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Peach

Prunus persica

Fruit treeDeciduousFrost HardyToxic

Peach (Prunus persica) is a fast-growing, spreading deciduous fruit tree originating in Asia, with pink flowers in early spring before the leaves and downy, juicy fruit ripening in summer. In Central Europe it needs a warm, sheltered site because its early blossom is frost-sensitive and it is prone to peach leaf curl.

Overview

Height4.5–6 m
Crown diameter4–6 m
Root systemNot reliably documented
ShadeLight shade
SunFull Sun
WaterMedium
HardinessUSDA zones 5–9
Chilling requirement375–1200 hours between 0 and 7 °C

Seasons

Flowering (Central Europe)Mar, Apr
Harvest (Central Europe)Jul, Aug, Sep

Planting time for bare-root trees. Container trees can be planted whenever the soil is workable.

Companion Planting

Good Companions

None

Bad Companions

  • Tomato

    Tomato is a host of Verticillium wilt; UC IPM advises against interplanting young peach orchards with susceptible crops such as tomatoes.

Shared disease: sharka (plum pox)

Other hosts in the database: Plum, Apricot. An infected tree can pass the disease on to them.

Only relations with a documented cause are listed.

Toxicity

SeverityModerately toxic
Toxic toHumans, Dogs, Cats

Seed kernels contain the cyanogenic glycoside amygdalin, and wilted leaves are poisonous especially in quantity; stems, leaves and seeds release cyanide. The fruit flesh is edible.

Planting Tips

LocationWarm, sunny, sheltered spot, ideally in front of a south- or south-west-facing wall; avoid frost pockets. Half and standard trees are not recommended (Inforama); grow as a bush or fan.
SoilDeep, fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; light, shallow or waterlogged soils are unsuitable.
WateringWater young trees in dry spells for the first couple of years; moisture matters most in early to mid-summer while fruits swell.
FertilizingMulched trees usually need no extra feeding; apply a general granular fertiliser in early spring if growth or crops are poor.

Care Tip: Peaches fruit on one-year shoots: prune each year during flowering, shorten flowering shoots by 30-40 % and keep the open-centre crown to about 2.5-3 m. Choose leaf-curl-tolerant white-fleshed cultivars ('Benedicte', 'Fruteria'); protect blossom from frost with fleece.

Sources