peaches

[fishoifc]

I have a young peach tree about three years in the yard. The tree produced many peaches this year and they quickly grew to the size of a small plum,now for about almost a month there has been no size change they look good but have stopped growing some have a clear sticky goo around them.This could be because the tree is young but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this. Thanks

[mbfirey]

Can't say I've experienced it personally, but I've noticed that most folks with "yard" peach trees don't have peaches that get as big as the grocery store ones, usually golf-ball sized or smaller. It's strange because just down the road- McBee SC we have a HUGE peach farm (McCloud Farms) that produces for all over the country. I'm guessing that the commercial growers use lots of special chemicals and techniques to get the super sized peaches we're used to buying.

[Jack Daw]

Peaches are one of the most difficult trees to cultivate in temperate climates. Most of those we grow here (commercially or not) are naturalized to these conditions, yet they revolt when the winter temps are too low (once every 5 years), the precipitation is too low/too high, the night temps are not sufficiently high for a long enough period... there are just so many factors. And diseases. I've never grown a more disease prone plant in my life. They can get attacked by pretty much anything, which affects the yield, fruit size...

One of the problems I've found with small fruit and stickiness were some very strange bugs in the bark (lots of them, had to cut the tree down eventually 1 year later) and prolonged drought (not the drought per say, but conditions significantly drier than it is normal).

Peaches are heavy drinkers and many times I have to leave the hose running for hours to feed them during a very hot week.

One of the problems might be an incompatible rootstock. It will provide enough nutrients for growth and initial development, but not for maturation of the fruit.

[sunfish]

To many fruit for a young tree.Try thinning the fruit,

Fruit Thinning Adds Quality - Fruits & Nuts | Lawn & Garden | LSU AgCenter

[Abnshrek]

Don't judge a fruit by the size. Look up your tree type so you know when it comes in, then check your fruit. My neighbors (8-9 y/o tree) elberta's fruit looks like my 3 y/o. They just happen to be the same size as my nectarines this year that were small compared to the store but delicious. :^)

[sunfish]

My white peach had it's first crop last spring,ten or so good size peaches. This year it had fifty or so peaches less than half the size. The last remaning peach on the tree grew to full size.Nectarine same thing last year ten or so good size fruit.This year even though I thinned the fruit it still ended up with over 100, all less than half the size of the year before.

[Jack Daw]

Originally Posted by sunfish

My white peach had it's first crop last spring,ten or so good size peaches. This year it had fifty or so peaches less than half the size. The last remaning peach on the tree grew to full size.Nectarine same thing last year ten or so good size fruit.This year even though I thinned the fruit it still ended up with over 100, all less than half the size of the year before.

How old is your tree? Typical tree here produces close to 25kg (55 pounds) of fruit/season.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by fishoifc

I have a young peach tree about three years in the yard. The tree produced many peaches this year and they quickly grew to the size of a small plum,now for about almost a month there has been no size change they look good but have stopped growing some have a clear sticky goo around them.This could be because the tree is young but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this. Thanks

The fruit size will be small unless you thin them early. After bud set when the "fruits" are about the size of almonds, remove fruits so that there is about a "hands width" space between each one.

[fishoifc]

Originally Posted by Richard

The fruit size will be small unless you thin them early. After bud set when the "fruits" are about the size of almonds, remove fruits so that there is about a "hands width" space between each one.

When the tree first flowered and fruited it had way to many,I did not thin the new fruits until later a wind storm did it for me.I dont feel like there are to many on it now. "Hands width" at first was about 7 or 8 maybe about one now.

I think this is the trees third summer it has grown very fast and is plenty big to make fruit, maybe they will ripen and I can have some popcorn peaches,Thanks for all the help.