About O’Henry Peach Trees
Given that O’Henry peaches are an extremely popular market cultivar, you may have sampled an O’Henry peach. If you haven’t yet, you are really in for a treat. Fruit from O’Henry trees is both delicious and beautiful. The firm, yellow flesh is streaked with red and has a superb flavor. O’Henry peaches are medium-sized trees. They grow to 30 feet (9 m.) tall with a 15 foot (4.5 m.) spread. That means that these tree fit quite nicely into a modest home orchard.
How to Grow O’Henry Peaches
Those wondering how to grow O’Henry peaches should first figure out the hardiness zone in their home location. Growing O’Henry peaches is only possible in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. These fruit trees require at least 700 chilling hours a year of temperatures that drop to 45 degrees F. (7 C.) or less. On the other hand, O’Henry cannot tolerate extreme winter cold or late frost. When you start growing these peach trees, it is critical to select a sunny site. Peaches require lots of direct, unfiltered sun to produce their crops. Plant the tree in sandy soil where it gets at least six hours of sun.
O’Henry Peach Tree Care
Peach trees, in general, require a lot of maintenance and O’Henry peach tree care is right up there with the other varieties. You’ll need to do more than water your tree regularly, but in exchange, you can expect many years of heavy, delicious peach crops. You’ll need to fertilize your tree when you plant it to help it establish a good root system. Extra phosphorus is important at this time. Established trees require less fertilizer. Plan to fertilize every few years early in the growing season. Irrigation is also very important. Don’t neglect this during dry weather or you may lose your entire peach harvest. Peach trees also require pruning and this is an important part of O’Henry peach tree care. The trees must be correctly pruned from the time of planting for proper growth and development. If you are not sure how to do peach tree pruning, call in an expert annually to help with the job.
