Hi, All,
I am thinking to add a few peach trees next year, but the two spots available only get half day sun.
Spot #1: East side of the house, receiving direct sun light 9AM - 2PM, 5hrs sunlight. After 2PM, it is under the shadow of the house.
Spot #2: South side of the house, receiving direct sun light 12PM - Sun down, 6hrs sun light. That’s because a huge tree is on the east side, blocking the sun.
I know peaches are strong sun lovers. More than any other fruit trees. So：
Do these two spots get enough sun light to grow peaches? I mean healthy enough to produce fruits. It’s fine if unable to get a full crop.
If I had to choose one from the two spots, which spot is better? I think spot #2 would be better.
If peaches are definitely no go here, what else can I grow in these 2 spots? I know Pawpaws can fruit in half shade, but two are needed for pollination and I haven’t tasted a pawpaw fruit yet. So I wouldn’t consider growing it yet.
I have peaches in a wide array of different sun. Usually as you decrease the sun the fruit size decreases with it. As for cropping it just means less thinning. Not really noticed a big difference in taste. Maybe a little sweater in full sun. You have to remember it will get bigger and as it gets bigger it will be able to access more sun which would make spot #1 better (if only one story height).
Based on your experiences, the fruits will be smaller size compared to the ones grown in full sun? Or the size will be pretty much the same, but the number of fruits will be less? If latter, I will use spot #2 for a peach tree. Maybe both spots.
Peaches with less sun will be a little smaller. They load up with crop no matter where they are though. Most anything will work there, but they will have smaller fruit and less of it. Your best bet for quantity would be with peaches. In the peak of summer the sun is straight over head. So there will be some time with near full sun.
We have peaches in a spot similar to your #1. For me, hot afternoon sun during the heat of the summer is hard on establishing peaches here for the lack of rain we often get and the amount of attention I give them (i.e., no care at all other than maybe an occasional hose if drought is high and my time is available…which is rare). Planted on the east side of a summer sun block works fine for us. Size might be slightly smaller but not terrible. Here is one of those old peaches in the afternoon last year.
Thank you John for sharing!
The size of the fruits is pretty good. I will be happy with this size. Now I don’t have any concerns growing peaches in these 2 spots. Thanks again!
Since I’m so high up (the town claims 7000ft, but a topographical map says ~6000 ft–it may just be my position on the mountain top town), could it be possible that “Full Sun” could be achieved with less light hours, since there is abut 80% more UV up here than at sea level?
I think there is more to photosynthesis than just exposure to # of sun hours. For example: the plant during the mid-day afternoon hot sun might be working hard pushing water to all extremities than manufacturing sugars.
I actually think I disagree. Not in the way you mean anyway. There isn’t a magical number of hours that allow it to magically become this different thing that suddenly allows certain plants to thrive there
now getting to the question I think you are trying to ask rather than some meaningless category. Higher elevation definitely means stronger sunlight and stronger sunlight correlates with higher photosynthetic activity. However, as was already pointed out, this doesn’t necessarily mean the sunlight is higher quality for the plant though. This would all be different based on each plant species but some could be stressed in a bad way by the additional UV they aren’t adapted for, some could be stressed by the UV light in a good way (produces tastier or more fruits as a stress response) and some I suspect wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the extra intensity of the light anyway because they are already using as much light as they can and the extra energy is just damaging the cells
You may want to look into Sepp Holzer’s take on permaculture. He managed to grow citrus in the Alps at 1500m working with micro-climates and tweaking the conditions to the requirements of the plants. Often going against common horticultural practices (like pruning, interplanting etc.). There is probably no fool-proof answer to your question as soil, climate, weather,(number of sunny days during ripening period), location in relation to other structures like houses/fences, etc. have to be considered.
I think the easy answer is: Does anyone grow peaches in your town? And the easy comeback may be: Someone has to try first and go about it in a smart way…
I’m not saying I believe there is a magical 6-hr window that equates to “Full Sun”, I’m saying plants differ in their needs for sun. For example. I have some Columbines that are said to be “Early Spring” bloomers, but the ones I have get very little sun, so, even now, they’re not blooming.
This should be self-evident, since my question is about plants with Full Sun needs potentially not needing typical Full Sun hours due to variations in Sun UV here.
