Peaches and Nectarines: Calendar of Operations
for Home Gardeners
Pamela M. Geisel is UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor in Environmental Horticulture for
Fresno County; Carolyn L. Unruh is UCCE staff writer for Fresno County; and Paul Vossen is
UCCE Farm Advisor in Fruits, Vegetables, and Marketing for Sonoma and Marin Counties.
University of California
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Publication 7261
Peach and nectarine trees are now available in vari-
eties that are well adapted to almost every climate
zone in California. They require around 600 to 900
hours of chilling, though there are low-chill varieties
available for southern California. Most are self-fruitful,
but there are a few exceptions. They do best where
they have good soil drainage and adequate irrigation
in summer. Fruit thinning in spring and pruning in
both winter and summer are critical because it is easy
to overcrop an unthinned or unpruned tree.
Winter Dormant Season
1.If San Jose scale, mites, or aphids are recurring
problems, spray trees with dormant oil late in
the dormant season, just prior to bud break. Oil
sprays applied late in the dormant season are
least likely to cause shoot injury. Be sure to pro-
vide thorough coverage of the tree, including
the trunk.
2.Spray to control peach leaf curl. Make two
applications, the first around November 15 and
the second about February 1. The latter should
coincide with bud swell, but should occur
before the buds show any color. Some effective
materials are bordeaux, calcium polysulfide
(lime-sulfur), and fixed copper.
3.Prune out any dead, diseased or broken branch-
es. Prune off 50 percent of last years wood to
thin the crop and ensure good shoot growth and
fruiting in future years. Early varieties are
pruned more severely than later-maturing vari-
eties, which can retain more fruit.
4.Remove and destroy all mummified fruit hang-
ing on tree branches.
Spring Bloom Season
1.Begin to fertilize mature trees as they start to
push out foliage in the spring. Use a high-nitro-
gen fertilizer such as ammonium sulfate at 3 to 4
pounds per tree per year. Use lower rates for
very vigorous trees. Divide the total amount of
fertilizer into two portions to be applied in
spring and fall (April and early August).
2.In a year with prolonged spring rains, apply a
fungicide during the bloom period to prevent
brown rot or shot hole fungus. One application
may be sufficient, or you may need to make two
applications 14 days apart, depending on the
weather. Apply the first spray when flowers
show pink color but have not yet opened.
Effective chemicals include bordeaux, fixed cop-
per, and chlorothalonil.
3.Thin the fruit to about 6 inches apart when it is 1
inch in diameter. Prop up heavy limbs to prevent
breakage. Remove and destroy all thinned fruit
to reduce brown rot diseases.
4.In very hot regions, paint the trunks and lower
branches of young trees with a 1:1 mixture of
white interior latex paint and water to prevent
sunburn injury and to reduce borer infestations.
Apply the paint mixture from 2 inches below the
soil line to 2 feet above. This generally is not a
problem if trees receive adequate irrigation water
during the growing season.
Summer Growing Season
1.If you use drip irrigation, apply just the amount
of water needed to replace what is used by the
tree and lost from the soil through evaporation. If
you use sprinkler or flood irrigation, water about
every two to three weeks, and provide enough
water to wet the soil to a depth of 18 to 24 inches.
Water requirements will vary depending on
environmental conditions and your soil type.
2.Fertilize young or newly planted fruit trees with
about 1/4 pound of ammonium sulfate each
month in the summer. Water the fertilizer in
immediately to avoid nitrogen loss.
3.In late June or early July, remove the strong, vig-
orous shoots from the interior portion of the
canopy to improve light penetration and air cir-
culation in the trees interior.
4.Harvest fruit as soon as it is firm ripe. Clean up
fallen fruit immediately to minimize brown rot
and infestations of dried fruit beetles. Store fully
ripe fruit under refrigeration, or sun dry, can, or
freeze it.
Autumn
1.If shot hole fungus has been a problem in previ-
ous years, apply a fungicide in November before
the first heavy fall rains. Use bordeaux or other
fixed-copper chemicals. This application can be
combined with the November spray to prevent
leaf curl.
For More Information
Cousult these UC IPM Pest Notes online at
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu
Aphids
Bordeaux Mixture
Leaf Curl
Scales
Spider Mites
Thrips
Youll also find detailed information on many aspects of
fruit and nut tree care in these titles and in other publi-
cations, slides sets, and videos from UC ANR:
California Master Gardener Handbook, publication 3382
Drip Irrigation in the Home Landscape, publication 21579
Pests of the Garden and Small Farm, publication 3332
Pruning Fruit and Nut Trees, publication 21171
Sweet Cherries for the Home Grounds, publication 2951
The UC Guide to Solving Garden and Landscape Prob-
lems, CD-ROM 3400
ORDERING
To order these products, visit our online catalog at
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu. You can also place
orders by mail, phone, or fax, or request a printed cata-
log of publications, slide sets, and videos from
University of California
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Communication Services
6701 San Pablo Avenue, 2nd Floor
Oakland, California 94608-1239
Telephone: (800) 994-8849 or (510) 642-2431
FAX: (510) 643-5470
E-mail inquiries: danrcs@ucdavis.edu
For a free catalog of other publications, telephone
(800) 994-8849.
Visit the ANR Communication Services website at
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu.
Publication 7261
© 2002 by the Regents of the University of Califor-
nia, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
All rights reserved.
2 Peaches and Nectarines: Calendar of Operations for Home Gardeners
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with the University on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, medical condition (can-
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This publication has been anonymously peer reviewed for technical accuracy by University of
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ANR Associate Editor for Pomology, Viticulture, and Subtropical Horticulture.
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mailto:danrcs@ucdavis.edu
WARNING ON THE USE OF CHEMICALS
Pesticides are poisonous. Always read and carefully follow all precautions and safety recommendations given on
the container label. Store all chemicals in their original labeled containers in a locked cabinet or shed, away from
foods or feeds, and out of the reach of children, unauthorized persons, pets, and livestock.
Confine pesticides to the property being treated. Avoid drift onto neighboring properties or gardens containing
fruits and/or vegetables ready to be picked.
Dispose of empty containers carefully. Follow label instructions for disposal. Never reuse the containers. Make
sure empty containers are not accessible to children or animals. Never dispose of containers where they may conta-
minate water supplies or natural waterways. Do not pour down sink or toilet. Consult your county agricultural
commissioner for correct ways of disposing of excess pesticides. Never burn pesticide containers.
PHYTOTOXICITY: Certain chemicals may cause plant injury if used at the wrong stage of plant development or
when temperatures are too high. Injury may also result from excessive amounts or the wrong formulation or from
mixing incompatible materials. Inert ingredients, such as wetters, spreaders, emulsifiers, diluents, and solvents,
can cause plant injury. Since formulations are often changed by manufacturers, it is possible that plant injury may
occur, even though no injury was noted in previous seasons.
Funding for this publication was made possible through a grant from the Elvenia J. Slosson Fund.
Peaches and Nectarines: Calendar of Operations for Home Gardeners 3
Introduction
Winter Dormant Season
Spring Bloom Season
Summer Growing Season
Autumn
For More Information
WARNING ON THE USE OF CHEMICALS
Text1: ISBN 978-1-60107-052-4
