Welcome to this post that will talk about how you can best go about watering your peach tree. Luckily, the peach tree is one that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance and the only real work done is watering. With this in mind as well, it’s only really done at the beginning of growing it. After about 4 – 5 years your peach tree will be established enough to start getting water by itself.
But up to this point, it’s important to know how to best water the tree. It will require between 35 – 40 gallons of water per year if it’s a full-grown tree, a younger one a lot less obvious. Follow along and we will discover the best practices to use with a peach tree.
If you want to read a complete and comprehensive guide that covers most of what you will need to know about growing peaches then we have the article for you. Find it right here, How To Grow A Peach Tree.
How Often Do I Water A Peach Tree
Watering a peach tree is like we said in the first segment only done when you begin growing the tree, be that from a seed, cutting, or a smaller tree from a nursery. It will need adequate watering until the roots have established themselves well enough to be able to drain water from the soil in which it grows.
If you are growing the tree on freeland or in a pot then the same techniques will be applied. We never want the soil to dry out around the tree. So if you see that happening the water it. What we mean by dried out is that the top soil has a sandy texture then you can water. But do it in small amounts. What we are looking for is for the soil to be damp and moist. We have found that this is the best possible texture and environment to grow the tree in.
In the summer, however, when your tree has gotten a lot older than the soil around it might feel very dry. This is not really a bad sign and an indicator for you to water it. As the tree grows its roots deeper in the ground then it can pull water from storage that plants growing on the top soil can’t. It becomes a lot more structured and able to endure harsh climates.
Are you curious about when the best time of the year could be to grow a peach tree? In this article right here we talk about how to time it best and have a successful season. Find it here, When To Grow A Peach Tree.
How Long Should I Water My Peach Tree
We don’t like to say that there is a minimum or a maximum for how long you can water your peach tree. It will of course depend a lot on how the climate and weather have been beforehand. If the sun has been unforgiving and dried up the soil completely then you need to water longer. If it has been very humid and even rained then you might not need to water at all.
As or when you can stop watering the tree when it gets older, that point will usually be around 5 years. At this point, the trunk of the tree should be pretty thick and the roots in the ground will have dug and spread very deep in the soil.
A fun fact about peach trees is that they will require about 35 – 40 gallons of water every year to survive, or at least the older and more established trees will need this amount. The younger trees are a lot fewer. Keeping an eye on how much it rains in your area each year is also a good idea. Since the trees will want around 16 inches of water every year. If you are not getting this amount then you might need to supplement your tree even if it’s an older one.
Even though this rain might occur after harvest or long before then the water will be stored in the large underground storages that the roots of the tree will pull its necessary part. This way it can better survive drier years when it might not rain a whole lot.
If you want to learn about how easy peach trees really are to grow then we have the perfect article for you. It covers some of the more basic questions that might come up. Find it here, Are Peach Trees Easy To Grow?
How Do I Know If My Peach Tree Needs Water
The best way to know if your tree will need water is to look at the soil. This will tell you all you need to know about the condition it’s growing in. If it’s very dry and crumbles then you can water the tree. It should be kept damp and moist at all times for the best growth.
You will only really need to do this for peach trees that are younger than 5 years. These are the most vulnerable and still need to establish themselves where they are. The older they get the better they will find water without help. Of course, if you are growing a peach tree in a pot then it will always need to be watered.
Looking at the leaves of the tree then they might indicate that you need to water it. If they are getting very discolored earlier than the fruits are even ready then you might need to water the soil. But more likely you will need to fertilize the soil again to regain health and prosperity.
Let’s summarize again a bit on what we have talked about here. Peach trees will need to be watered to around 5 years old. After this, they should be able to manage for themselves and the only work you will need to put in is harvesting and also pruning the branches at the end of the season. Water the tree even if it’s older if your area is getting less than 16 inches of water each year. This is the minimum for a healthy peach tree to grow.
Wonder what the precise amount of water that peach trees need is? In this article, we will discuss just that. Find it here, How Much Water Do Peaches Need?
