Lifespan of a peach tree

Fact or Fiction: The average lifespan of a peach and nectarine tree is 12 years.

Fact. Unlike permanent crops that last for 40 years, peach and nectarine trees only last for about 12 years.

Year 1 though 3 the tree is not producing any fruit but is concentrated on growing a good base for peach production years.

Year 4 through 8 are peak production times. Depending upon the variety these trees could produce over 2,500 boxes an acre. Starting about year 8 the tree starts producing less and less fruit.

By about year 12 the production amount has lowered so much that it is beneficial to the grower to replant a new variety.

18 thoughts on “Lifespan of a peach tree

  1. My dwarf peach tree is over 36 yrs old & at ‘‘tis time of year I still get an abundance of peaches

    1. My dwarf peach tree is 31 years old and I also had abundance of fruit this year more than I Ever have had

  2. Can you tell me what you do to your trees to keep them going. We purchased a home that had the established trees but the fruit is very small and not ediable. Not sure if they are to old and just need to be cut down?

    1. Hi, Klabonte.
      There are a few different factors that could be impacting your fruit trees. As commercial farmers, we use thinning practices to remove excess fruit and allow the remaining fruit to receive more nutrients (read more on that in this blog).

      The age of the trees could also be a factor, as well as irrigation and soil nutrition. We suggest that you talk to a local nursery about what type of soil nutrition may be needed in your area in order to maximize fruit quality. Hope this helps!

    2. Put down a couple of inches of good compost around the tree and then add a nice thick layer (8 – 10 inches) of fresh wood chips around the base, leaving about an inch around the trunk so that the chips don’t actually touch the tree. Use *real* wood chips fresh from a local arborist. These are not the same thing as “wood chips” or mulch you might buy at a store. You want chips with leaves, branches, twigs, etc all mixed in. After a year or so the chips will start breaking down and feeding your soil. Watch the documentary about Paul Gautschi’s “Back to Eden” method of restoring soil fertility. Also check out the youtube channel for “Canadian Permaculture Legacy”. Good luck!

  3. Thanks for the tips! Peach trees are extremely susceptible to fungal pathogens when grown in a poorly drained location. If planting in heavy clay, improve the drainage by sculpting the soil into a broad, gently tapered mound that rises about 12 inches above the surrounding grade.

  4. Very helpful! We bought a peach tree this year and have no idea what’s next… but we make sure we learnt from every mistake that we made each season.

  5. My trees have not producesd in three years.beforr that they would not get ripe..this year I fed them. Hopping for the best .one tree is 15 and up the other is at least ten years.

  6. I have a white peach tree that is well over 35 years old possibly 40. It has been hit by lightning and it is crazy that it is still alive. It went into two different sections after the lightning strike. I have to ratchet one side of it with a ratchet strap to keep it up. I cannot believe it’s alive and still produces tons of fruit. It’s a bad ass tree very amazing.

  7. I have a peach tree that is 25 years that produces a lot of fruit but the peaches are not good to eat. They have no sweetness to them. Is it the tree’s age or the soil?

    1. Peach trees can’t grow in the Caribbean sadly, they need a “chill requirement” meaning they need a period of winter dormancy and cold to induce next years growth. It wouldn’t get cold enough there

  8. Had planted both 4 foot Reliance and Contender tree along with a Flavortop nectarines 2 years ago and both peach varieties had yield over 2 dozen peaches this season.
    I reside in zone 6b (Michigan thumb).
    When planting, I used garden weed barrier at the base which severs many purposes, especially keeping the ground from drying. . Only had sprayed BioAdvanced fruit pest control once when the flowers dropped and has really yield clean fruit.
    Hopefully this information would helpful for the cooler climate gardener .

  9. My peach tree is still producing a lot of fruit but they are all blighted with brown rot (Despite regularly treating it with mancozeb). I am not sure about the age of the tree is but would guess it’s at least 15 years old. Could the persistence of the brown rot be a result of its age?

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