A Guide to Harvester Peach Trees
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The Harvester peach tree is one of the highest yielding peach trees—not only will you get several bushels of peaches every year, you don’t have to dedicate too much yard space to this tree because of its semi-dwarf size. To help you decide if you have the right environment and skill level to grow a Harvester peach tree, we’ll tell you what you need to know about growing conditions and maintenance for this type of tree.
Harvester Peach Tree Specifications
| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
|
Fruit size |
2–3 inches in diameter |
|
Fruit uses |
Eat raw or cooked |
|
Fruit color |
Red and yellow blush skin, yellow flesh |
|
Fruit texture and flavor |
Fuzzy skin, juicy texture, sweet flavor |
|
Region |
South, West Coast |
|
Hardiness Zones |
6–9 |
|
Growing season |
Blooms in early spring, pick fruit in July or August |
|
Susceptibility |
Peach leaf curl, mildew, brown rot, scab disease |
What Does a Harvester Peach Tree Look Like?
Prunus persica is a semi-dwarf peach tree cultivar created for its modest size and sweet fruit. The typical Harvester peach tree has green leaves with white and pink blossoms. When the blossoms are fertilized, they bear fruit that’s 2–3 inches in diameter. The peaches have fuzzy, yellow-reddish color skin with yellow, juicy flesh on the inside.
Harvester peach trees grow to be 10 to 15 feet high and 5 to 10 feet wide—smaller than a full-size peach tree. That makes this cultivar better-suited for homeowners with smaller yards who still want access to fresh peaches. However, keep in mind that peach pits can be toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, especially if the pits are chewed or crushed.
Growing and Maintaining a Harvester Peach Tree
To keep your Harvester peach tree healthy and help it produce as many peaches as possible, follow these growing guidelines.
Sun and Shade
Harvester peach trees require full sun to produce a heavy crop yield, so choose a spot in your yard that’s away from the shade produced by other plants.
Soil
Peach trees prefer loamy soil, which is mostly sand with some clay. The soil should be well-drained and have a pH between 6.0 and 6.5.
Watering
Semi-dwarf peach trees like the Harvester should be watered once a month during the winter and at least once a week during the rest of the year. To determine when the tree needs water, touch the soil—if it’s dry, water it until it’s moist.
Fertilizing
Newly planted peach trees should be fertilized one week after planting and again a month and a half after that. An established Harvester peach tree should be fertilized twice a year—once in early spring and once in late spring or early summer, since that’s when the plant is producing fruit.
Consider using a balanced fertilizer with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) to promote an overall healthy tree. Some potential ratios are 10-10-10, 12-12-12, and 20-20-20.
Ideal Hardiness Zones
Harvester peach trees thrive in warm climates or in USDA Hardiness Zones 6–9 that encompass a majority of the South and the West Coast.
Pruning
Like most fruit trees, Harvester peach trees require annual pruning to produce a harvest. After the tree is about three years old, prune it in the spring just as the buds begin to turn pink. You can also remove shoots in the center of the tree that keep air and sunlight away from the fruit at any time.
How to Plant a Harvester Peach Tree
The Harvester peach tree is often sold as a bare-root tree—a tree that was previously grown in the ground, dug up during dormancy, and placed in a container with moist material for traveling. It’s best to buy a bare-root tree in the late winter or early spring so you can immediately plant it into thawed ground.
Once you have a Harvester peach tree, here’s how to plant it:
- Find a spot in your yard that will get direct sunlight.
- Dig a hole that’s 3–4 feet wide and slightly deeper than the root ball.
- If your soil is clay-heavy, add a few shovelfuls of compost. Otherwise, don’t amend the soil.
- Place the plant in the hole and refill the hole so that none of the trunk is buried.
- Soak the tree with water and place mulch around it to prevent weeds.
A Harvester peach tree may take two to four years to blossom for the first time. Expect about three bushels per season, which is roughly 50 pounds of peaches.
Tolerance and Susceptibility
The Harvester peach tree is susceptible to a few diseases, including peach leaf curl, mildew, brown rot, and scab. Peach leaf curl creates red or purple bubbly spots on the leaves, eventually causing the leaves to curl down.
Mildew creates powdery, gray spots, brown rot creates fuzzy, gray spots, and peach scab creates olive green or brown spots. These three fungal diseases may attack any part of the tree, from the branches and leaves to the fruit.
Wildlife Threats
Insects like oriental fruit moths, stink bugs, and aphids may attack the leaves and fruit of your peach tree. You can also expect fallen fruit to attract small-to-medium sized animals, like birds and squirrels.
Our Conclusion
The Harvester peach tree is perfect for the gardener with a medium-sized garden, as its semi-dwarf size won’t take up too much yard space. However, you must commit to annual pruning and gathering fruit that falls off the tree. FastGrowingTrees.com has done the nurturing and grooming for you, so you don’t have to wait years for your Harvester to bear fruit.
FAQ About Harvester Peach Trees
Can you net a Harvester peach tree?
Yes, netting your peach tree can keep out unwanted animals like squirrels and birds. Wait until the fruit starts appearing in its green form and cover the tree canopy with a lightweight netting material with holes that are 1/4–1/2 inch wide to allow sunlight to reach the plant.
What are chilling hours for peach trees?
Chilling hours are the number of hours a tree needs between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit while it’s dormant in the fall and winter. If the chilling hour requirement isn’t met, the blossoms may not open when spring comes, affecting how much fruit is produced. The Harvester peach tree requires 750 chilling hours.
How much does a peach tree cost?
Peach trees vary in cost depending on their size and resistance to diseases. You can buy a Harvester peach tree for $130 to $200.
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