How to Grow Peach
Peach At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Tree Fruit
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -23°C
Plant Family
Rosaceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Plant a young grafted tree in early spring while it is still bare of leaves, about 4 weeks before your last frost. Dig a wide hole, spread the roots, and keep the bump on the trunk where it was grafted (joined to its roots) above the soil. Water deeply, and give it about 4 m of room, or grow a dwarf tree in a large pot.
Most peaches set fruit on their own, so one tree is enough, and it starts fruiting in about 3 years. Peaches grow fruit on last year's stems, so a yearly prune keeps the crop coming. Trees take cold down to about -23°C, so in colder areas grow a dwarf tree in a large pot and move it into an unheated garage or shed for winter.
When To Start
Peach needs warmth. Wait until your last frost has passed and the soil has warmed before sowing.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Peach?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Peach Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Peach Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Plant your peach tree while it is still bare of leaves
30 days before your last frost
Prune your peach tree to keep new fruiting stems coming
30 days before your last frost· every year
Look for ripe peaches: a sweet smell and a slight give
120 days after your last frost· every year
Water your new peach plants well while they settle in. Deep and slow is best.
About 1 days after you plant it
Great start with your peach tree! Water it deeply about once a week while it settles, more often in hot, dry spells.
About 30 days after you plant it
How is your peach tree settling in? Keep grass and weeds pulled back from the base so the young roots get all the water.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Peach's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
400 cm
Plant Spacing
500 cm
Row Spacing
Vertical Growing
Yes: Fan.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Plant peaches in your sunniest, most sheltered spot, since the early flowers can be lost to a spring frost.
- 2Give them well drained soil with compost mixed in, as soggy roots kill stone fruit trees.
- 3Water deeply every week or two in dry weather, and spread compost or worm castings around the tree each spring, out to the edge of the branches.
- 4Prune each late winter to keep new fruiting stems coming, and thin the young fruit to about 15 cm apart for bigger peaches.
- 5Rake up leaves that turn red and puckered in spring (peach leaf curl) and pick off rotting fruit, since both diseases spread from them.
- 6Keep pets from chewing the leaves, stems and pits, which can make them sick.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
400 cm
Mature Height
400 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
21 days
When to Pick
Pick when fully coloured, fragrant and giving slightly to a gentle squeeze
How to Harvest
- 1Peaches are ready when the skin has no green left, the fruit smells sweet and it gives slightly when you press gently near the stem.
- 2Cup the fruit in your hand and twist gently, and it should come away easily.
- 3Handle them gently, since ripe peaches bruise easily.
- 4Leave firm ones on the counter for a day or two to soften.
- 5Keep ripe peaches in the fridge for a few days, or slice and freeze them.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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