How to grow your own peaches

I grew up with peaches in Johnston, S.C. — the peach capital of the world. We have the best peaches in the Southeast. (Yes, better than Georgia!)

My father, who has worked in peach orchards for almost 30 years, taught me how to take care of trees from beginning to end. It’s a labor of love, and mostly praying for rain.

Johnston is in the Piedmont region of South Carolina. This means we have a hilly terrain with red clay-loam soil. It’s very different from Western Pennsylvania, so I spoke with Curt Kaelin, owner of Kaelin Farm Market in Franklin Park and a second-generation peach farmer, to find out how to grow a peach tree here.

Before planting, have the soil tested to determine if your pH levels and soil composition are a good match for peaches. Most farmers recommend pH levels between 6.20 and 6.50. If yours is lower, add lime.

Avoid heavy red clay areas because they don’t drain well. Choose a spot that gets at least four hours of sunlight per day. Avoid shady areas.

In South Carolina, we don’t grow our peach trees from pits because there is too much that can go wrong. Animals dig them up or the pits might end up being duds. Start with a bare-root tree froma fruit tree nursery.

When purchasing, pay special attention to the roots. If the roots have been cut or have dried out, they will not grow. I usually try to get a tree that is about 4-6 months old.

Sandy Feather, an educator with the Penn State Extension office and former garden columnist for the Post-Gazette, recommends Haven cultivars because they can endure intense winters and late cold snaps. ‘Redhaven,’ ‘Glohaven’ and ‘Cresthaven’ are all recommended, with ‘Redhaven’ being the most popular.