A Guide to Bonanza Patio Peach Trees
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The Prunus persica “Bonanza” tree, or Bonanza patio peach tree, is a dwarf peach tree that can be planted in smaller spaces and is perfect for small gardens. Grown in a pot on a patio and carefully pruned, it can provide you with delicious fruit without taking up much real estate. Below, we’ll outline the growing conditions for a Bonanza dwarf peach tree and how to maintain it so you can decide whether this tree is right for your outdoor space.
Bonanza Patio Peach Tree Overview
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Fruit size |
Less than 3 inches in diameter |
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Fruit uses |
Eat raw or in a recipe, like peach cobbler |
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Fruit color |
Red and yellow blush skin, yellow flesh |
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Fruit texture and flavor |
Fuzzy outside and juicy texture inside, sweet flavor |
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Region |
South, West Coast |
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Hardiness Zone |
6–9 |
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Growing season |
Blooms in early spring, pick in July or August |
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Susceptibility |
Peach leaf curl, mildew, brown rot, scab disease |
What Does a Bonanza Patio Peach Tree Look Like?
This peach tree cultivar was created to quickly grow Bonanza peaches while taking up minimal space, perfect for a small garden or a patio. The Bonanza peach tree has green leaves and pink blossoms that turn into peaches when fertilized. This tree is self-pollinating, so you only need one tree to bear fruit.
The peaches have red and yellow fuzzy skin and flesh that’s white, juicy, and sweet. Typically, a dwarf Bonanza tree grows to be 4 to 6 feet tall and wide, while the peaches produced will likely be smaller than those on regular-sized trees with a diameter of less than 3 inches.
Growing Conditions for a Bonanza Patio Peach Tree
This type of tree requires some specific conditions and substantial maintenance to thrive. To help your Bonanza peach tree reach its full potential, ensure you can meet the following growing conditions.
- Sun and Soil: Peach trees require full sun for at least six hours a day. Since a Bonanza tree is usually potted, you can easily move it around your home if it’s not getting enough sunlight. Regarding soil, Bonanza peach trees need sandy, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH of 6.0 to 6.5.
- Fertilizer: Fertilize the peach tree in the spring and fall with a 10-10-10 fertilizer. This balanced fertilizer contains 10% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus, and 10% potassium. During hot, summer months, spread a 2-inch layer of organic mulch around the base of the tree, being careful not to let it touch the trunk—this mulch will lock in moisture and keep the roots cool.
- Watering: Water your peach tree whenever the soil feels dry. Hold a hose set on a low volume over the pot until water starts to leak out of the drainage holes. For newly planted trees, mature trees during fruit production season, and trees in wood or unglazed clay pots, you will need to water more frequently. The watering schedule will also change depending on the weather. During hot, dry days, water the tree every day. During winter, water the peach tree once or twice a week. If the top 2 inches of potting soil feel dry, it’s time to water.
- Ideal Hardiness Zones: Bonanza patio peach trees grow best in USDA Hardiness Zones 6–9, where the temperature doesn’t drop below zero degrees Fahrenheit. These zones contain mostly southern states and states along the West Coast. Keep in mind, though, that this tree requires at least 250 hours of chill time at temperatures below 45°F for the buds to open in spring.
- Pruning: All fruit trees must be pruned, and a potted dwarf tree requires pruning to maintain its size and shape. Do this in late winter or early spring before the leaf buds open. Your tree may also require mid-summer pruning to keep the spring growth in check.
How to Plant a Bonanza Patio Peach Tree
The Bonanza patio peach tree gets its name because it’s meant to be potted and placed on a patio, though you can plant it in your yard if the climate is suitable. When you purchase this type of tree, you’ll be given a bare root tree, which is a tree that has been grown elsewhere, dug out while dormant, shaken free of excess soil, and stored in moist material.
Once you have your Bonanza peach sapling, here’s how to pot it:
- Find a pot that’s approximately twice the size of the plant’s shipping container.
- Move the tree from its original pot to the new pot filled with rich, sandy potting soil.
- Make sure the root ball is 2 inches from the surface of the container.
- Water the tree until water comes out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
- Move the pot to a spot that will get direct sunlight.
The Bonanza peach tree won’t bear its first batch of peaches until three or four years of age. After that, the tree should produce peaches every year as long as it gets pruned and receives the necessary chill hours. Flowers will bloom in the spring and peaches will be ready to pick by July or August.
Tolerance and Susceptibility
Bonanza peach trees aren’t tolerant to any extreme weather conditions or diseases, so bring your potted peach tree indoors during periods of very high or low temperature.
Diseases
These trees are highly susceptible to peach leaf curl, mildew, brown rot and peach scab. Peach leaf curl is a fungal disease that causes the peach leaves to curl down and turn red or purple and causes a smaller crop yield and misshapen fruit. You can protect against this disease by covering the plant during winter rains to keep excess moisture out.
Mildew attacks any part of the tree with a gray, powdery substance. Brown rot creates gray, fuzzy spots, and scab disease creates olive green or brown spots. All of these will attack any part of the plant, including the leaves, fruits, and branches.
Wildlife Threats
Common garden pests that can attack your fruit tree include moths, stink bugs, borers, aphids, nematodes, and caterpillars. Certain animals like deer, squirrels, and opossums may also steal your peaches for food. To prevent wildlife from damaging your tree, pick up and dispose of fallen peaches, prune or remove fruit tree limbs, and cover the peach tree’s leaves with reusable plastic mesh bird netting about three weeks before the peaches are ripe.
Our Conclusion
If you want to grow a peach tree but don’t have the space for a regular-sized tree, the Bonanza patio peach tree may be the answer. These trees require regular watering, pruning, and checking for pests or disease, but if you’re willing to put in the work, consider purchasing this type of peach tree from your local nursery or online.
FAQ About Bonanza Patio Peach Trees
Can you eat peaches from a Bonanza peach tree?
Yes, the fruit on a Bonanza peach tree is edible. However, the peaches produced may be smaller in size than the peaches on full-sized fruit trees.
Can I grow a Bonanza patio peach tree indoors?
Peach trees grow best outdoors in the sun, but you can start your Bonanza peach tree indoors and move it outdoors once the fruit starts to grow.
Can you overwater a Bonanza patio peach tree?
Yes. In fact, overwatering is more common than underwatering. Too much water can decrease the tree’s health and leave it susceptible to brown rot, which occurs in wet conditions.
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