Peach Tree
Posted by: chookybo
1st Nov 2011 03:56pm
I have a peach tree which is tri-planted - that is planted with two other trees in a triangle 30 cm apart. The trees are 5 years old. Two of the trees are prolific producers but the third one has never had flowers until this year. I cut this tree back severely and told it that if it didn't produce flowers this year I would pull it out. This year it produced 8 flowers but no fruit. Has any one any suggestions as to how I can make it fruit? Now that it has produced some flowers, will it fruit next year or should I forget about it and pull it out?
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Comments 9
Tylerrr23
Just try your luck and pull it out.
chookybo
Thanks Tylerr23. Might see what happens this year.
Anonymous
How long does it take a fruit tree to fruit when it is grown from seed? I have an apple tree that came up from a seed and would like to know how to graft on to it as well.I live in Perth W.AUSTRALIA. I also find the idea of tri planting the trees 30cm apart interesting . Will there be enough room for growth and air flow to prevent disease? Dee
chookybo
Hi Dee. Make sure that you dig one big hole so that the three trees have room to fit in together but the trunks are 30 cm apart. It does not matter if their roots overlap as when they get growing the roots will probably intertwine. Good luck with the planting. I'm very pleased with mine.
Anonymous
Thanks Chookybo I will try the tri planting method and I will let you know how successful I am or not. Dee W.A.
chookybo
Hi Dee. I got the information about tri-planting from Balhanna Nurseries in South Australia. They are a huge nursery that supply trees to places around Australia. When trees are tri-planted they are treated as if they are one tree so are pruned out in the centre to give air flow - just like you prune an ordinary tree. They do not grow as large as an ordinary tree (unless they are apricot trees - my appricots are growing huge!) They tend to produce more fruit than if planted singly. There is one point for watering, fertalising and netting. You can then have three trees planted in an area where you would normally only have one tree. I have three peaches, three nectarines, three apples and two apricots with a nectarine, all in groups tri-planted. They all bear at different times. It is great, as with the nectarines, one lot of fruit finishes as the next lot ripens. The apples I had to make sure that they cross-polinated each other but they also produce fruit at different times.
I don't know anything about trees growen from seed.
susieq
I agree with Jethro. My first thought apart from the grafted/versus seedling debate was is it in a windy area as bees hate settling if its windy. The tree has responded well to its severe haircut so should start to pay you back soon. They don't fruit well every year so maybe next year it will flourish for you. Don't give up yet.
chookybo
Hi both Jethro & Susieq. The tree is a grafted one. The graft is visible well above the ground. It is fed twice a year with Dynamic Lifter and given Seasol a few times in between. It is treated the same as the other two trees in the group. They are all the same age and were planted at the same time. There are usually plenty of bees around the trees. I am aware that peach trees often don't fruit every year but this tree has not fruited at all. Thanks for the advice to not give up yet. Hopefully, it will produce next year. I thought someone might know why it produced buds but did not fruit as the bees seemed to be around the flowers. It is supposed to be self pollinating but does have the other two peach trees near.
Jethro
Was this tree a seedling or a grafted one, seedlings often take many years to fruit, l would give if a couple more years, it has flowered once with out setting fruit, l feel that another year will make a difference, also a feed of blood and bone sprinkled around the drip zone, watered in well, and prune again next winter, and hopefully next season you will hav e lots of flowers and some delicious fruit