The Stone Fruit Tree That Doesn't Belong Indoors

People these days seem to be growing everything indoors. From vegetables to herbs, and flowers to fruits, the list just goes on and on. After all, not everyone has a garden or a yard at home. In fact, nearly half of US adults don't have access to a garden. Now, naturally, this makes many people wonder which fruit trees they can successfully grow indoors. While there are many good options, stone fruit trees like peaches are often very difficult to grow indoors. This is because a peach tree requires a very specific set of growing conditions that are difficult to replicate indoors. Take, for instance, their chilling hours need. Depending on the variety, a peach tree may require 200 to 800 chilling hours. Achieving this indoors is often very difficult. And if you don't provide your peach tree with sufficient chilling hours, it will have a poor fruit set.

In some cases, it might not even bloom or produce fruit. Beyond chilling hours, you must also consider a peach tree's light requirements. Peach trees are full-sun plants. You must provide them with at least six to eight hours of bright sunlight daily. If you don't, your tree will grow slowly and may not produce fruit. And even if it does, the fruit likely won't ripen. And lastly, there is the peach tree size. Although dwarf cultivars are available, peach trees, in general, are large plants measuring about 20 feet wide and 15 feet tall. Put simply, a peach tree does not belong inside a home, and you should look for some other fruit tree to grow indoors.

If you are still dead set on growing a peach tree indoors, the first thing you need to do is pick a dwarf bonsai variety. Honey Babe peach (Prunus persica 'Honey Babe'), Pix Zee peach (Prunus persica 'Pix Zee'), and Bonanza peach (Prunus persica 'Bonanza') are some good choices. Next, pick a container that is at least 12 to18 inches deep and has good drainage. In addition, use a high-quality, well-draining potting mix to grow your peach tree.

Find a well-lit spot to place your plant. More often than not, when growing a peach tree inside a home, you will need to add some grow lights for indoor plants. You also need to make sure to water and fertilize on time. Peach trees need consistently moist soil, so water regularly. As for fertilizing, feed the plant with a liquid fertilizer every few weeks during the growing season. Just keep in mind that while you might be able to meet most of the needs of a peach tree indoors, fulfilling its chilling hours requirement is a whole other story.

You just cannot fully grow a peach tree indoors. So, as soon as your peach tree starts losing its leaves, move it outdoors. If you don't have a yard or garden, a patio or balcony will also do the job. Then, when the plant breaks its dormancy, bring it back inside. However, even after going through all of this trouble, don't expect a good yield from a peach tree grown indoors. Honestly, you would be just better off growing other indoor fruit trees that you can harvest all year round.