Peach

Peach

Prunus persica

Start peach indoors 4 weeks before your last spring frost, then plant out 8 weeks after your last spring frost. Space plants 180 in (457 cm) apart.

Photo: Prianxi, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

When to plant

Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.

See the dates for your garden

Enter your average last spring frost and first fall frost. Every timing on this site turns into a calendar date. Not sure of yours? Your local extension service or a search for “last frost date” and your town will tell you; the app finds them from your location.

Last spring frost
First fall frost

Saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Stratified Seed Indoor Start

From seedRecommended from seed
  1. Start indoors4 weeks before your last spring frost
  2. Begin hardening off7 weeks after your last spring frost
  3. Plant out8 weeks after your last spring frost
  4. First harvestmid-summer to early fall; the first crop about 3 years after planting

Stratified Seed Direct Sow

From seed
  1. Sow outdoors1 week before your last spring frost
  2. First harvestmid-summer to early fall; the first crop about 3 years after planting

Bare-Root Tree Transplant

TreeRecommended tree
  1. Plant out4 weeks before your last spring frost
  2. First harvestmid-summer to early fall; the first crop about 3 years after planting

Container Tree Transplant

Tree
  1. Plant out4 weeks before your last spring frost
  2. First harvestmid-summer to early fall; the first crop about 3 years after planting

Growing peach

Spacing in the row
180 in (457 cm)
Between rows
240 in (610 cm)
Planting depth
1-2 inches (for seed); plant bare-root/container trees at original nursery depth.
Sun
Full Sun
Soil
Well-drained loam
Germination
30-90 days (after stratification) at 35-45°F
Harvest season
Mid-summer to early fall
Years to first crop
3
Mature height
10-25 feet
Support
Staking young trees for establishment
Hardy to
USDA zone 5
Life cycle
Perennial

Stratify seeds for 3-4 months at cold temperatures before planting. Plant bare-root trees in early spring.

Watering. Consistent, deep watering, especially during fruit development and dry periods. Avoid waterlogging.

Neighbours

The companion chart →

Grows well beside

Keep apart from

Feeding

Seedlings
Not typically applicable; for seedlings, very dilute balanced fertilizer after true leaves emerge.
Growing
Apply a balanced fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10) in early spring, before new growth begins.
Flowering and fruiting
No specific bloom feeding; overall tree health supports bloom and fruit set.
How often
Once a year, in early spring.
Note
Conduct soil tests every 3-5 years to determine specific nutrient deficiencies. Avoid excessive nitrogen.

Your peach, planned to the day.

Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.

Add peach to your planting calendar →

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