How to Plant Peach Trees and Grow the Best Fruit

The sweetest and juiciest peach you’ll ever taste can be picked from your own tree. When harvested at the peak of ripeness, homegrown peaches are loaded with the sweet gifts of nature with no concern about shelf stability or long transports. Learn how to plant peach trees so they grow and produce delicious fruit.

Peaches come not only in different colors of flesh (yellow or white) and types (clingstone or freestone) but also in different tree sizes (standard or dwarf) and harvest times (early, midseason, and late season). Choose a variety that fits both your taste and yard space.

Where to Plant a Peach Tree

Find a location in full sun for your peach tree. The soil should be rich in organic matter and well-drained with a slightly acidic to neutral pH.

Plant the tree at an ample distance from other trees so the roots don’t compete. The distance depends on the mature size of the tree. Also, the tree should be planted as far away from sewer pipes and water lines as possible.

When and How to Plant a Peach Tree

The ideal time to plant a peach tree is in the early spring so it has the entire growing season to get established. Mail-order nurseries sell bare root plants, which should be planted as soon as they arrive, following the instructions for planting a bare root tree. 

To plant container-grown peach trees:

• Dig a hole that is twice as large as the diameter of the root ball and as deep as the container.
• Place the tree in the hole so the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil. If the standard-size tree is grafted (most peach trees are), the grafting union (a lumpy spot at the bottom of the trunk) should be about 2 inches below the soil line.
• Backfill the hole with the original soil and tamp it down.
• Water the newly planted tree well until the base is soaked. Continue watering the tree weekly during the first growing season unless there is frequent and abundant rain.
• Place 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the base of the tree to preserve soil moisture and suppress weeds. The mulch should not be touching the trunk. 

The spacing depends on the type of tree:

• Dwarf peach trees (8 to 10 feet at maturity): 8 to 10 feet apart
• Standard peach trees (12 to 15 feet at maturity): 18 to 20 feet apart
• Miniature peach trees (5 to 6 feet tall): 4 to 6 feet apart

Peach Tree Care Tips

Light

The planting site should receive at least eight hours of full, direct sunlight a day. Light is essential to fruit-set.

Soil and Water

The best soil for growing peaches is loose, crumbles easily, and drains well. It is often dark brown or black in color, indicating plenty of organic matter. The pH should be between 6.5 and 7. If the soil in your selected planting site doesn't measure up, amend it before planting or select a different site. 

Newly planted trees need to be watered regularly so the soil is constantly moist. Water slowly but deeply to soak the soil about 18 inches deep. Water established trees every 7 to 14 days if there is no rain.

Temperature and Humidity

Peach trees have specific requirements both for cold and hot temperatures. To break dormancy in the spring and produce fruit, they need a certain number of hours with temperatures between 32 and 45 degrees F (chill hours). If you grow a peach tree in a container, leave it outside in the winter but move it to a sheltered location and wrap the container in burlap or bubble wrap to protect the roots from the cold. You can also place the container in a larger container and fill the space with mulch for insulation.

At the other end of the temperature spectrum, peach trees need warm, sunny summer weather but not extreme heat. Most peaches grow in Zones 5 to 8, but there are also more cold-hardy varieties that can be grown in Zone 4, as well as heat-tolerant varieties that grow in Zones 9 or 10.

Humid conditions foster the spread of fungal diseases.

Fertilizer

A specially formulated complete fruit tree fertilizer that is high in nitrogen is best for peach trees. Apply it, following product label directions, once in the spring around the time of the bloom, a second time in May, and a third time after the harvest but not later than August 15. Late fertilization prompts the tree to produce lots of new growth, which is susceptible to frost damage.

Pruning

Pruning takes a bit of time in late winter but pays great dividends with increased fruit production in summer. Peach trees are most productive when pruned annually. Prune peach trees in late winter. Trim away any damaged or rubbing branches. Prune branches back to an outward-facing bud to stimulate new growth. Prune back exceedingly fast-growing shoots and branches that lend the tree an odd shape. Each year, cut out a portion of the older fruiting wood to rejuvenate the tree.

Peach trees have a tendency to produce more fruit than can ripen during the season. Much of this fruit is naturally thinned, or shed, by the tree. This natural thinning doesn't always happen, which stresses the tree and decreases production due to the large fruit load. Home gardeners can easily thin peach trees by hand. About 20 to 40 days after full bloom, thin peaches so the remaining fruit is spaced 6 to 8 inches apart on each branch.

Pollination

Most peach tree varieties are self-pollinating, which means you only need to plant one peach tree to get fruit.

Potting and Repotting a Peach Tree

Planting a peach tree in a container is a good idea, not only if you don’t have a yard, but it is also a solution if your soil is poor or heavy clay and not suitable for planting a peach tree.

Select a dwarf variety or columnar type for a potted tree. Plant the tree in a 5-gallon container with large drainage holes when it is still small.

Place a layer of gravel or small rocks at the bottom to add weight and ensure proper drainage. Add a combination of potting mix and compost—just enough so that when you place the sapling in the center of the container, the grafting union is about 2 inches above the rim of the container.

Fill the container around the sapling with soil and tamp it down. Check to make sure that the graft line is in the proper location and not buried. If it is too high, add a little more soil around the base. Water slowly and thoroughly until water comes out of the drainage holes. 

When the tree has outgrown its container, repot it in a 10- to 15-gallon container using fresh potting mix.

Remember that container plants need more frequent watering and fertilizer than plants in the landscape.

Pests and Problems

Peaches are affected by several diseases, including peach leaf curl, peach scab, and brown rot. The most destructive pest found on peach trees is usually peach tree borer. Japanese beetles also attack them.

Stringent pest and disease management, usually with conventional or organic pesticides and fungicides, is usually required to keep a peach tree healthy.

How to Propagate a Peach Tree

Usually, peach trees are propagated by grafting, which is quite involved and better left to professionals. While you can grow a peach tree from a peach pit, it’s more of a fun project with kids than to produce a tree with tasty fruit.

Harvesting

Peach trees bear fruit two to three years after planting. Fruits ripen in midsummer to midfall, depending on the cultivar and zone. Pick peaches when all green coloration is gone. Ripe fruits easily come off the tree with a slight upward twist. Always handle them gently because they bruise easily. Peaches ripen after being picked. Check them daily because they can go from ripe to overripe very quickly.

Store ripe fruits in the refrigerator for a few days.

Types of Peach

Babcock

This is a white peach variety for warm climates. The fruit of this variety is medium-sized, freestone, and low in acid. Zone 8-10

Contender

Valued for its disease-resistance and cold-hardiness, Contender is a peach tree for cold climates. The peaches are medium-large with yellow flesh and freestone. Zone 4-8

Donut

These white-fleshed peaches are an heirloom variety shaped like a donut. They are also called saucer, peento, or flat peach. A popular cultivar is ‘Stark Saturn’, a freestone peach. Zone 5-8

Elberta

Since it was bred in Georgia in 1870, this has been a highly popular peach variety among home gardeners. The peaches are large and freestone with yellow flesh. Zone 5-8 

Redheaven

The peaches from this cultivar are yellow-fleshed, medium-sized, and freestone. They are almost fuzzless. Zone 5-8 

Reliance

One of the hardiest peach trees, this variety produces medium to large freestone peaches with yellow flesh. Zone 4-8