Peaches: The Ultimate Summer Fruit Experience

Few treats compare to the season's first bite into a freshly harvested peach, juicy and warm from the midsummer sun.

About This Plant

As with most fruit trees, success starts with choosing a variety suited to your climate. Peaches grow in USDA Zones 4–8, excelling in Zones 6–7. Standard trees bear at 3 years, dwarfs at 1–2 years. Most are self-fertile—no pollinator needed. Choose disease-resistant varieties for your area. Standard trees reach 15 feet (pruned) or 25 feet (unpruned); dwarfs reach 6 feet.

Site Selection

Choose a site with well-drained, sandy soil. Avoid low-lying areas where frost settles.

Planting Instructions

Plant in spring, selecting large, vigorous 1-year-old trees. For bare-root: set atop a small soil mound in the planting hole center, spread roots down and away without bending. Identify original planting depth by the color change from dark to light down the trunk toward roots. If grafted, position the inside of the graft union curve away from afternoon sun. For container-grown: remove from pot, eliminate circling roots by laying root ball on side and cutting through roots with shears. Don't cover root-ball top with backfill—it blocks water entry. Space standard trees 15–20 feet apart; dwarfs 10–12 feet apart.

Care

Prune to an open-center shape. Thin fruits to 6–8 inches apart 4–6 weeks after bloom. Peaches face various disease and insect pests by region—contact your Cooperative Extension office for local management. Proper pruning, fruit thinning, and ripe harvesting minimize disease.

Harvesting

Pick when fully ripe: no green on fruit, and fruit releases with a slight twist. Store in a cool place.