By Brad Haire
University of Georgia

Georgia is on track to have one of its best and sweetest peach
crops in a decade, experts say.

The harvest is well under way. Weather conditions have been
good. Peach growers should be happy with what they’re seeing,
said Kathy Taylor, a horticulturist with the University of
Georgia Extension Service.

Dry weather has kept disease problems to a minimum. But it
hasn’t caused much stress on the trees, she said. Small
afternoon showers and irrigation have given trees enough
moisture.

The dry, sunny but cool spring helped the peaches become sweeter
this year, too, she said. Excessive water generally dilutes
peaches.

“Georgia peaches have a good, sweet flavor this year,” she
said. “I know. I’ve tasted them already.”

The harvest starts around the first of May and ends the second
week of August.

Taylor said trees are strong and healthy right now. There should
be many peaches for shoppers to buy well into August, she
said.

During early harvest, trees generally produce around 75 pounds
of peaches per tree. Later-harvested trees could produce as much
as 300 pounds per tree, she said.

Georgia farmers grow about 15,000 acres of peaches.

The cool winter helped trees, too. Peach trees need a certain
number of chill hours, or hours below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, to
perform well in spring and summer.

Middle Georgia, where about 95 percent of the peaches are grown,
had about 1,160 chill hours. South Georgia orchards got about
770 chill hours. This was enough to help trees remain dormant
for their necessary winter naps.

A little frost harmed some trees in the south this spring, she
said. “But overall,” she said, “everything has gone right this
year for Georgia’s peach crop.”