Tiny peaches

[limcid]

I have a friend that planted a peach tree in his back yard, and the tree seems to be doing fine. It's got plenty of fruit on it, however, the peaches are really tiny. They're smaller than a golf ball. I didn't want to say anything because he seemed really happy with it, except for the fact that he has to contend with a squirrel who's happy with the tree as well.

Is this a particular type of peach tree that normally bears such tiny peaches? The tree was planted by his daughter as part of a school project. He said he always wanted a peach tree so he asked her plant a peach tree for the project. It's a nice tree, but the peaches are soooo tiny.

Is this normal or can something be done to make them larger?

 

[Rhondi]

Maybe he is allowing too much fruit to grow. The tree is probably having to divide up it's energy/nutrition to too many fruits and none of them are getting enough nourishment to grow big. Have you tasted any of them? What do they taste like?

 

[limcid]

I didn't taste any, yet. But I did notice that the tree seemed to have quite a lot of fruit on it for such a small tree. It's about seven feet tall, with an overall branch circumference of about seven to eight feet. There could have easily been about 100 small peaches on it.

They looked like they were supposed to look, but I didn't actually taste one. I wish that I had. I'll mention it to him that maybe he should pick more of them off the tree. Thanks.

 

[Chuck]

Rhondi is correct . It won't do any good to thin them out now as they are basically mature peaches, but next year when they are little tiny green fruits thin them out by at least 30%. I usually thin mine by 50% but 30% should be OK. I like BIG peaches

 

[Jack Rouse]

To get large fruit, fruit trees need a lot of water when they are flowering, so if the weather isn't favourable the tree will need to be watered at that time, it's best to continue watering right through the growing phase of the fruit.

Fruit trees should thin themselves out, in England we call it "June drop" where apple tree will naturally drop poor fruit or badly formed fruit in the breeze, if the tree isn't doing this, then it needs a little help, manual thinning is not recommended as you may be thinning out good fruit, once you see the fruit get to the size of a golf or ping pong ball, give the branches a shake, not too vigourously, and spread it out over a week or so, this should remove any poor fruit in a much more natural way.

 

[limcid]

I will pass all of this great info on to my friend and he can decide what to do, if anything. He's a bit too lazy for these types of things, but maybe with a little pecking he'll take some action.

 

[Chuck]

I will pass all of this great info on to my friend and he can decide what to do, if anything. He's a bit too lazy for these types of things, but maybe with a little pecking he'll take some action.

Tell him you will be happy to take of his tree..........................for half

 

[limcid]

Ha! Yeah, I would love to have some fresh peaches. I'm planning to start a little garden this fall and/or spring. I'm tired of having to buy overpriced food that I could grow myself.

 

[Chuck]

Ha! Yeah, I would love to have some fresh peaches. I'm planning to start a little garden this fall and/or spring. I'm tired of having to buy overpriced food that I could grow myself.

I just wish beef were as easy