Peaches are a Southern summer favorite. So many delicious options to enjoy  fresh peaches, peach pies, peach cobblers, peach shakes, homemade peach ice cream… This wonderful fruit can be successfully grown all across the state. However, to produce the best of these tasty treats, peach crops need to be carefully managed if you wish to grow your own, your local Extension office can offer advice on proper care and maintenance.

Deciding which peach trees to plant is important, because the same peach tree varieties are not recommended for every part of the state. To be productive, peach trees need a certain number of chill hours – the amount of time spent in the cold needed for a plant to resume normal growth in the spring. Chill hours are accumulated at temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit and measured from October 1 to February 15.Â