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Fruit & Orchards

peach tree has never produced

16 years ago

We got a peach tree from Gurneys at least 6 years ago. I think it was a dwarf tree and they said it doesn't need to cross pollinate. We planted it according to the instructions but it has never produced a single peach. There is more than one trunk or shoot coming from the ground and it's about 6 1/2 ft tall and looks quite healthy. Last year was the first time it got some blossoms, and some tiny fruits started forming, but then dropped off. This year was back to no blossoms. Should I just ask for a new tree? How long should it take to bear fruit? Does it need pruning? I know bees but I'm not very good when it comes to trees. thanks for any help

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Comments (7)

Scott F Smith
16 years ago
If there is more than one trunk from the ground there is a good chance you are growing the rootstock, which may not even be a peach tree. Look up what peach leaves are supposed to look like and see if thats what you have.

Scott
tonybeeguy
Original Author
16 years ago
Scott, Thanks. I just read your reply and went out in the rain with a flashlight to check this out. I took a leaf from each "trunk" coming out of the ground and compared to the Nat Aud. Soc. field guide.I definitely has two distinctly different leaves. Field guide says: leaves
3 1/2 to 6" long, 3/4 - 1" wide. The larger leaves are about 4" long and 2 1/4" wide. The smaller leaves are about 2" by 1 1/2" Some parts of the description fit. finely sawtoothed, sides curled up from mid-vein,leafstalks short with gland near tip, strong odor and bitter taste when crushed, but the leaves are not long and slender like those in the photo. So is one or more stalks the grafted peach tree and the others the host tree? What should I do with it?
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Thank you so much for the advice. I actually did some already, but I really feel like I went easy. I just kept thinking, well...if it needs more, I'll do it next year. I mostly took off little brittle pieces and ones that were crossing like you suggested. I probably spent an hour at least just going over each limb. I think I was able to tell more and more as time went on which branches were old and which were new. I figured all those old twigs and such were just taking up space that the fruit could grow and light could come in. I did take off a couple pretty hefty branches right in the middle, (by hefty, I mean I had to use the saw, about 1 1/2" in diameter) to allow more sun in. I won't do any more and will hope and pray it survives it's pruning!! Thank you again for the advice!
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On a peach you shouldn't cut anything off if you want to have hope of regeneration- which is highly unlikely if there are now no leaves on the tree. If there is any hope it will probably send out some new growth in the next few weeks, but peaches don't reliably send out new buds from old wood. Peach trees have a short lifespan compared to other fruit trees- some varieties shorter than others and soil type and climate also factor in but it sounds like this peach tree was on last legs and its time to plant another.
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franktank232
16 years ago
Something is wrong. Peach trees fruit on two year old wood. The first year, my little stick of a peach tree, put out a blossom. This year its carrying about 10 peaches. Something isn't right... At least peach trees bear while young!
beverlyvz
15 years ago
I have several fruit trees some of which are 4-5 years old but haven't produce like the peach-pear which has never even produced flowers-weird bing cherry tree which has 5- branches and the cherries grow on the branches in bunches with what looks like dead foliage-apple trees which never flowered and was 5 years old, anyhow have a lot of things going on so I need some helpful info?
thanks a lot
Beverlyvz
athenainwi
15 years ago
I bought a new peach tree this spring and it has two little peaches on it in its first year. I'm not sure yet if it gets to keep them or if I'll take them off. So I'd be very suspicious that you haven't had any fruit yet. Can you post a picture or scan in the leaves?
osxaddict
15 years ago
Could it also be the case that some of these problems are caused by not having a tree(s) that works for your area of the country - specifically referring to chilling hours? I've got a Peachcot that likes a colder region than I've got and will only do something every blue moon.. I've had it for almost 5 years and it's never had anything edible (last year it had 2 little fruit but they fell off early).. I suspect it needs ~600-700 chilling hours/year but only gets ~400 here in the So-Cal area.
californian
15 years ago
My neighbor has a peach tree that the grafted portion died two or three years ago and is now just multi-trunked rootstock that is growing really good. I told him he was wasting his time, water, and space growing it but he doesn't seem to believe me. He wonders why it never produces any fruit anymore but says it used to produce a lot and apparently figures its just a matter of time before it produces fruit again.

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