Taking care of a peach? tree

Question

I moved into a home a couple of months ago, and there's what seems to be a peach tree in a container, right next to a Queen palm.

1. Is this a peach tree? I can't tell as the fruit is really small and we haven't tried to eat it yet :)

2. The tree seems to have branches in all directions, but the last 12-18"+ of the branches have no leaves on them at all, just some fruit. Is this normal? Should I prune the tree - either now or wait till Nov/Dec?

3. I would feel better if this was in the ground - should I plant it now or wait till winter/early spring? I would have hopes of getting some edible fruit next summer, anything apart from organic fertilizer and a regular watering schedule I should take care of?

4. Is it okay if I plant it in the same spot - it's 3ft from the trunk of a Queen Palm but since the palm tree's 30ft tall, there's ample sun throughout the day. I'm just not sure how "wide" this can go.

This is in southern California.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Yes, you have a peach tree. You want to wait until it is dormant to prune, but you can plant it in the ground anytime. (Personally, I would wait until the fruit has ripened) You should get fruit next year as long as you don't prune all the new growth.

Right now you should thin the fruit so they are about 4" apart. Don't worry about the non leafed branches, they should fill in.

The palm 3 feet away is less of a problem than the fence it's right next to. I would give it more space from that if you can.

How to grow peaches has a good article on growing and caring for peach trees.