how to grow healthy peach tree?

7 years ago

Okay, so randomly this spring my parents decided to plant a peach tree so after just a bit of searching they went out, bought a sapling, and planted it in our backyard.

They planted it in a moderately sunny part of our backyard with potting soil, dr. earth fruit tree fertilizer, and a layer of mulch on top. We live in zone 5 which is still pretty cold right now (below 50 average until june) so it's been a few weeks and our peach tree has begun to blossom! :0

Here are a couple of pictures:

The tree came with a tag pronouncing it a Dwarf Veteran Peach which is supposed to be able to withstand cold better than most?

the sapling came as a "5 gallon" and I've read a couple of pages on peach tree maintenance however I'm still pretty confused on how to make sure our tree doesn't die :0

My parents think it'll be good by itself but don't we need to apply fertilizer and implement some sort of pest control? I also read about leaf curl prevention? When do you apply that?

Any tips are appreciated :D

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Comments (3)

spartanapples
7 years ago
Greetings:

Veteran is an old variety. A friend of mine grows them in Wisconsin. The fruit is good tasting but poor skin color by today's standards. Today, peaches are highly red. Years ago older varieties were more yellow. Veteran that I see here are usually just yellow in skin color when ripe.

Dwarf veteran? I suppose they might have budded it onto some sort of dwarfing rootstock.

Not sure where you are located nor insect pests in your area. Here in SE WI I grow Reliance and Contender peaches. My only major insect pest is plum curculio. In my area they strike with a vengeance in June when the fruits are the size of an olive. I have to spray an insecticide for this or loose some of the fruit. The female will slit thru the skin of the fruit and lay an egg. You will see the crescent shaped slits.

For curl, you need to spray the tree when dormant and before the bud scales even swell up. Copper or any fungicide containing chlorothalonil works. Spray the entire tree including the trunk. If curl shows up after leafing out, fungicides will not eradicate it. The key is prevention not eradication.

Fertilizer? Depends on your soil. I tend to fertilize my young peaches only to promote growth. Older trees that are big enough and bearing well should not need fertilizer unless your soil is so deficient it warrants it. In my case I use a granular fertilizer (10-10-10) or similar depending on what I have on hand.
mattpf (zone4)
7 years ago
. If you fertilize it you risk is not hardening off properly in winter. I would fertilize it but don't use nitrogen yet . Look for a fertilizer with 0- on it . Maybe on 2nd-3rd year add some nitrogen . Aphids love peach leafs also to much fresh growth that will result from nitrogen can produce problems with pests like this .

also copper is to late for you now. You needed to spray it before the blooms when buds start to swell on a dry day.
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mark_roeder 4B NE Iowa
7 years ago
I am concerned about the shade in this area. You could get a peach in Year 1 with blossoms, but it is doubtful. Be patient. No need to spray until the flowers are finished blooming.

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how to grow healthy peach tree?

Comments (3)

spartanapples

mattpf (zone4)

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mark_roeder 4B NE Iowa

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