Things You'll Need:
- Plastic tree protector
- 2 by 4 stakes
- Soft tree ties
- Sturdy wire or rope
- Fertilizer
- Mulch
- Water
- Pruning shears
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Step 1
Plant semidwarf peach trees in early spring after all danger of frost has passed. Use dormant, bare-root trees. Choose a well-drained spot in full sun with a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Dig a hole 1 foot wider than the root ball and deep enough so the graft will be 2 to 3 inches above the soil. Prune broken roots before planting. Tamp soil firmly around roots. Space your trees 12 to 15 feet apart.
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Step 2
Wrap the trunk of your peach tree with a tree protector. Tree protectors prevent damage to the trunk from animals, wayward lawnmowers and weed eaters and sun scald. Take the tree protector off for part of the growing season to allow trunk expansion as the tree grows. Once the tree reaches its mature height, the tree protector can stay on year round. The lower 1/4 to 1/3 of the tree should be wrapped.
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Step 3
Stake your young trees so they will develop strong, straight trunks. Drive two 2-by-4 wooden stakes on opposite sides of your tree. The stakes should be driven at least 2 feet into the ground and just outside the root ball. The driven stakes should be 1/2 to 1/3 as tall as your young tree. Loop tree ties to the tree to protect the bark, run heavy wire through the loops and attach loosely to the stakes. The tree should be able to sway gently in the wind. Stakes can be removed when the tree is 3 to 4 years old or has reached half its mature height. Readjust the ties as the tree grows.
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Step 4
Fertilize your peach tree with a 10-10-10 fertilizer or a fertilizer formulated for stone-fruit trees. Fertilize young trees 6 weeks after planting. Fertilize yearly in spring before your tree blossoms and, again, in early summer after fruit begins to swell. Sprinkle the fertilizer at the drip line of your tree rather than at the roots.
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Step 5
Mulch your tree to retain moisture and to inhibit weeds. Use the doughnut method to place the mulch. Pile mulch to a height of 3 inches around your tree spreading it to cover a 2- to 3-foot area. Pull the mulch away from the trunk leaving a space of 1 to 2 inches between the trunk and the mulch.
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Step 6
Prune your peach tree yearly. Peaches grow best with an open center. Select three lateral branches to form the crown. Prune back all other branches, including the central leader. As the tree grows, remove downward growing branches, branches that cross over other branches and branches that grow into the center of the tree. Prune in early spring before the buds break, but late enough that you will be able to prune any winter-killed branches.
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Step 7
Thin the fruit when they reach thumbnail size to produce the best peaches. Leave 5 to 6 inches between each peach.
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Step 8
Provide the peach trees about 5 gallons of water a week during the summer.
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Step 9
Watch for leaves curling or yellowing, immature fruit dropping from the tree, insect damage on peaches and leaves, holes bored in bark and caterpillars and trees not blooming or setting fruit. Peach trees suffer from a host of diseases and pests. Contact your local extension office for advice in handling insects and disease.
