- 1). Make sure you live in an area of the UK with warmer weather. Cornwall has a nice climate for growing peaches, since it has plenty of sunshine. Warm weather and sun are good for peaches, while cold weather and frost can kill them. Since peaches bloom early, a late frost could kill all the fruit on the tree for the year.
- 2). Buy one or two peach trees. Make sure it is a variety that is tolerant to the cold (see Resources below). Get them in the spring and plant them after the last frost.
- 3). Plant the peach trees against a south-facing wall. This will give them maximum exposure to the sun and protect them from frost. Allow at least 6 or 7 feet between each tree--the trees need room to spread out and grow. They will fan against the wall if you let them.
- 4). Prune the trees. Remove every bud. The peach trees need to focus all of their energy on growing larger.
- 5). Water the tree. Make sure the soil is well-drained. Only water a peach tree once a week, unless the weather is very hot and dry--then water it twice a week.
- 6). Check the soil. It should have equal amounts of phosphorous, potassium and nitrogen all at medium to high levels. If not, fertilize.
- 7). Protect the tree from frost. Cover it with a clear plastic sheet to keep off the worst cold during the winter while still letting in the precious sunlight. Frost is a peach tree's biggest enemy in the UK.
- 8). Remove all buds for the first 2 years. A peach tree should not produce fruit until it is at least 3 years old.
- 9). Weed the area around the peach trees regularly, and prune them every spring.
- 10
Thin the crop. When the tree is old enough to produce fruit, do not let it produce all the fruit it can. Pick off any undesirable buds and let the tree focus on producing better fruit as opposed to more fruit. - 11
Harvest your peaches. They can be harvested from mid-summer to fall. A ripe peach will be firm, but it will also give slightly under your thumb.
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