormant. This allows the tree to store up nutrients ahead of fruit production in the spring.
For an in-depth guide to planting fruit trees, with tips, tricks, and step-by-step instructions for potted and bareroot trees, check out this article:
Epic Guide: The Right Way to Plant a Fruit Tree in the Desert
You will need to water the newly planted tree deeply and consistently and irrigate regularly during fruit production. However, as the tree matures, let the soil dry out between waterings. If planting a bare root, after the initial watering at planting, do not water again until the tree starts to leaf out. When you do water, do so to a depth of 3ft: let the hose or irrigation system run slowly until a piece of rebar or prod can easily be pushed into the soil near the tree to a depth of 3ft.
Consider painting the trunk white, as you do with citrus trees, to prevent sunburn. During the first summer, consider shading the young tree. Tree trunks are can get sunburnt in the extreme temperatures especially on the Southwest side of the trunk. Protect trunks with IV Organics 3-1 Plant Guard. Use the Code DESERT10 for 10% off your purchase .
Peach trees need regular pruning as their branches can be brittle and will break during storms (especially when laden with fruit). Be prepared to remove one third to two thirds of last year’s growth on a dormant tree (after leaves have dropped). An open goblet shape is perfect for peach trees, where branches are trimmed with a bud facing outward and all crossing or internal branches are removed. Be sure to leave all the spurs (small branches that grow off of the two-year old branches) since this is where fruit grows.
The Grow a Little Fruit Tree method is also excellent for growing peach trees in the desert, and helps maintain a healthy tree with accessible fruit. For more tips on pruning:
Simple Pruning Tips For Fruit Trees
When fruit reaches one inch in diameter, thin fruit to one fruit per 6-8″ or no more than 2-3 per spur. It may be mentally difficult to remove young fruit, but it is essential to high quality fruit and to prevent fruit-laden branches from breaking.
FEEDING AND FERTILIZATION
As a fruit tree, peaches will require both nitrogen and phosphorus in addition to many other minerals.
A quality compost is recommended at least 3 times a year
- Early Spring as the tree comes out of dormancy.
- May, before the summer heat.
- September/ October for winter reserves to aid the next year’s growth and fruiting.
In addition to compost, worm castings will benefit the trees. Organic fruit tree fertilizers high in the phosphorous are also helpful. All trees will benefit from regular applications of liquid seaweed and humic acids to help through the stress of the summer heat.
Adding sulpur 3 times a year lowers the soil pH preventing issues such as salt build up.
During the summer they can get chlorotic, add chelated iron to correct.
POSSIBLE ISSUES
Green Fruit Beetles
These iridescent green beetles feed in swarms on ripe stone fruits. The white, curved grubs overwinter in soil and are found in compost and mulch piles. While the grubs are good at breaking down organic matter, control them to prevent beetles from decimating fruit later.
Birds
Birds love to peck at nearly ripe or ripe peaches. Protect unripe fruit with green organza bags to hide fruit from birds. Bird netting also works, but may be difficult to use on larger trees.
Peach Tree Borer
The larvae of the peach tree borer tunnel under bark on the lower trunk at or below ground level and can kill a young tree if left untreated.
Adult peach tree borers are dark blue to black moths with transparent wings. Although they are moths, they resemble wasps. Males have a more slender abdomen and females have an orange band on their abdomen.
Proper care, such as healthy soil, correct watering and fertilization, and weed control is the best prevention.
If you do notice an infestation, the parasitic nematode “Steinernema carpocapsae” is effective. Mix with water and apply to the lower trunk and ground.
Peach Twig Borer
These moth larvae bore into twigs and branches of peach trees, causing branch dieback. Older generations of this pest feed on fruit.
These borers are controled with horticultural oil during dormancy.
Sap Sucking Bugs
These include leaf-footed and stink bugs that suck sap from trees and result in damaged, scarred, and misshapen fruit. Sticky yellow traps help. Also, remove overwintering sites for adults such as broad-leafed weeds nearby.
Thrips
Thrips attack the buds and blossoms of peach trees. Classic signs of thrips include distorted young leaves, yellow specked foliage, and deformed buds. Shake damaged plant parts over white paper and look for tiny flecks on the paper to confirm thrips.
Use yellow sticky traps, neem oil, or homemade pest spray.
San Jose Scale
This pest thrives in hot, dry climates on deciduous fruit trees, including the peach tree. This rapidly multiplying scale can attack bark, leaves, and fruit. Spray trees during dormancy with dormant/horticultural oil to prevent scale.
Good Companions
Companion plants help strengthen peach trees and encourage pollinators to visit your trees for better pollination. Consider:
- Herbs such as basil, chives and garlic chives.
- Flowers like nasturtiums, chamomile, yarrow, and tansy.
- Onions and strawberries.
- Comfrey, which adds nutrients to the soil and is an effective as a “chop and drop” mulch.
Harvesting
For the best flavor, let the fruit ripen on the tree. Peaches will start to soften and some varieties may blush red. Keep in mind, you may need to protect fruit with bags or netting if you are letting fruit ripen on the tree. If beetles, birds, or ants become a problem, you can pick fruit early and let them ripen on the counter in a paper bag. However, fruit might not be quite as tasty if ripened on the counter.
Propogation
Peaches, along with other deciduous trees, are very easy to graft using an omega tool. While trees are dormant, choose a straight, healthy branch about the width of a pencil. You can take a scion (straight ~6″ pencil-width branch trimmed from a peach tree you want) create a cut with the omega tool on both the scion and branch of the tree you are grafting onto. Fit both together, wrap with grafting tape, and label. Watch for buds. Want more details on grafting? Post a comment in the comment section!
Some people try growing peaches from pits. Clean the pit and plant in a mix of compost, cocoa coir, and perlite. Keep moist but not soaking. Bear in mind, a peach tree grown from seed will take much longer to bear fruit, and fruit will likely be a mix of varieties based on where and how the parent tree was grown.
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