Peaches falling off tree?

[AnnieOakley]

Today I was checking out our peach trees and we have peaches on the ground from one of the trees. The tree looks fine so I wonder if there is a problem?

[tyusclan]

If you have different varieties of peaches, that particular tree may have needed more chill hours than you received during the winter.

If the chill hours are too low, the tree will bloom and make fruit, but the fruit won't "set". It will start falling off before it ripens.

I have some plums that do. They're a variety that my dad ordered out of a catalog, and we just don't get enough chill hours here for them. I've tried them for several years now, and they just won't work down here. I'm going to pull them out, and plant some varieties better suited to our area.

[AnnieOakley]

I don't think that's it. We bought them from a local nursey and they are supposed to be for this area and have done great the years before. I even wondered if the birds knocked them off or bugs? I checked it for disease and it looked fine. Thank you for your help.

[wy_white_wolf]

Was last winter warmer than others? You might be right on the border that allowed other years to fruit but not this year.

[Fonzie]

Often times if a fruit tree has set alot of fruit, many of them them {up to 33% or more} will spontaneously fall off. Remember when it is all said and done you want around 4" to 6" of clearance around each ripening fruit.

[ldc]

It's called "fruit drop" and sometimes it isn't serious; it happens a lot. Depending on fluctuations in temps along w available moisture. The changes in available water can cause this alone. Like no rain and then a lot of rainm, etc. ldc

[AnnieOakley]

Thanks! I hope it isn't serious, we need the fruit this year.

[tyusclan]

Originally Posted by AnnieOakley

I don't think that's it. We bought them from a local nursey and they are supposed to be for this area and have done great the years before. I even wondered if the birds knocked them off or bugs? I checked it for disease and it looked fine. Thank you for your help.

We have a local nursery that sells trees suited to our area as well.

The chill hour requirements on their varities range from 250 to 650. A warmer than normal winter would cause the 650 trees not to produce while the 250 trees would be fine.

I, of course, don't know for sure that that's your problem, but it is a possibility.

[hotzcatz]

Has it been too dry or windy? Any weather problems which would make the fruit fall off? Is it just one tree or several? What variety of tree is it?

There is a peach variety in Australia which doesn't need any chilling hours at all but I don't know the name or how to get a cutting of it. We've got Florida Prince, May Pride, Eva's Pride, Tropic Snow and a cutting from one up the hill and they all set fruit at really low chilling hours, probably less than 100 per year. Just picked a bunch from Florida Prince, not overly large but very tasty peaches.

[mary,tx]

You didn't get that hail the other day, did you? Dad had a lot of peaches knocked off by the hail.
mary