Fruit and Nut Review: Peaches, Nectarines, and Plums

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Peaches, nectarines, and plums, all members of the Prunus genus, grow well throughout Mississippi if late spring frosts or freezes do not damage blooms or young fruit. Spring freezes or frosts during or after bloom are often the limiting factor for peach, nectarine, and plum production. Several factors affect the potential for spring freeze damage.

One important consideration is the chill hour requirements of different cultivars. In general, chill hours refer to the number of hours below 45 °F a plant is exposed to during the winter months. This exposure to cold temperatures is required for fruit trees to break dormancy. Average winter chilling hours for various Mississippi locations are Hattiesburg, 400 to 600; Jackson, 600 to 800; Mississippi State University, 800 to 1,000; and Holly Springs, 1,000 to 1,200. A peach cultivar that requires 1,000 chill hours to break dormancy probably will not grow very well in Hattiesburg because it will not get enough chill hours. On the other hand, a peach cultivar planted in Holly Springs that requires 500 chill hours will have its chill hour requirement satisfied around Christmas and start blooming during the next warm spell in January. Blooming this early would risk the blooms dying in the next cold front.

For answers to specific questions, please contact state Extension specialists or your local Extension office.

Publication 3778 (POD-04-26)

Distributed by Eric Stafne, PhD, Extension/Research Professor, Coastal Research and Extension Center. Written by John Braswell, PhD, Extension Professor (retired), and R. Crofton Sloan, Assistant Research Professor (retired), North Mississippi Research and Extension Center.