Subject: Peach trees

From: [email-masked] (Liz Vose)
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 02:27:06 GMT

Hi!

My dwarf peach trees are finally producing peaches for the first time this
year.  How should I start fertilizing the trees for future good harvests? 
How about pruning and other general care.  They are sprayed as needed and
seem healthy but the peaches are awfully tiny.  I removed some of them
after the june drop.

Thanks, 
Liz

---

From: [email-masked] (Darcy Ruck)
Date: Thu, 15 Aug 96 23:17:26 PST

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] 
says...
>seem healthy but the peaches are awfully tiny.  I removed some of them
Hello Liz
Well, first with the small peaches-- I would have to know a little more 
but it is important to give them some fertilizer. Also, you have to be
not afraid to thin the peaches about 4-6 inches apart. The pruning can 
also have an affect as the tree can only handle so many peaches and you 
should not try to overload it. Ask me more questions ,I will try to help
Darcy Ruck

---

From: [email-masked] (Liz Vose)
Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 03:08:17 GMT

> In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] 

Hi Darcy,

I live in Maine...Zone 5, if this helps.  This is the first year my dwarf
peach trees have given fruit.  Could you maybe give me a general idea how
to keep my trees producing for future years and what fertilzer will help
the tree to produce the best fruit.  We keep the orchard sprayed, keep the
trees mulched, protect the trunks from nibbling little critters, and have
netting over the trees now to keep the birds from ruining the fruit. 
Right now, the peaches are about the size of small plums and look
healthy.  What would you do to assure future crops.  Would you do much
pruning next spring?

Liz

---

From: [email-masked] (Peter Backiel)
Date: 18 Aug 1996 16:35:07 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
   [email-masked] (Liz Vose) wrote:
I live in Clinton MA, Zone 5, Last year my dwarf peaches fruited for the first 
time. My buddy who manages a commericial orchard, in the next town, couldn't 
stress enough how much developing peaches need water to get to size. Proper 
thinning and watering should give you good size peaches. As for fertilizing, I 
was given these fruit tree fertilizer spikes and put 3 around each tree. They 
seem to work well, I like to slow release theory. The only concern I have is 
their cost, a bit pricey but easy to use. Now that I have to buy the 
fertilizer, the spikes were a gift, I'll use some cheap 5-10-5 in spring and 
10-10-10 in fall along with some compost. This year I had a problem with the 
new growth tips dying. I thought maybe aphids, I spray as little as possible 
and probaly not often enough, but upon close inspection I found no signs if 
insects. Any ideas?

---

From: [email-masked] (Ken)
Date: Mon, 19 Aug 1996 15:58:45 GMT

>seem healthy but the peaches are awfully tiny.  I removed some of them

Are the peaches ready to eat?  I've noticed that my peaches seem to go
through a growth spurt the last 3-4 weeks before they're ready to
pick.

Make sure you thin the fruit really well.  Most people say leave only
one peach every 4"-6".  I didn't follow that advice this year so I had
to prop up and tie up the branches with anything I could find, a
ladder, patio umbrella stand...  Poor thing was sagging so badly from
the weight of all the peaches.  I'm lucky none of the branches
snapped.

Pruning is very important for peaches.  You want to prune to encourage
new growth which will bear the fruit.  You also want to prune to
control the shape and size of the tree so it can support the weight of
the peaches.  Also keep in mind that you want to "open" up the center
of the tree so sunlight can get to the center of the tree.

There are books available from Sunset and Ortho on fruit trees and
pruning for about $10 each with lots of info.

Ken