early dwarfing of peach fruit in TX - Ask Extension
just after shuck split most peach fruit failed to develop normal fruit but produced large numbers of tiny fruit. The trees were mature fertilized ...
Knowledgebase
early dwarfing of peach fruit in TX #317052
Asked April 28, 2016, 9:00 AM EDT
just after shuck split most peach fruit failed to develop normal fruit but produced large numbers of tiny fruit. The trees were mature fertilized with moderate amounts of urea just prior to growth. There was no freeze damage or apparent disease. Could the problem be the result of a mild winter's dormancy?
Johnson County Texas
Expert Response
Chill hours were known to be somewhat below normal for most areas of Texas. The differences were not drastically lower, but could have been low enough to cause symptoms on varieties that may have been slightly higher for the area. The problems you describe could indeed be from insufficient chill. Observe other known/named varieties in your county that have a lower chill requirement and see if the problem is not as bad. For a list of varieties and their chill requirement, refer to our fact sheet on peaches at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/
