Hi Leira,

Sounds like an exciting project, especially since I love peaches. (g) For some reason, I've been drawn to fruit trees this spring. I don't have room for one but I wish I did. I have no experience with fruit trees either. I think you have access to a lot of great material. I know there is a fruit forum on GW and an organic forum as well. Maybe you would find more help there? Good luck!

There are a few issues to think about before you plant this tree.

The first is that don't want to amend the soil in the planting hole too much so that it is a lot different in composition from the surrounding soil. It this happens, then the root system of the tree will not grow out into the surrounding soil as readily because all of the good stuff is in the planting hole. You essentially create a potted plant in this scenario.

When you plant a tree, you don't want to fertilize with anything high in nitrogen (like rabbit manure). That will encourage canopy growth without a root system to support it. For fruit trees, this can also encourage disease and attract pests. Your pH is probably not an issue because fruit trees like slightly acidic soil which is abundant here in New England. If anything, you may have to add some limestone to raise the pH if it's a little too low. The one thing that you have that I would suggest mixing with the dirt of the planting hole is the compost. It is usually high in both phosphorus and potassium which are both key for a healthy, growing root system and these two elements are essential for flowering plants. Just don't get too carried away with this because of the issue that I mentioned earlier about making the hole more inviting than the surrounding soil.

The second issue at hand here is the fact that this tree is not grafted. You are gambling with this situation. Fruit trees are grafted for several reasons. It controls their growth and eventual size, their cold hardiness, their bloom time and you know what cultivar of fruit you are going to be getting. If this tree was grown from seed then you don't know any of these things. You also don't know if this tree will fruit best with a pollinator nearby. You may have a new variety of peach that is the best-tasting ever or you may have a tree that's a read dud that hardly produces fruit and what little it does produce tastes horrible. You just don't know.

Ditto what Tree-oracle says. When I plant woody plants I do not amend the native soil. When the texture and nutrient level of the soil in the planting hole is different from the surrounding native soil, it can hold water and nutrients in a bowl. This can lead to poor drainage and discourage roots from growing naturally outward.

Perhaps you could check the Fruit & Orchards forum to see if there's anything special about fertilizing fruit trees. I never fertilize woody plants, usually mulch generously with compost, which will more slowly nourish soil and the plant. Compost tea might be a good idea though?