If you want a peach that is the belle of the ball, try Belle of Georgia peaches. Gardeners in United States Department of Agriculture zones 5 to 8 should try growing a Belle of Georgia peach tree. The brilliant red flowers, multi-purpose fruits, and disease-resistant attributes of this plant make it an outstanding, edible landscape tree.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Peaches are one of those fruits that are delicious fresh but also translate well to canned, grilled, and dessert recipes. The peach ‘Belle of Georgia’ is a blushed freestone with white, succulent flesh. As an added bonus, the tree is self-fertile and doesn’t require a pollination partner to crop. It does, however, need at least 800 chilling hours for a reliable harvest.
Not all peach trees are created equal. The Belle of Georgia peach tree is resistant to bacterial leaf spot and brown rot. Standard trees attain a height of 25 feet (7.5 m.), but there is a dwarf variety that will only get 10 feet (3 m.) maximum. It is a fast-growing tree that may produce a fruit crop as early as age three.
Belle of Georgia peaches are large and have a rosy blush on their fuzzy skins. The firm-fleshed fruits are ready to harvest in late summer and store well.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight and Soil
Belle of Georgia peaches perform best in full sun in moist, slightly acidic to neutral, well-drained soils. Peaches and nectarines take well to espalier and can be nicely fan-trained against a wall.
Watering
After carefully planting your new tree, give the Belle of Georgia Peach Tree a good, deep first watering. Take your time when watering a plant that is still establishing its root system in its new home. Most of the water you put on the plant at first will run away from the plant until the soil is soaked. Count to 5 for each gallon of pot size – a one gallon pot would be watered until you count to 5, a three gallon pot would be 15 and so on. Water using the counting method every day for the first week, then ever few days for the first 4 to 6 weeks. Gator Bags are a good investment that will help minimize the chore that careful watering can be.
Fertilizing
Trees such as Belle of Georgia Peach Tree grow best if they are fertilized lightly in the spring once frost has passed with a well-balanced, extended-release, fertilizer such as Espoma Tree-Tone. Then, you can fertilize your Belle of Georgia Peach Trees again 6 to 8 weeks later to encourage denser foliage or faster growth of young trees.
Planting Instructions
Plant the tree in well-draining, loamy to sandy soil with plenty of organic amendment incorporated. Provide the tree with full sun, at least 6 hours minimum of bright light. Plant standard trees a minimum of 20 feet (6 m.) apart and provide dwarf forms 10 feet (3 m.) of spacing.
Soak bare-root trees in a bucket of water for two hours prior to planting. Dig a hole twice as wide and deep as the roots and build a little hill of loose soil at the bottom. Spread the roots out over the hill and to the edges of the hole. Fill in and pack soil around the roots, watering deeply after. If necessary, stake the little tree to help it grow straight.
Pruning
Peach and nectarine trees require annual pruning to remain strong and healthy and produce bountiful harvests. Regular pruning will also keep the tree at a workable height for harvesting, pruning, and pest control. Unpruned peach trees will soon stop producing.
Propagation
Peaches are propagated by grafting onto rootstocks for fruit or can be propagated by seed, although the fruit from the seedlings is likely to be inferior in flavor to the parent. Seed-raised trees take four to five years to bear fruit.
Chill Hours
This peach tree has a chill hours requirement of 800–850 hours of temperatures below 45ºF (7ºC) in the winter for their buds to open in the spring)
Mulching
You mulch your Belle of Georgia Peach Tree with either a ground hardwood or cypress mulch, depending on what is available. Any type of mulch will do but these kinds will provide better nutrition overall as they breakdown. Mulching helps block the weeds which will compete with your new investment for water and nutrients. A 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch is sufficient. It is better to leave a one inch gap of space between the mulch and the stem or trunk of the plant.
Pests and Diseases
Watch for aphids, scales, or squirrels. Protect peaches against peach leaf curl by covering the plant from fall to spring. Bacterial canker, silver leaf, and brown rot may cause problems.
III. Uses and Benefits
The belle of Georgia peaches are very firm and highly flavored, with creamy white freestone flesh tinged with red. While excellent for fresh eating, the fruit is widely used for desserts and canning.