Peach Tree Growing

Peaches
Peach Trees originate from China and now thrive on a commercial basis in Mediterranean areas. They require a sunny site and protection from frost when in blossom. For these reasons, they are not suitable for areas prone to hard frost.

PEACH TREE
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Latin Name
Prunus persica

Type
Hardy deciduous tree

Site and Soil
Sunny south facing wall. Not suitable for areas prone to hard frost. Soil well drained, well-dug and composted before planting.

Plant to Harvest Time
3 years

How Many?
20kg (45lb) for a fan-trained tree.

GardenAction does not recommend growing free-standing peach trees anywhere in cooler areas - it is prone to failure and will take several years. However, when peaches are grown as a fan-trained tree against a south-facing wall, in many cooler areas they will produce a large crop of delicious fruit.

If your area is on the cool side or you cannot find a patch of ground which gets full sun the best alternative is to grow your peach tree in a container or pot. Click right for more information on growing a peach tree in a container.

Home-grown peaches will be far better than those available from the shops. Commercially grown peaches are harvested before they are ripe, and for this reason never develop the full taste of tree-ripened fruit.

Where To Grow Peaches

Correct positioning and soil type are the key to growing peaches successfully. Peaches produce blossom in early spring and this can easily be damaged by frosts. For this reason a south-facing wall (house walls are ideal) protected from wind is the only satisfactory site. A fully-grown fan peach tree will have a spread of approximately 5m (16ft) and a height of 2.5m (8ft), so the wall needs to be large enough to allow for this growth. Also bear in mind that wire supports will need to be nailed to the wall to train the branches.

The soil should be well-dug to a depth of 75cm (2ft 6in) a couple of months before planting with plenty of compost being added.

The aim is to ensure that the soil is capable of holding water, but at the same time drain well. The soil should be medium (neither too acidic nor too alkaline).

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