Depends on the rootstock. how well it's cared for and how "lucky" it is with the typical "life-ending" diseases and natural damage of peach trees, or trees in general. Also it depends on what your view of "giving fruit" really means. It could produce fruit for decades. but after time it would likely diminish in production and quality. Peaches are one of the shorter lived trees. As with anything though there are always a few "lucky" survivors.

Too, a peach tree takes a lot of water, weeding, and insect and disease control. Another venerable peach tree once grew in Lampasas County. In the early 1930s, a tree belonging to L.W. McCrea measured six feet in circumference. At the time (1934) it was considered one of the oldest peach trees in Texas. McCrea said his family planted the tree in the late 1860s or early 1870s.

Obviously this is an unusual situation. I wouldn't expect your Redhaven will be alive and well in 75 years. This tree was probably seed planted and I would expect (as is true of most fruit trees) that a seedling tree would live much longer than it's grafted counterpart if it were fortunate enough to have the genetics for it.

In my neighborhood, there is an old peach tree. Every year it loads with peaches. See picture I took this year. The picture was taken after the owner of the peach tree 1st harvest.

How old do you think the peach tree is?

This post was edited by FruitNewbieNYC on Thu, Oct 16, 14 at 18:20

Needinfo,

Your peach tree may flower and have fruit next spring. You may not want to keep the fruit by taking them out so your tree can put its energy into growing/establishing itself.

Usually, around year 3, a peach tree will bear fruit. They will bear a lot of fruit. You need to thin them. Some of us keep one fruit for every 6-8" apart. Most new growers have a hard time thinning out fruit (too emotional). It needs to be done so your peaches will have grow in size and taste.

Peach trees have many diseases and insects that could attack their trunk, leaves, fruit. That probably is why they are relatively short-time comparing to apple or pear trees. It appears commercial growers give peach trees about 10-15 years for maximum production before replacing them.

Backyard gardeners like us probably keep our peach trees until they show serious decline in production or in health whichever comes first. That can be 2 years or 30 years. Peach tree borers can kill your trees in a year or two.

Read up. A lot of people in this forum grow peach trees. Most encounter the same problems re. diseases and insects.

Peach trees are like a pioneer species, they grow fast, bear young and die young. In that context they may live and bare fruit for up to 50 years or so in rare cases. Here in southeast NY I have a 22 year old Madison peach that shows no signs of decline, but a Jonboy growing next to it that is on its way out after about 15. Maybe it's a coincidence but the Jonboy was the more vigorous tree in its prime.

The main issue here is controlling borers which on older trees may not cause death outright, but I believe may lead to decline and gradual premature death. Where you are nematodes may be as large an issue and are harder to control. Hopefully the tree is on Nemaguard rootstock but if you bought it at a big box or a non-fruit specialty nursery it's anybody's guess.

I think borers are the major reason why peach trees tend not to live long. If left alone for 10 years borers will find and eventually kill about any peach tree.

Everyone with a peach tree should read up on borers and know the signs (both the frass at ground level and what the moths look like). One day a few years ago I noticed this odd looking moth and recognized it from something I read about borers. That was what led me down my path to control them.

Scott