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Peaches, one of summer's juicy, sweet treats, never taste as good as when they are fully ripe and freshly picked and you can grow great peaches in your own backyard. Even better, you don't have to routinely spray toxic chemicals on them, as too many growers do. Peaches do sometimes suffer problems, however. Start with these basics for preventing problems:
Growing Guide
Planting: Grow varieties suited to your climate. Ask local growers and your cooperative extension agent to name the varieties that have been the most pest and disease resistant in your area. Plant the trees in a sunny spot where air circulates freely around them to minimize fungal diseases.
Spacing: Space standard peaches 15'-20' apart and space drawfs 12' apart.
Watering: Peach trees need even moisture around their roots to produce juicy, succulent fruit. If the weather is dry or soil is sandy, install trickle irrigation over the entire root system out to the drip line. Keep soil moist, not wet.
Fertilizing: To get a good harvest, you must spread pollen from flower to flower in place of insects. Use a soft brush to dab pollen from one flower onto its neighbor. Hand-pollinate newly opened flowers every day, and you'll have a decent crop. Or attract wild orchard bees, who work even when it's cool.
Special hint: Clean up all fruit that falls to the ground, because it can harbor pests and diseases.
When problems do arise, protect your allies (beneficial insects) and the fruit your family will eat by using sensible cultural practices and safe organic treatments to solve the problems. Here are the most common challenges backyard peach growers face and solutions for solving them.
