Peach tree question.?

I just ordered a peach tree from Gurneys. I%26#039;m very new to this and I don%26#039;t know what to expect when it shows up. How big is it going to be and can I start growing it in a pot and then transplant it into the ground next year?

Peach tree question.?
whatever the condition the tree is in when u get it is, water it till water runs out the bottom, then put it a shady area(outside) for a day, then transplant it to the place where u want it to be, then water it everyday for the first two or three days, then back off to once week..deeply water it though! sit back and watch it grow! it might not produce fruit for the first few years of growing though!
Reply:Peach trees need lots of warm weather. Atlanta is famous as being the place for peach trees. Where are you?





We had peach trees in the past. They never grew as big as the average tree, but I assume they might, given enough years.





The biggest problem was being ready to pick all the peaches when they got ripe. It can be suddenly urgent to take time off from everything else you do and spend lots of time picking peaches before they get over-ripe. Once they get over-ripe, they start falling on the ground and rotting.





You have to do something with the peaches. You can%26#039;t eat them all in one day. Canning them might be the best solution.





I don%26#039;t see any reason to grow the tree in a pot. Why not just go ahead and plant it? Are you afraid it might freeze? That%26#039;s not a problem. Atlanta often gets freezing weather and the peach trees survive just fine.
Reply:That is a loaded question!





First off you technically should call them and ask them whats best for that tree.





Is it a self-fruiting variety, so it doesn%26#039;t need another tree for cross-pollination?


Usually its best to plant in early winter when you move it outdoors so starting it in a pot may be a great idea at this point.





Generally its best to:


Make sure container is about twice the width of the root ball.


Soak the roots in a bucket of water for a few hours before planting.


Use perlite for drainage, and I personally always have the BEST luck with organic peat for dirt. It has never failed me.





You may want to use mesh screen over the drainage hole


so the soil doesn%26#039;t sneak out as much.





Thing we don%26#039;t know is if its a dwarf which may make a difference on how and where you plant it but generally, eight hours of sunlight, and a thick high layer of mulching to keep the roots cool and moisture in is a good idea.





Make sure you don%26#039;t let any suckers grow and just cut back on watering out of season to stress the tree, so it increases the sugar content in the fruit.





But like I said you may want to call the place where you bought it and make sure you cover all the little tricks and one I%26#039;d be sure you don%26#039;t overlook is pruning.


Most if not all plants and trees LOVE to be pruned and if done correctly during the right time of season will bring you a GREAT end result.
Reply:Most likely you bought a potted tree. If that%26#039;s the case, I wouldn%26#039;t expect peaches for a few years. Your tree will most likely be 3 to 4 ft high, if that. Given time and proper care, you should have fruit in few years. How soon, depends on how big of a tree you ordered. Also, you need to go back and look at the catalog and see if you need more than one tree, or is this tree a self polinated. Most fruit trees require more than one tree to insure that they are polinated correctly.





Fruit tree production is a lot like real estate, location, location, location. As far as location goes, you want to make sure your tree has full exposure to sun. I would recommend that you plant it in the ground as soon as it arrives in the final location where you want it to reach full maturity. Most likely this is a dwarf variety so height, so mature height will also influence you on its final location.





I agree with the previous poster, once you do start getting peaches, be ready to pick them when they are ripe. Peaches can be picked when they are still hard, and left to ripen, but they will ripen fairly quick if you do not stay on top of them.





Good luck and enjoy the fruits of your labor.



beauty