We planted two peach trees in spring of 1999 and last two years they had lots of flowers in spring and lots of fruits in summer. However, this spring they have significantly few flowers and seems like they are bearing lots of leaves relatively early in the season. The only thing we did different this past winter is we watered all our plants and trees once a week by means of drip irrigation. Is there any explanation for few flowers this year?

Thank you,

Soumitra Ghoshroy

-- Soumitra Ghoshroy (sghoshro@nmsu.edu), March 26, 2002

Answers

too much nitrogen,, too little phosphorus,,, how about a soil test? ever have one done? weather can be a factor also

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), March 26, 2002.

Did you prune your peach trees? If I'm not mistaken,peaches form on the previous year's new growth.If you prune,you'll have aggressive new growth,if not,the tree will not have as much new growth. This could be a cause for fewer blossoms.

-- johna (marcnjohna@aol.com), March 26, 2002.

You could also have a type of peach that bears heavy one year & light to nearly nothing the next year, mr. ghoshroy, my georgia bell did that unless i ruthlessly thinned the fruits on the heavy bearing year. but i'd go with pruning as your answer first. here are a couple of helpful sites for pruning techniques:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/ag29.html

http://www.5crossb.com/orchard_management/tree_training.htm

-- bj pepper ,in central MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), March 27, 2002.

I have a tree in my back yard that is along the fence with the neighbor. Half the branches go through the fence into his yard. My 'side' is flowering...his is not. We have emu in the yard with the tree. Same tree, but for some reason just my side flowering. I would say they it is getting fertilized, but since the trunk is the same...then I thought about the roots. Half are over there. Probably doesn't make sence, but, if you fetilze it, that may help you out.

-- Wendy A (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), March 27, 2002.