Knowledgebase
5 yr old mn peach tree #824878
Asked April 08, 2023, 4:34 PM EDT
Scott County Minnesota
Expert Response
Hi Cindy,
It sounds like your tree has done well so far. Peaches are among the more tender fruit trees we can grow here, but your tree looks like it is established and doing well.
Peach trees tend to bear well until they reach about ten to 12 years and then they decline. They bloom early and there is nothing you can do to protect blossoms from frost unless you’re able to cover the tree with a sheet on a very cold night. The best thing you can do for winter protection is to make sure the tree gets sufficient water in dry years well into fall. Surrounding the bottom of the trunk with hardware cloth or a tree guard to prevent rabbits and mice from chewing bark in winter is also a good practice.
A comprehensive guide to growing stone fruits, including peaches, is here:
https://extension.umn.edu/fruit/growing-stone-fruits-home-garden
Hope that helps.