Off the wall idea

[IowaBowHunter1983]

I've sold and planted quite a few peach trees here in Iowa. They grow crazy fast. Faster than any tree I've seen.

Forget the fruit.... I'm wondering about planting a thicket of them for cover. You could have legit bedding thicket in 3 years.

 

[JNRBRONC]

Seems like all the peach trees I've planted have succumbed to some sort of borer. You see the sap plug where it oozes out from where they entered. Some say you can take a piece of wire and try to fish them out, but I don't have time for that. I haven't tried spraying. You seen any pest problems with the ones you have planted? We just routinely replant.....

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

Seems like all the peach trees I've planted have succumbed to some sort of borer. You see the sap plug where it oozes out from where they entered. Some say you can take a piece of wire and try to fish them out, but I don't have time for that. I haven't tried spraying. You seen any pest problems with the ones you have planted? We just routinely replant.....

Havent lost any peach trees

 

[Hardwood11]

That’s interesting, do you have any summer or fall pictures?

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

That’s interesting, do you have any summer or fall pictures?

I dont. I will try to remember to take some.

 

[northcedar]

Here's one I planted in my yard. I didn't thin it quickly enough.

 

[Sligh1]

I like it! Why not!!!!?!?!? Try it!!!! I have bunch peach in my fenced off nursery so I’m still curious if deer do like the fruit???
So- my “off the wall idea”…. Go make a fenced off area on the farm where u want all sorts of trees. It’s not that hard to do 8’ fence (even snow fencing or some electric fence). could be a “destination” but I more think of it like “I want 10 acres of new woods HERE_____ where there’s nothing right now”
Plant plum, hazelnut, dogwoods, maybe some pear, crabapple, dco’s & whatever else…. Would be crazy cover & loaded with food too.
I love the off the wall ideas. It’s exactly how we got all sorts of cool things that are “Standard practice” now.

 

[YtailFreak]

Is it a certain variety?
Cost per tree?

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

Is it a certain variety?
Cost per tree?

Reliance, starfire, or redhaven. All have cold tolerance required for here in Iowa. We ain't in Georgia here!

Pricing really depends on quantities. They do cost more than apples and pears.

 

[Bassattackr]

I think you have to decide which camp you're in..

Food within cover, or no food in cover so they come out and eat the food where I want them to.

Just a thought.. From a habitat standpoint, mixing these in with switchgrass sounds very neat!

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

Here is a peach tree I planted last year. It was 3-4' tall at planting. Now 7' tall. One growing season.

 

[Daver]

I am intrigued, but a little wary too. Peach trees that I have had experience with tend to be fragile and prone to splitting and so forth. Do the deer eat the fruit? I know that possums and coons will, since I used to have some peaches in my yard.

 

[203ntyp]

I am intrigued, but a little wary too. Peach trees that I have had experience with tend to be fragile and prone to splitting and so forth. Do the deer eat the fruit? I know that possums and coons will

Deer don't eat peaches from what I've noticed, I have two that really produce, and the branches go down to the ground from the weight. Ground hogs are the only thing I've seen eating them.

 

[northcedar]

Here's a couple I planted at the farm maybe 5 or 6 yrs ago. The 1 in my yard does better. It must like the mowed grass and yard fertilizer. They're all Contenders and taste absolutely delicious. Peaches are such a short lived tree, unless planting a bunch comes easy, I personally wouldn't want a large amount of ground dedicated to them.

 

[newfarmer]

Here's a couple I planted at the farm maybe 5 or 6 yrs ago. The 1 in my yard does better. It must like the mowed grass and yard fertilizer. They're all Contenders and taste absolutely delicious. Peaches are such a short lived tree, unless planting a bunch comes easy, I personally wouldn't want a large amount of ground dedicated to them.

View attachment 129395View attachment 129396

I’ve heard the rule of thumb is they only last about 5 years? That what you’ve noticed? (Or I should say produce for 5 years)

 

[northcedar]

I’ve heard the rule of thumb is they only last about 5 years? That what you’ve noticed? (Or I should say produce for 5 years)

I'm not sure of any rules anymore. I thought they used to say 10 to 15. I also read once that in the big peach growing areas, if something happens to even slightly injure an orchard, they just bulldoze them out and start fresh.

 

[Hardwood11]

I might have to try a peach tree! If there was one apple tree that shoots up fast, it’s a Common Wild Apple .

They are out of the tube first year . I have several doing well in Monona County IA.

 

[bwese]

I’m still curious if deer do like the fruit?

They flock to my peach trees when they are dropping. Mine drop in August. I can watch them from the house, 60 yards away.

 

[JNRBRONC]

We had a limb busting bumper crop in 2023, two boxes picked that day weighed 40 lbs. I canned about 200 lbs off of 3 trees. 2024 there wasn't a crop, think the trees were resting up. Looking forward to this year. Backyard farm orchard.

 

[Hardwood11]

Make some peach schnapps!!