Peaches can be grown successfully in Texas, but the process demands specialized knowledge due to the state’s vast and varied climate. Producing a reliable crop hinges entirely on matching the peach tree variety to the specific environmental conditions of the planting location. Success requires cultural practices that address Texas’s unique challenges, particularly alkaline soils and intense summer heat. Growers must also be prepared to manage pests and the threat of unpredictable weather events.
Understanding Texas Climate Zones
The single most important factor determining peach success in Texas is the accumulation of winter chilling hours. These are the cumulative hours during the dormant season when the temperature is at or below 45°F (7°C). Peach trees require a specific number of chilling hours to properly break dormancy, ensuring a strong, uniform bloom and subsequent fruit set in the spring.
Texas’s vast geography means chilling hour requirements change dramatically from north to south, making variety selection highly localized. Northern regions typically accumulate 750 to 850 hours, supporting varieties requiring a longer, colder winter. Conversely, the Gulf Coast and Deep South Texas experience much milder winters, sometimes accumulating only 250 to 450 hours, necessitating the selection of low-chill varieties. Planting the wrong variety risks either a late, weak bloom or an extremely early bloom vulnerable to spring freezes.
Choosing the Right Peach Variety
Successful peach cultivation begins with selecting a variety whose chilling requirement closely matches the local average accumulation. For growers in North Texas, selection should focus on high-chill varieties, generally needing 700 to 1,000 hours, suited for the climate extending from the Dallas-Fort Worth area northward. Examples include:
- ‘Ranger’
- ‘Sentinel’
- ‘Harvester’
- ‘Redglobe’
In the warmer climates of South Texas, where winter chilling is minimal, growers must choose low-chill varieties requiring 250 to 500 hours. Suitable options include:
- ‘Flordaking’
- ‘Flordacrest’
- ‘Texstar’
- ‘Early Amber’
These selections are adapted to break dormancy efficiently with less cold exposure. For intermediate regions, medium-chill varieties like ‘June Gold’ or ‘La Feliciana,’ needing 450 to 650 hours, often provide the best chance for a consistent crop.
It is also important to consider the rootstock, especially in the alkaline clay soils common across much of Texas. Rootstocks like Lovell or Halford are recommended for heavier, more alkaline soils because they help the tree absorb nutrients like iron and zinc more effectively. Selecting the wrong variety or rootstock is the most common reason for failure, emphasizing the need to consult local agricultural resources.
Planting and Routine Maintenance
Planting
The optimal time to plant bare-root peach trees in Texas is during the dormant season, ideally between late December and early March. Peach trees demand full sun exposure and well-drained soil, as they are highly susceptible to root rot if they sit in standing water. Although peaches prefer a slightly acidic soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5, many Texas soils are alkaline, so incorporating organic matter like compost before planting is necessary to improve drainage and soil structure.
Pruning and Watering
Proper pruning is fundamental for a healthy peach tree, as the fruit is only produced on wood that grew the previous season. Growers should train the tree into an open-center or vase shape during the dormant winter period, which encourages sunlight and air circulation to penetrate the canopy. This open structure is important in the hot Texas climate to maximize fruit color and reduce humidity-driven disease pressure. Pruning typically removes about 40 percent of the tree each winter, which stimulates strong new growth and reduces the fruit load to prevent branches from breaking. Established trees generally require about one inch of water per week during the growing season, especially during the hot, dry summer months, best delivered through deep, infrequent irrigation.
Managing Pests and Weather Risks
Pest and Disease Management
Texas peach growers must actively manage a suite of pests and diseases throughout the year. Major insect threats include the plum curculio, which lays eggs in developing fruit, and the peach tree borer, whose larvae tunnel into the lower trunk and roots. Common diseases, particularly in the humid eastern parts of the state, include brown rot, a fungus that blights blossoms and rots ripening fruit, and bacterial spot, which causes lesions on leaves and fruit.
Mitigation strategies rely heavily on sanitation, such as removing fallen fruit and old fruit “mummies” that harbor disease spores, and a season-long spray program. A dormant oil application in late winter is crucial for controlling overwintering pests like scale insects. Fungicides are applied at specific times, notably during the bloom period and at shuck-split, to prevent fungal pathogens from infecting the vulnerable fruit.
Protecting Against Spring Freezes
The most significant weather risk is a late spring freeze after the trees have bloomed, which can destroy the entire crop. If a freeze is forecast when blossoms or small fruit are present, temporary protection is necessary, as peach blossoms can be severely damaged at temperatures below 28°F (-2°C). Small trees can be covered overnight with blankets or frost cloth draped over a support structure to trap heat radiating from the soil. Commercial growers sometimes use overhead sprinklers, which coat the blossoms in ice. This method works by releasing heat as the water freezes, keeping the temperature of the internal flower parts just above the critical damage threshold.