Growing Fruit Trees in SE Indiana
These are my personal notes (collected and devised) about growing small fruit trees. By no means do I consider this a definitive resource. It is simply my growing diary... if you will. I clearly state what works and doesn't work for me. I also take a very practical approach to growing as you will see. Contact your local extension or consult the internet for anything that you question.
Peach Trees
Pruning peach trees
Peaches should be trained to the open-center system (upside down umbrella shape). Prune a newly planted tree to 20-30 inches above ground. Select three or four lateral branches with wide-angle crotches (not a V, these break in time when the branch gets heavier) spaced evenly around the trunk. These will become the permanent scaffold branches. The lowest limb should be no lower than 15 inches from the ground at planting.
Peach trees should be pruned in mid- to late February, after most of the freezing weather is past, and before trees bud. I have pruned in the early spring with no issue. Pruning too early in the season encourages bacterial canker and sometimes the early death of a tree.
Peaches are vigorous growers. Prune to develop the open-center system, remove broken or diseased branches and remove vigorous shoots growing upward or crossing over inside the canopy of the tree. Contact your local county Extension office for a diagram on pruning peach trees.
Recommended fertilization schedule for peach trees
A split application of calcium nitrate or equivalent should be applied during the summer for NEWLY planted trees. That isk, 1/2 cup calcium nitrate in early June and then again in August.
Early March application. I broadcast about a cup or two of triple-10 each year and manually hand-till it under my mulch. I do this for ALL my small fruit trees. I have read you would do a cup per year of tree age to a maximum of 10 cups for mature trees. But BE CAREFUL not to overfertilize the tree. In my experience, it's better to under fertilize than over fertilize.
August application. This is getting ready for fall. Broadcast 1 cup of calcium nitrate or equivalent per year of tree age to a maximum of 4 cups for mature trees. Don't apply until after harvest.
Increase the fruit size and quality of your peaches
This also prevents limb breakage and helps fruit quality. You have to ask your self, how much fruit will you eat? A lot of people think, "ah well, I'll just give them away." The better approach would be to grow what you need. Let the tree have several years to mature and don't over-crop it just to see a bunch of peaches on the limbs. Pluck off the blossoms and evenly space them. Thin peaches about four weeks after full bloom, or after the natural "May" fruit drop. Hand-thin peaches about 6 inches apart on each limb.
Control disease and insect problems on peaches
It's difficult to grow peaches in some areas without a disease and insect spray program. I submit that my little patch of heaven in SE Indiana is one such place. This should begin with dormant sprays during the winter. More backyard fruit trees die that could have been controlled with dormant sprays than from any other cause. For example, peach tree borers and scale are extremely damaging if dormant and special borer sprays aren't applied. I have had big issues with peach leaf curl. This emerges in the spring... just when your peach tree shoots out it's beautiful spikey spring leaves and starts getting bushy. Then, all of a sudden, the leaves curl and shrivel, and turn colors, die and fall off. Once you have this, it's is VERY diffifcult to solve before the next season. The dormant spraying of a copper sulfide (there are others too) should help prevent this.
Use dormant sprays before green tissue shows in spring buds. Use on days when the air temperature is above freezing. Use a very good oil spray for the first dormant spray application in mid- to late winter. Three weeks later make a second application of Liquid Lime Sulfur.
For dormant sprays and other pesticide application recommendations, request Circular ANR-50 Home Fruit Spray Guide from your local county extension.
