It will soon be time to thin peaches. When the peaches are about the size of a walnut they need to be thinned. Peaches should be removed from the limbs leaving them about three to four inches apart. If the tree was pruned properly then not as many peaches will need to be removed. If the peaches are not thinned then the ones that are left will not grow big. It is better to have a few big peaches rather than a lot of little ones. My father would raise a variety named JH Hale peaches. If properly pruned and thinned, these peaches would grow to be very large and colorful. We could pack them twelve to a box and then sell them to the local department store as a fancy pack.
Thinning peaches was the worst job on the farm. It was even worse than hauling rocks. It is usually done in late June or early July when the temperature is very hot and the humidity is high. There is not even a slight breeze in the trees, and it is very uncomfortable. By Richard Gappmayer, Jennifer’s dad
Note from Jennifer: Our peach orchard was right behind our farm when I was growing up. Every summer, it would be me and my older sister’s job to go to the orchard with my dad and pack the peaches after he picked them. It was sweaty, fuzzy, itchy work. We would pack smaller peaches in the small holders and bigger peaches in the big holders, then my dad would sell them to the local fruit stand. One of my favorite things to eat was fresh peaches in a bowl with milk and sugar. Appeditlich!
Thank you for the info on the peaches. My husband bought me a peach tree last year, and I didn’t know you were supposed to thin them. Your books look fantastic and I plan on reading them all and getting your cookbook.
Thanks, Stacey. Up until last year, we had an apricot tree, and my dad was kind enough to prune for us because I didn’t have a clue how. I didn’t thin my apricots very often because it was a big tree and a lot of work, but peach trees aren’t as big and are definitely easier to thin. Good luck!
An interesting post about thinning peaches. Fresh peaches from a tree are the best.
I agree, Marilyn. My dad used to grow several variety–I remember Elberta, Lemon Elberta, and Clingstone. I hated canning Clingstones because it was impossible to separate the fruit from the pit.
I didn’t know you were supposed to thin peaches on the tree. Love a good peach in season. Fresh are the best.
Yes! My dad did it every year. In a six-acre orchard, it’s pretty intense work. 🙂
That sounds like tough work, being in the heat and humidity. Where is your peach orchard? What state do you live in? We live in Florida, and talk about heat and humidity! 110 degrees in the sun, and 95 in the shade, and the humidity makes your sweat cling to you. Very uncomfortable.
Do squirrels bother your peaches? My brother in Wisconsin says squirrels will take one or 2 bites and ruin the fruit on his trees.
I grew up next to our peach orchard in Utah. It gets really hot here, but it’s very dry–so dry that sometimes you feel like your skin is going to dry up and blow off. 🙂 My parents no longer own the orchard, but my dad has probably six peace trees on his home property.
I just cut down an apricot tree in our yard. We had a squirrel that would find the fruit that had been knocked to the ground, leave the fruit, and take the pit. It was bizarre.
The tree leaned to one side and got worse with each wind storm. Plus, I got tired of picking up mushy apricots every year and decided to cut down the tree. My children were overjoyed that they didn’t have to pick apricots anymore.