Growing Peaches & Nectarines in Virginia

An orchard is a long-term investment and careful planning is essential to ensure economic success. Establishing and maintaining a peach planting to bearing age (three years) costs about $3,500 per acre. Mistakes made at planting often cannot be corrected; other mistakes that can be corrected could seriously jeopardize the economic success of the orchard. Because profit margins for commercial fruit plantings are small, orchards should be established only under the most favorable conditions for success. Discusses location, site selection, soil preparation, rootstocks, varieties, planting distance, tree quality and care, pollination, planting time, fertilization, irrigation, weed control, pruning, bearing trees, fruit thinning, harvesting, pest control, longevity of trees, and avoiding winter injury.