Hello all, I have a peach tree that is just loaded with little peaches. I don't how the tree will be able to carry the entire load of full size peaches.

Should I prune the extra fruit off or should I try to prop up the branches?

thanks, Mark

-- Mark Rousseau (markrousseau@yahoo.com), June 19, 2001

Answers

You need to thin the fruit to be at least 4-6 inches apart. You may have to do some propping too, but you'll be amazed at how the branches come back up once the fruit has been thinned. You'll get bigger peaches and the tree won't break down as badly.

-- melina b. (goatgalmjb1@hotmail.com), June 19, 2001.

Do I just snip the extra fruit off with pruners or twist them? I dunno, this is the first year with any fruit. Living in New Hampshire everybody tells me to not expect much from peach tree's.

-- Mark Rousseau (markrousseau@yahoo.com), June 19, 2001.

I did have a peach tree but did not know you had to thin the peaches. When the lady next door was mowing her lawn I heard this awful noise and looked at my husband and said wow she is tearing up her mower. About a hour later she came over and said did you all know your peach tree just fell over!!!!!!!!! What, I thought you hit somthing with your mower, she said "no it was your tree falling over and it just about gave me a heart attack!!" LOL live and learn.

-- Teresa (c3ranch@hotmail.com), June 19, 2001.

Mark, just twist off the extra fruit. Pick them up or toss them aways from the tree. If you leave them right under it, they will propogate worms and such.

-- mary, in colorado (marylgarcia@aol.com), June 19, 2001.

Mark,

I agree completely, you must thin to every 6 inches for maximum fruit growth, and every 4 inches if your wanting fewer of a somewhat smaller size. Do NOT leave them as heavy as the bloom will provide. Also, make sure you do not have any branches crossing directly over each other, or both braches will serve to rip each other off in a serious storm with heavy fruit. I thin with trimmers, so as not to mangle any future production branches. You can't always tell what getting hurt when you pull and twist unripe fruit off, they just aren't always ready to go.

If you have pigs or chickens or the like, offer them your thinned fruit, but as stated do move it.

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), June 19, 2001.

my peach trees are loaded with fruit. I do not thin them out because mother nature seems to have a way of doing that . some fall off in rain storms, some have naturally fallen off it seems that it always balances it self off. But than i one of those people who couldnt kill anything. When thining plants i always try to save the young plants.i dont do anything to my peach trees other than protect them with dormant oil in the fall. Oh i almost forgot dont forget in the fall to cut off any small branches or ones that u wont think will hold fruit well the following year. That way the energy will go into making the bigger branches even stronger. you would be amazed how much fruit one tree can hold. Good Luck!!!

-- paul miller (millerclan@alltel.net), June 20, 2001.