Peach trees have been cultivated in New Hampshire for over a century, relying on cold-hardy varieties that can survive New Hampshire winters.
Homegrown New Hampshire host Emma Erler, lead horticulturist with Kirkwood Gardens, says peach trees require a different pruning technique than most fruit trees.
“Peaches should be pruned to an open center, meaning they have three or four main scaffold branches.”
Trees pruned this way produce more fruit, because the open center improves light penetration into the canopy. Erler recommends starting the scaffold branches at 2-3 feet off the ground and should have wide angles to reduce the chance of them snapping off. She says maintaining the trees at 8 feet in height makes for easier care and harvest.
When pruning, remove no more than one third of the tree.
If you want big peaches, come to grips with the idea that you’ll have less fruit! If you can’t bear to remove any fruit, you’ll have small, poor quality peaches. Erler says when removing excess fruit, leave about six inches between peaches on each shoot.
Key practices include irrigation to reduce drought stress, and adding fertilizer by mid-June.
Those who grow peaches are familiar with peach leaf curl. This is caused by a fungus, Taphrina deformans, and can infect peach leaves, flowers, and fruit. Infected leaves pucker, thicken, curl and often turn red. They will eventually turn yellow and drop from the tree, and severe leaf drop can weaken the plant and reduce fruit quality.
Symptoms usually appear in May. Erler says fungicides, such as copper or chlorothalonil, applied before bud break give good control. However, control is impossible after the symptoms are visible. By then it’s too late to apply a fungicide, and you’ll have to wait until next year.
If you have a gardening question for us, email us or send a voice memo to HomegrownNH@ NHPR.org.
See you in the garden!
Homegrown New Hampshire is a collaboration between Squam Lakes Natural Science Center and NHPR.
