Growing Peach Trees in Hot, Dry Climates

One experience that opened my eyes to the possibilities of growing more in a hot, dry climate was discovering a Peach Orchard in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona. I took my wife and kids to their peach festival to pick peaches and it quickly became an annual event for our family. The peaches were some of the best that I had ever tasted and they were growing here in the desert. After that, I knew I had to have a peach tree.

Earligrande Peach

One of my favorite varieties at the Peach Festival was Earligrande Peach, so naturally, this was the tree that I purchased.

It has been a vigorous growing tree and I’ve been utilizing various pruning methods to keep it at a manageable size for my needs.

I try to keep it around 8-10 feet in height. Earligrande Peach is a self-fruitful tree and doesn’t require cross-pollination.

Many Peach trees are self-fruitful but it’s still important to check your variety. I’ve read the Earligrande needs somewhere between 250-400 chill hours per year.

Some varieties only need 100-150 chill hours. I would recommend getting as low of chill hours as possible in a hot climate.

Peach trees are deciduous and will lose their leaves in the winter during dormancy. It’s a good idea to find a grafted variety to get a good quality tree.

The peach tree produces beautiful pink blossoms.

Fruiting

The low chill hour varieties of Peaches tend to fruit early in the year. Some varieties of Peaches can start producing in the first week of May.

The Earligrande Peach is an early producer and typically the fruit starts ripening in mid-May. This is perfect for our area because that is when the triple-digit heat is usually just starting.

The extra heat produces more sugars in the peaches, but it isn’t hot long enough to ruin the fruit. Our peaches taste great here.

The Earilgrande is a yellow semi-freestone peach, which means the flesh is yellow and it somewhat clings to the seed.

There are varieties that can be freestone, which doesn’t cling to the seed, which some people prefer. It isn’t a big deal for me.

Peach trees can produce abundantly and it’s a good idea to thin out some of the potential peaches if you want full size peaches.

Gardening Skill Level

I would say that growing Peach trees in a hot, dry climate can be for the beginner to moderate level gardeners.

Peach trees do take some extra care with pruning to get optimal fruit crops. Some of the potential risks for diseases and fungal problems can require a little extra care.

Overall, they can handle a hot, dry climate fairly well, and winters are a breeze.

Suitable for Container Growing

I’ve never attempted to grow a Peach tree in a container, but wouldn’t recommend it. Unless you get a dwarf variety that is more geared towards small spaces, I’d plan on planting your peach tree in the ground.

I think stone fruits can be a little more susceptible to fungal and root diseases, which concerns me with trying to grow them in a container.

With proper care, it could be doable, so I’m never opposed to giving something a try, but your best bet for success is going to be in the ground.

A good variety to try in a container would be a Bonanza Peach.

Planting Tips

When planting my Peach tree, I wanted it to be in a spot that would get ample sun in the summer months, but also be one of the coldest spots in my yard in the winter time.

The Earligrande Peach tree requires around 300 chill hours which is a bit higher than I’d prefer for a low chill tree. It’s important to plant in a location that gets adequate drainage and isn’t waterlogged.

If you’re planting a bare root tree, you’re going to want to plant it in January. Earligrande Peach trees will start breaking dormancy in February.

My tree wasn’t a bare root tree, which you can pretty much plant year round.

Watering

I provide a steady amount of water to my Earligrande Peach tree, but not as much as a tropical. I tend to flood my tree and make sure that I’m deeply watering.

Water should be getting to depths of 3-feet, so it can take a couple hours with the hose on a slow drip. I allow the soil to somewhat dry before watering again.

Feeding

I feed my Earligrande Peach tree consistently with compost throughout the year. I also occasionally use some granular feeds, as well as topping with compost a few times a year.

I’ll use fish emulsion and liquid seaweed.

Here are the products I use and recommend.

Sun Exposure

Peach trees do fairly well in full sun exposure, even in a desert climate. If planted in complete full sun, the leaves will tend to get some scorching by the end of the summer.

Planting them in an area where they can get a bit of relief from the late afternoon sun can help, but isn’t necessary.

Potential Problems

Peach trees are susceptible to diseases like crown rot and canker. Canker has been a problem in our area, which can potentially come on fast, and kill a tree.

If you notice areas of amber color sap it can be a cause for concern. Borers are also another major potential problem that can be fatal to the tree.

Borers eat away at the trunk and branches of trees causing dead spots. Sometimes copper sprays can be needed for things like shot hole on the leaves.

Otherwise, I don’t have too many issues with pests. Be mindful of the need to prune peach trees to get an optimal crop. I’ve had some issues with some funky weather during winter.

One year we were really warm in January which leads to early bloom, then we had a cold snap which killed most of the bloom, leading to a really small crop.

Peaches fruit on last year’s wood, so keep that in mind when pruning. Peach trees can be pruned hard, so you don’t have to worry too much about making a wrong cut.

I try to shape mine into an open vase to allow light and air into the center of the tree while creating a nice structure for holding fruit. I typically prune after fruiting and just before bud break.

Please comment below on anything you enjoyed from this post and your experiences with growing Peach Trees in Hot, Dry Climates.