"The Texas Peach Handbook" by Jim Kamas and Larry Stein

We bookworms don’t always read fiction.  The library has a whole room of non-fiction titles, such as “The Texas Peach Handbook” by Jim Kamas and Larry Stein.  These authors are both horticulturists associated with the Texas A&M University System and the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Service.  Together they have over 55 years of experience growing peaches in Texas.

The book covers all aspects of growing peaches - from site selection to harvesting and marketing.  It covers site preparation planting, pruning, and training.  Rootstock selection is also discussed, as that is a very important topic.  Remember: half the tree is underground and very important things are going on down there.  Peach varieties are discussed and the chilling dormancy (cooling hours) requirement is explained for many varieties.  (We are usually concerned about losing a crop to freezing but this year we lost a crop because it wasn’t cold enough.  The book explains that.)

Water management, orchard floor management, fertilization, diseases, insects and even thinning is discussed.  The book is written for both homeowners with a single tree or two and for commercial growers.  There is even a section on financial needs to get in to the peach business.

Unfortunately, a single easy-to-read and well-illustrated book can’t cover all the intricacies of growing peaches.  But with a basic understanding of peach growing learned from this book, a grower can effectively use the internet to ask relevant questions.