Our new place has about 8 peach trees scattered around the property. Now I've had peach trees in the past and they never seem to do very well around here, so I did nothing to foster these trees this past spring. big surprise was that 3 of them produced prodigious amounts of peaches, slightly less than tennis ball size...and since I didn't expect anything, most of them went to waste. So to prep for the future I need to study up on raising peaches. Anyone want to point me to something that explains the best steps to take? I don't want this to happen next year (pic). Still brings tears to my eyes to see those going to waste.

I am not a big peach tree expert Fred, but my dad is, maybe I can get him here to give some pointers.

But, I can say this, gather up all the peaches that seem good still, peel them, and freeze them! You can use them at your convenience, they keep forever in a freezer. Dad drops off peaches to our home and there are just too many for us to use before they good bad, so we peel them, freeze them in manageable baggies, and we'll pull the bags as we need them, fresh frozen smoothies mainly, and the occasional pie or cobbler. We have some in our freezer now, that we'll use next summer for smoothies!

Fred, about 40 years ago we ordered three bare root peach trees from Stark Bros. I had to dig holes about 3' deep. At about 18", there was a thick layer of caleche. That stuff is hard as a rock. A friend said that sulpheric acid melts it so I split five gal. between the three holes. It worked. So, the next day, with no further prep, I planted them. I was not optimistic as to their survival. But, lo and behold, the next summer they each bore several peaches. 

Kinda long winded way to say peach trees love acid. 

Fred, if you have not met them yet - go see your local County Cooperative Extension Agent.  If they do not know peaches, they will get you in touch with a peach expert elsewhere.  I could offer some basics, pruning and thinning and such - but my experience (such as it is) is in Georgia - Peach County, Georgia no less!

Your local agent can give you specifics for your area.

Cal

Edited September 26, 20169 yr by clhyer

I prune mine every year. When the peaches come on ( this takes a lot of time ) thin the peaches to about  every 3" or so, this gives the peaches room to grow. I have a auto water system that waters on any schedule I. set. Depending on where you live as to how much water and how often. I shovel a burm around mine about 5 feet on all sides to hold water. We can ours in qt. jars. Last year we put up 75 qts. We give some to the kids also. Also watch out for peach boer as they can kill your tree.  That was a good idea to check with your county extension office.

 

Preston

One you start growing peaches you will automatically acquire a few friends in the form of foxes, racoons, blue jays and squirrels. We use to get to eat 85% of what we grow but now each year has attracted more critters and now after about 17 years in the one house we might get 5 % ...First the apricots get ripe and 8 or 10  apricots from two trees is all we got. Next the almonds, three trees were loaded but the critters will  eat them when they are 2/3 grown, husk and all. Then the pears and peaches when they are a month from getting ripe they disappear. And right now the Pecans are almost gone from 8 trees which still have the shuck on and won't be falling off for one more month..Blue jays and squirrels like the pecans....I sit out there from time to time with my BB gun, afraid to use the 22 cause most directions are people who might not want to get shot. Anywhere a person wants to dig will be another pecan buried maybe 1/2" down and all the way around any structure or tree.

  I have two different sized traps but it is hard to get a squirrel in either but I wore out a set of tires hauling off raccoons.

  All I can say is good luck. When we first moved here and started setting out fruit and nut trees our neighbors just laughed. We will show them, wrong

Well, for sure the last thing I need is more varmints. Since June. Ive dispatched 12 'coons that were nuisance animals...including a family of 5 that took up residence under a part of our deck. The house came with the peach trees and there is one pear tree (interestingly enough, I saw a red fox eating some of the pears) and 3 cherry trees. Luckily (I guess) we don't have any close neighbors so I can shoot them with a .22.

In my area, there are thousands of acres of pear orchards. At harvest time, they do not pick all of the pears so there are always varmints coming in for the left overs. I have even seen evidence of bears in the orchards going after the left over fruit. Hopefully, you do not get any bears taking up residence under your deck or in your new shop

Fred: Contact the Amish, tell them you need these picked.   Maybe the same crew that build your shop?    get the word out to them...

Fred I went down to Walmart and ask about a license to shoot  raccoons. Now I can shoot one a day legally. I like to leave the foxes along for they help lower the rat and mice population. The coons just like to tear up things and rip the floatation out from my dock. My neighbor had a family of coons in his attic and fell through into his house. By the time they got all four animals out of the house,the pictures they took of the aftermath looked like hurricane coonie had been through the area two or three times..