Tips for transplanting a volunteer peach tree in zone 6B

Hi folks,

In my effort to reclaim about an 8-th of an acre of our property that hasn't been touched since Hurricane Sandy, I was cutting down invasive multi-flora roses to get ready to dig out the roots and found an 8 foot tall and relatively healthy peach tree sapling. I have no clue of the variety, and I was rather surprised it would grow at all in that tangle, but it has to be moved if it is to have success and I feel if I leave it another year with its poor light and location it won't have a shot.

I have an area to move it to with about 6 hours of full sun and another few of dappled shade. The soil is on the acidic side and sandy loam, and I have two comfrey plants waiting to go into the ground as companion guild plants 3 feet from its base.

My question is--what do you kids think I should do related to transplanting it? We have had 5 straight days of rain, so the soil is soaked and it will be easy to dig out. The heat isn't supposed to come for about a week here and more rain next week.

Should I dig it out, plant it with no amendments, water a bit, mulch with oak leaf mold to keep away the grass, plant the comfrey and then prune its leader down significantly and its side branches as well? I can't tell if it flowered this year because I didn't find it until well past leaf out, but it does not have any fruit set.

I know peaches are notoriously hard to grow, but this little guy is a fighter! Any help you expert orchardists can offer that will give it a better chance would be much appreciated! Alex

Peaches are definitely possible in 6b. I would do as you hinted at in your message, and move it. By topping the leader you can encourage side branching and be able to keep it trimmed down some to suit you.

The most hearty peach out there and often a graft, is Elberta. This is rather a small peach, but tasty  and prolific. Move it the sooner the better, you have no fruiting cycle to upset apparently.

hau Alexandra,

and found an 8 foot tall and relatively healthy peach tree sapling.

If you want to move this tree, you are in the right time of year still and with the rain soaked soil, perfect conditions to do the digging.

You will want a good sized root ball to ensure the tree will survive the transplant along with about 2 gallons of B-12 water to limit the shock of the transplant.
When you free the tree be sure to have a minimum of 12" from trunk to edge for the root ball. Use either burlap or heavy plastic (min. 4 mil, better =6 mil.) to wrap the root ball in for transfer.
You will want to prune the tree back once you have it transplanted so it will be better able to focus on root growth for the rest of this year.
That way it will be settled in for next year, since this is most likely a seed grown tree, expect it to not produce fruits until it is around 7 years old.
Once it feels established it might set fruits but most likely they will be dropped until the tree has a good supporting root system (watering in with B-12 every spring will encourage root growth).

Dig your hole at least 2 times larger than the root ball and loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole, be sure to not plant deeper than it is now.

The spot you picked will do fine for the peach tree. Using the above method should allow it to survive the transplant here at the end of the spring season.

Good luck and happy picking your own peaches next year.

Redhawk

Thanks so much for your kind responses! Now I am excited to move my baby. Yes, it is definitely a volunteer tree, and if it doesn't set fruit, so what, peach leaves are huge medicine, very calming and soothing, and also good for the bowel if needed. I like having this medicine in my space of love! Herbalism runs in my family!

Will research this b-12 water of which you speak. Thanks again! Alex

B-12 water is easy to make, I use out of date vitamins. I dissolve 6 in a gallon of water then dilute that 1 cup solution in 3 cups of water.
B-12 is a root stimulant and can be found as a commercial solution at nurseries.
It works well enough that just about every commercial nursery uses it.

If you have willow trees you can make a good rooting solution with the inner bark. 1cup of shredded inner bark of willow branches in 3 cups of warm water, steep overnight then dilute as mentioned above.
This solution will work for rooting just about any hard to root cuttings and it too will act as a root stimulant for transplanted trees.

Redhawk

Hi RedHawk,

My daughter is a horticulture student and she has root stimulating solution already, so we are good to go. I moved my super hero peach tree and cut it down by half to the first major branches, which puts it about 3.5 feet to the top now. I did the transplant late in the afternoon and today was sunny and warm and it is not wilting at all. Mulched the base and 3 feet away on either side planted two healthy comfrey plants.

I have to laugh because the area I planted it in has been lawn for a long time, so I was extending a bedded area to put in the peach and comfrey, the top layer was lovely and black, but 5 inches down it is almost all sand and rocks, so I had quite a time making a good hole. I did the work though and softened up quite a bit of soil around the hole so the roots will be able to spread, and since I have some mycorhizzae inoculated soil I mixed a bit in with the soil that came from the transplant site and the new hole soil and popped it in.

I also planted a lovage in one of my boarders that was a sheet mulched lasagna compost. I had a chrysanthemum in that spot, so I went to dig it out and my spade literally went down a foot in deep, moist, fluffy black beautifulness! Why anyone would waste time bringing in top soil and paying for it when a few hours of work, some cardboard, leaves and mulch can create such wonders! Weee!!!

Again, thanks for the help!