Dwarf Peach Tree Care

If you have a small garden and still want excellent peaches, dwarf peach tree is an excellent option. They require very little space and you can grow them in a pot inside your house. The best part is the fruits produced are equally tasty as that of a full-grown tree and the sizes too are similar. You can choose from a wide variety of peach trees available in the market, but the only thing that you should remember while buying them is whether they would grow well in the climatic condition that they live in. Moreover, make sure that you plant two trees side by side so that you can get a good-sized crop as the trees require to be cross-pollinated so as to bear good amounts of fruits.

Planting a Dwarf Peach Tree
When you are thinking of planting a peach tree in your home, make sure that you get a large enough container of about 30 to 45 cm. At the container's base make small holes so that the water can drain off easily as peach tree requires well-drained soil. At the base of the pot place small pebbles and stones or horticultural grit. These should be included so that the water can drain off quickly. Once you have done that, half fill the pot with loam compost soil. Normal compost would not be enough as a peach tree needs high amounts of fertile soil. Now place the tree in the container and align the depth in such a way that the soil is about an inch from the top of the pot. This should be done so that the water does not overflow and you can add mulch layers later on. Place the pot in a sunny area and water it after regular intervals so that you have a healthy tree.

How to Care for a Dwarf Peach Tree
The first and the most important thing to keep in mind while thinking of the care regimen is to water the plant well. But this does not mean that you should water it everyday, provided of course, if the soil gets dry pretty soon. You need to make sure that the soil is dry enough and then water again or else over watering may destroy the roots. Peach trees grow well in warm dry regions with occasional rainfall and so you should try to imitate such conditions.

Peach trees produce fruits earlier compared to other fruit trees which means that flowers are produced pretty early, in the months of March and April. As such the chances of frost damaging these flowers are quite high, and if that happens, fruit production would be affected. In such a case, you need to move the plant to a warmer place, may be indoors or if possible to a greenhouse. You can also try pollinating the flowers yourself by the process of misting. You can use a small brush, to brush over the flowers, thereby, transferring the pollen grains from one flower to the other.

Pruning dwarf peach trees is another important aspect of taking care. It helps the tree grow well besides preventing it from being overburdened. You need to make sure that you don't let the branches grow too long as they may not be able to hold their own weight and thereby end up breaking. While pruning peach trees make sure that you have a central branch and a few lateral branches. Moreover, you should cut off diseased and dead branches. When the tree starts producing fruits, pinch off some fruits and space them equally so that larger fruits are produced.

Varieties of Dwarf Peach Tree
Some of the most common dwarf peach tree varieties include Elberta, Red Haven and Southern Rose. The Elberta variety grows to about 15 feet high and produces large fruits. This variety is resistant to insects and can grow in any soil type. The Red Haven also reaches a height of 15 feet and is considered the best variety of dwarf peach. You can also get the best of this and Elberta variety by planting both these varieties side by side and allowing them to cross pollinate. Southern Roses are slightly smaller compared to the other two varieties, but the fruits tastes equally good.

All in all, dwarf peach tree care is not that tough, the only thing you would need are good soil and enough water. Moreover, make sure that you plant them in sunny areas so that they can grow well.