Yellow leaves on a peach tree - Ask Extension
Why are the leaves on my peach tree turning yellow. I have it in a container am I giving it too much water or not enough
Knowledgebase
Yellow leaves on a peach tree #335403
Asked June 22, 2016, 5:39 PM EDT
Why are the leaves on my peach tree turning yellow. I have it in a container am I giving it too much water or not enough
Merced County California
Expert Response
Hello,
My name is Brad Cochran and I am an Extension Agent at West Virginia State University.
Looking your photos and also seeing that the leaves are turning yellow, I would lean more towards a nutrient deficiency as opposed to a watering issue. Since your tree is in a container, I would recommend a slow release fertilizer that is formulated for fruits and vegetables that will give a slow feed a nutrients each time you water your tree, as opposed to a traditional commercial fertilizer that is a one-time shot of food that will need to be repeated quite often. I won't recommend specific brands of this slow release fertilizer, but some common types are called Osmocote, Sta-Green and I think Miracle-Gro has one available now too. Jobe's also has the fertilizer spikes available that do a pretty good job as well.
If, in fact, this is a watering only issue then it is likely that you are under-watering. However, the easiest way to tell this is if the leaves are starting to wilt, curl or dry. If you are not seeing these issues then under-watering likely isn't the problem.
Also, I just want to be sure that your container has a drain hole at the bottom. If this isn't present then it could be an over-saturation issue. If there is a drain hole, then you shouldn't have to worry about over-watering which is a great aspect of container production.
If you have any questions please feel free to reply here or contact me directly at <personal data hidden>.
Thanks,
Brad Cochran
WVSU Extension Service
My name is Brad Cochran and I am an Extension Agent at West Virginia State University.
Looking your photos and also seeing that the leaves are turning yellow, I would lean more towards a nutrient deficiency as opposed to a watering issue. Since your tree is in a container, I would recommend a slow release fertilizer that is formulated for fruits and vegetables that will give a slow feed a nutrients each time you water your tree, as opposed to a traditional commercial fertilizer that is a one-time shot of food that will need to be repeated quite often. I won't recommend specific brands of this slow release fertilizer, but some common types are called Osmocote, Sta-Green and I think Miracle-Gro has one available now too. Jobe's also has the fertilizer spikes available that do a pretty good job as well.
If, in fact, this is a watering only issue then it is likely that you are under-watering. However, the easiest way to tell this is if the leaves are starting to wilt, curl or dry. If you are not seeing these issues then under-watering likely isn't the problem.
Also, I just want to be sure that your container has a drain hole at the bottom. If this isn't present then it could be an over-saturation issue. If there is a drain hole, then you shouldn't have to worry about over-watering which is a great aspect of container production.
If you have any questions please feel free to reply here or contact me directly at <personal data hidden>.
Thanks,
Brad Cochran
WVSU Extension Service
