Bonfire Patio Peach Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on May 12, 2022

Planting instructions

Site your peach tree in an area of well-draining soil where it will get at least six hours of sun a day. The Bonfire patio peach tree isn’t fussy about soil type, but it can’t handle standing water. Unpot your sapling and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and twice as wide, and throw in a few handfuls of a well-rotted compost or manure. Place the tree on top of it, and, while holding it upright and steady, fill in around it with topsoil that’s been mixed with compost or manure. Tamp down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of an organic mulch, such as bark chips, around the tree’s root zone to conserve moisture.

Watering and nutrients

Your peach tree will do best if the soil is kept moist. To determine if it needs watering, check the soil 2 inches below the surface. If it’s dry, give it a thorough watering. Be especially vigilant if you’re experiencing high temperatures or drought-like conditions. Fertilize your tree in early spring before bud break with a balanced formula, such as 12-12-12. Following package directions, fertilize throughout the growing season as indicated.

Pollination

The Bonfire patio peach tree is monoecious, which means it has male and female reproductive parts on the same tree. What this means to you is that you are able to harvest fruit even if you only have one tree. It’s worth noting, however, that you will have a larger harvest if you plant more than one of these peach trees. Bees are the most common pollinators for peach trees, but you can assist them by hand-pollinating flowers using a small paintbrush.

Pruning

Most fruit trees benefit from an early-spring pruning to help shape the plant and open up the canopy so that light and air can circulate. The Bonfire patio peach tree needs less pruning than most, and it should adopt a pleasing, rounded shape if left alone. Do monitor your tree for damaged or diseased branches or those that are rubbing against each other, and prune them out whenever you see them. Also prune out a few of the peaches on a branch if the branch seems weighed down or bent from their weight.

Pests and diseases

The best way to help your peach tree fend off pests and diseases is to give it good care throughout the year so that it stays in good health. A healthy tree can handle minor challenges with no concerns. One pest that may bother your tree is the peach tree borer, which lays its eggs in the bark of peach trees. A sign of infestation is a sticky mass or small holes in the trunk oozing sap. The best way to fight it is with an insecticidal spray that contains permethrin. Peach trees are also prone to several fungal diseases, including peach tree leaf curl, peach scab, and brown spot. Remove all signs of these diseases and spray your tree with a copper fungicide.

Harvesting

The Bonfire patio peach tree has small fruit, about the size of an apricot. Wait to pick them until they are a bit soft when you squeeze one — if it’s quite firm, it’s not ready. The color will also change from its unripe green color to a darker yellow-red. Pick your peaches gently by hand, and store them in a cool place. Bonfire peaches are not at their best when they are eaten raw; rather, they excel when used to make pies, preserves, or other cooked items.

Achieving maximum results

Even if you live in a tiny efficiency apartment, you can still grow a Bonfire patio peach tree — it’s that petite. Grow it on a fire escape or in a sunny window in a large decorative container that has good drainage. Place the container in a tray to capture water that runs through, and keep an eye on it when you’re watering so you can stop when the tree has had enough. Plant your peach tree in good-quality potting soil, and care for it just as you would if it was planted outside. You may need to water it more frequently, especially in hot weather. Your pot-grown tree is also more reliant on regular fertilizing than an outdoor tree would be, so feed it throughout the growing season.

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