Peach (Large) Growing Guide

Prunus persica

Peach (Large)

Crop Rotation Group

Miscellaneous 

Soil

Moisture-retentive but well-drained. Avoid planting in heavy soils.

Position

Peaches need full sun to limit disease and produce high quality fruit.

Frost tolerant

Yes, but it is important to choose varieties known to grow well in your area to reduce risk of losing blooms to spring freezes.

Feeding

Mulch generously with well-rotted organic matter in spring. Keep the area under peaches mulched with wood chips or sawdust.

Companions

Corridors within the orchard that are planted with clovers and other legumes contribute to soil fertility and attract pollinators.

Spacing

Single Plants: 6.00m (19' 8") each way (minimum)
Rows: 6.00m (19' 8") with 6.00m (19' 8") row gap (minimum)

Sow and Plant

Dig a large hole - a wide hole is better than a very deep one - and mulch after planting. You may need to use a tree guard to protect the young tree from animal and insect pests. Young peach trees are at high risk for damage from insects that bore into the main trunk.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalised calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.

Notes

Peaches may need to be hand-pollinated when grown in sheltered spots. Prune peaches hard in late winter. Healthy peach trees will bear for fifteen years or more.

Harvesting

Pick peaches when the colour has fully developed and the flesh gives slightly when squeezed. The fruit should pull away easily from the tree.

Troubleshooting

Keeping peach trees dry under cover or under plastic sheeting can help prevent peach leaf curl. In humid climates, peaches often develop problems with fungal diseases such as brown rot. Preventive sprays with organic fungicides are often needed to grow good quality peaches. In Australia fruit fly are a pest of peaches. Place any infested fruit, or fruits that have fallen to the ground, in a sealed plastic bag in the sun for at least 7 days to kill the eggs and larvae. Do not compost infested fruits as this will lead to the fruit flies completing their life cycle and the problem recurring.

Planting and Harvesting Calendar

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Pests which Affect Peach (Large)