Semi Dwarf Veteran Peach Tree

No. Almost all peaches and most nectarines are self-fertile, which means one tree sets fruit with its own pollen. Even so, every tree produces more fruit with a pollination partner nearby. Bees carry pollen from flower to flower, and home gardens usually have enough of them. Skip insecticide sprays while the tree is in bloom.

Our peach and nectarine trees reach about 10 to 15 feet tall. This page lists the size for this variety. Rootstock and pruning both affect the final size, and summer pruning with light fertilizing helps keep a tree smaller.

Check the USDA hardiness zones listed on this page, and look up your zone by ZIP code. Your zone is set by how cold your winters get. Fruit trees also need enough winter chill, the cool hours between about 32 and 45°F, to bloom well. Where winters are mild, ask your county Extension office which varieties fruit there.

Plan on about 3 to 5 years from planting. Peaches and nectarines start bearing sooner than many fruit trees, but the first years go into roots and branches. If it flowers in the first two years, pick off the flowers or tiny fruit so the tree keeps its energy for growth.

Protect the tree in the dormant season, from leaf fall until the buds begin to swell. Nectarines get leaf curl too. Spraying after red, puckered leaves appear in spring won't help that year. Your county Extension office can give you the dates and products for your area. Even a resistant variety like Frost needs protection for its first two or three years. Beyond that dormant-season protection, most backyard trees don't need routine sprays.

We recommend planting it in the ground, where the roots have room and stay warmer through winter. A pot can work, but it's best if you have some experience, or don't mind less-than-ideal results while you learn. A tree in a pot needs much more care: more watering, and the nutrients it would otherwise pull from the ground. Every few years, prune the roots and change the soil, or move it up a pot size. Expect more ornamental value than a large harvest: a tree in a pot will fruit, but not as much as one in the ground. In the ground, give it full sun and good drainage.

A little clear gum at a pruning cut or a bark wound is common on peaches and other stone fruit, and it's usually harmless. Dark or milky ooze, gum mixed with sawdust near the base of the trunk, or sunken bark can mean borers or a canker. If you see those, send us a photo. Keep mowers and trimmers away from the trunk. A copper spray can help, especially while the tree is dormant in winter.

It depends on when it ships. In the dormant season, while trees rest over winter, it arrives bare root: no leaves, no soil, and roots wrapped in a damp packing mix. That's what a healthy dormant tree looks like. When it's actively growing, the same tree ships potted and in leaf. Our fruit trees ship at about two years old and 3 to 4 feet tall. If the roots are dry or mushy, or anything looks damaged, contact us that day with photos.

Most bare root trees planted in spring show new growth within a few weeks. Some take longer, especially after a cold spring, and a tree planted in fall waits for spring. Fall planting works best where winters are mild, generally zones 7 through 9. Every region has its own climate and microclimates, and peach and nectarine varieties vary widely in when they first break bud in spring. To check on your tree, scrape a tiny patch of bark near the top with your thumbnail: green underneath means it's alive. If it's been 45 days since spring planting with no new growth, or 30 to 45 days since other peach and nectarine trees in your area leafed out, please contact us.

Keep the roots cool and damp, out of sun and wind, and keep the tree shaded and as cool as possible. Plant within a couple of days if you can. In cold storage at about 37°F, a dormant tree keeps for months without harm, as long as you water the roots now and then. Without cold storage, heel it in for a longer wait: lay it in a shallow trench and cover the roots with soil.