What do peach trees need for a good peach season?
Nothing says summer like fresh Georgia Peaches. With the perfect combination of flavor and nutrition, peaches can be enjoyed in appetizers, desserts and everything in between. Fresh Georgia Peaches are only available May through August, so don’t forget to freeze or can some for your enjoyment out of season.
Many of us simply go to our local grocery store or farm market to pick out our favorite peaches, then go home to enjoy with little understanding of how they got there. Growing peaches takes a lot of time, patience, knowledge and a little good luck.
Peach trees can take about three years to bear fruit, so patience is very important. Once the trees are mature, they will flower and produce peaches for 10-15 years if properly maintained. When planting new peach trees, they should be planted while they’re dormant—typically in late winter (depending on climate) and be planted in an area where they get full sun exposure. Peach trees must be pruned in late winter before they bloom in the spring, so the sunlight can reach all of the fruit. Additional steps for fertilizing trees with nitrogen fertilizer is also needed based on the age of the tree.
Most varieties of peach trees require 700 to 1000 chill hours with temps below 45-degrees Fahrenheit to mature and produce an abundant crop. Peach tree buds are naturally protected from freezing temperatures, but unseasonably warm temperatures in early February will make some Georgia Peach trees bloom which can make them much more susceptible to a late freeze in March.
Thankfully this season looks like it will be a good one here in Montezuma, Georgia as we have reached our required number of chill hours and have carefully pruned them for optimal production.
Here at William L Brown Farm, we grow several different varieties of Georgia Peaches including both freestone and cling-stone. See peach varieties for a detailed list.
Starting mid to late-May, we will be opening up pre-orders for nationally shipped peach gift boxes. You can be sure you’ll be able to get some of the best Georgia Peaches around! Shipping not available to HI, AK, CA and AZ.
