Peaches or nectarines are the perfect summer snack! Crunchy, oh-so juicy and full of flavour, these bite-sized fruits can be eaten whole (except for the stone, of course!), added fresh to your muesli or fruit salads. They’re ideal when they’re picked just ripe, so it’s a great reason to grow your own. And in case you’re wondering, peaches and nectarines are basically the same fruit – peach is the ‘furry’ form.

They grow best in cool climates as they require a certain number of chilling hours, but there are varieties available now that allow them to also grow in warmer areas. Check the label before purchasing to see if it’s right for your garden. 


How to grow Peaches & Nectarines in a garden

  1. Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Enrich the soil with Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food. If the soil is clay based, add gypsum and fork in well. 
  2. Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root-ball. Remove the plant from the container, gently tease the roots and cut away any circled or tangled roots. 
  3. Position in hole and backfill with soil, gently firming down.
  4. Form a raised doughnut shaped ring of soil around the outer edge of the plant's root zone. This helps keep water where it's needed. Always water in well after planting to settle the soil around the roots and keep the soil moist for several weeks while the new plant establishes. 
  5. Mulch around the base with organic mulch like woodchip or pea straw, keeping it away from the trunk.
  6. Water deeply, once or twice a week, depending on weather conditions.
  7. During the growing and flowering/fruiting season, feed with Yates Thrive Citrus & Fruit Granular Plant Food. TIP: for an added boost during the flowering/fruiting season, apply Yates Thrive Citrus Liquid Plant Food.


How to grow Peaches and Nectarines in a pot

Peaches and Nectarines can be grown in pots, but look for the dwarf varieties,
such as 'Nectarine Flavourzee' and 'Peach Bonanza'. 

  1. Choose a pot at least 600mm wide. Position in full sun and fill with quality potting mix, such as Yates Premium Potting Mix.
  2. Remove the plant from the container, gently tease the roots and cut away any circled or tangled roots.
  3. Position in pot and backfill with potting mix, gently firming down. Water in well.
  4. Water deeply, once or twice a week, depending on weather conditions.
  5. During the growing and flowering/fruiting season, feed with Yates Thrive Citrus Liquid Plant Food. Throughout the year, apply Yates Thrive Fish Blood & Bone Plant Food Concentrate.

Growing tips

  • In the early stages of cropping, remove excess fruit – they can be rubbed off – so that the remaining fruit will grow to a good size. 
  • Heavily prune in winter to help open up the centre, to create an open vase-shape to allow more light and air to circulate. Once this framework is established, prune any dead, diseased, damaged and crowded branches as they develop.

  • Peaches and Nectarines bear fruit on the side growing stems - called laterals - produced during the previous summer. Laterals bear fruit for one season only, to ensure good cropping, prune off previous year fruiting stems.

More Plants

Olives

Olive trees make beautiful specimen trees, screening plants or as a feature in a pot. The pickled fruits are delicious and are used in various dishes.

Grapefruit

Red or yellow and sometimes even pink, grapefruit are a great addition to your garden and plate. An excellent source of vitamin C and super tasty too!

Grapes

Grapes are easy to grow, provided you have space and a support to grow on. Eat them either fresh, dried, or frozen and blended into an icy drink.

Pear

Pear trees are superb fruit-bearing feature trees (up to 6m). Dwarf forms (up to 2m) are also available which are great for small gardens and pots.

Recommended products

Yates Premium Potting Mix

A premium potting mix, ideal for all potted plants and shrubs, including ornamentals, fruit trees, vegies and herbs.