Peaches Dropping Prematurely

Our little peach tree has been loaded with fruit this summer, and we've been anxiously anticipating harvest of these delicious morsels. This tree was planted as a bare root stick only three years ago, and we've been delighted in its growth. But in the last week or so, we've been noticing small green peaches fallen to the ground. At first, it was just a little peach here and there. I didn't know if I should blame the chipmunks or the robins. Today, however, at least a dozen peaches dropped to the ground and they're not quite ripe. Hang on, little peaches!

A bit of internet research has revealed my ignorance. My brave peach tree has done very well holding on to all its fruit for so long. I should have thinned the crop weeks ago, when the fruits were the size of a cherry or grape. Peaches should not be touching each other on the branches; they should grow at least three to six inches apart on the branches. Otherwise, I'll end up with lots of teeny little fruits rather than a harvest of reasonable sized peaches.

We picked some green fruit off the tree this afternoon that we hope will ripen well enough to make into crisp or cobbler. Meanwhile, there are still quite a few peaches on the tree that should mature soon.

Live and learn.....