Luvdietcoke is offline. We've heard all sorts of advice, including the fact that a ripe melon, when thumped, will feel more like a human head than a human chest. Peach tree dropping peaches before ripe.
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Peaches (Prunus persica) can be grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9 that receive between 600 and 900 chill hours. While you may live in an area with the right growing conditions, you might still notice that the peaches fall from the tree before they are ripe. Losing peaches from your tree before their prime does not always indicate a problem. However, being able to differentiate natural fruit drop from more serious problems lets you know when you need to treat the tree or when to just wait.
Leaf Curl
Leaf curl is a common problem with peaches. It results from a fungus that spreads during wet, cool spring weather. Fruit that fall early due to leaf curl will be misshapen, and the number of fruit on the tree will be greatly reduced. 'Sunset' magazine recommends keeping the ground clear of fallen peaches in the fall, spraying lime sulfur while the tree is dormant, and choosing peach trees that are labeled as resistant to leaf curl to prevent you from losing your peaches to this disease.
Natural Drop
Peaches that fall from the tree when they are 1-inch in diameter may be due to peach trees' natural thinning. Early in the season, you may need to help the tree thin fruits so the remaining can grow larger and sweeter. Harvest to Table recommends thinning peaches with 6 to 8 inches between them early in the season and 4 to 5 inches of space between the fruits later in the season.
Pests
Pests can cause peach trees to drop their fruit. Look at the fruit that has fallen and examine it for signs of pests feeding on it like holes and crescent-shaped scars. Keep the area around the base of the peach tree free from the fallen fruit to keep the pests from spreading. Plum curculio is a common problem for peach growers, but it mostly affects those east of the Rocky Mountains.
Environmental Stress
Environmental stress, such as an exceptionally hot, dry summer, can cause the tree to drop fruit prematurely. Brown, wilted leaves that fall from the tree during drought conditions indicate that the fruit fell from too much heat and not enough water. Late spring frosts may also cause early fruit to fall off the tree.
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Hessong, Athena. 'Why Peaches Fall Off the Tree Early.' Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/peaches-fall-off-tree-early-55428.html. Accessed 12 January 2020.
Hessong, Athena. (n.d.). Why Peaches Fall Off the Tree Early. Home Guides | SF Gate. Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/peaches-fall-off-tree-early-55428.html
Hessong, Athena. 'Why Peaches Fall Off the Tree Early' accessed January 12, 2020. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/peaches-fall-off-tree-early-55428.html
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