How to Thin Out a Peach Tree

Unthinned peach trees produce small fruit.

In good years, peach trees set more fruit than the tree can support. If all fruit are allowed to remain on the tree and develop, the fruit will be small and poor quality. Removing the excess fruit solves the problem and improves crop quality. It may seem wrong to remove fruit from the tree before it matures, but remember, the overall volume of peaches produced remains the same. A thinned tree concentrates the same amount of growth on the remaining peaches, producing larger fruit.

Instructions

1. Thin the fruit approximately 40 to 50 days after the tree blooms. At this time growth of unfertilized peaches is beginning to slow and they may begin to drop on their own. Don't wait beyond 50 days; nutrition is being diverted to peaches that will not develop.

2. Remove brown fruit and the smallest fruit first. These were probably not fertilized properly and will not develop even if left on the tree.

3. Thin the remaining peaches by hand, leaving peaches spaced approximately 6 to 8 inches apart and removing all others. Pluck the peach away from the stem at the base of the fruit.

Tips & Warnings

• Pruning flowers instead of fruit has an even larger benefit; however, it is risky in areas where fruit might not set well because of weather, insects or other environmental factors.

References

• Ohio State University Extension: Growing Peaches and Nectarines in the Home Landscape; Gary Gao
• University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension: Growing Peaches; William Lord; March 2001
• University of Georgia: Peach Thinning; Gregory L. Reighard, et al.