All I can say is keep going back and removing more, even if you think you're done. One per 12 inches is what I do.

Thanks, melikeeatplants, I plan to! I keep reading that you need to thin them at exactly the "right size" or you'll cause problems with the fruit that remains. Unfortunately, different articles cite different sizes. lol! A friend who lives in another state just told me that they don't thin peaches there... they just prop the limbs up with notched boards. I can see it keeping the limbs from breaking, but will a tree abort larger fruit if there simply isn't enough room for it all to expand and mature?

The smaller the fruit at thinning the better. Yours are a good size. Thin to what you think is right and then take off another 50%. Or as stated 12 inches.

Propping up the limbs may keep them from breaking, and maybe not. But you will be left with a boatload of small inferior fruit. Sugar will be lower. Propping is the lazy way to an inferior result. That assumes you value eating quality of the fruit. If you have an army to feed you may value quantity over quality.

Thanks, fruitnut.

what's color of your peach flower ? is it red or pink ?

pink flowers. They are Reliance peaches.

Reliance has marginal eating quality at it's best. When I had one I thinned it extra hard in an attempt to get decent fruit.

I grow Reliance and Contender in WI. I am very fond of Reliance. Yes the fruit size is small (even when thinned hard) and they have soft flesh so do not ship well. Yet they are much better than the store bought peaches 99% of the time.

One year my Reliance crop was disappointing because the fruit was ripe,juicy but no sweetness. I used that crop for peach jam and peach pie. I had a few years where they were just the best most flavorful peaches I ever ate. Yes the quality of my Reliance seems to vary over the years. Perhaps better varieties exist for those of you in warmer climates, but as far north as I am I am happy to be able to grow peaches at all. I find the flavor decent enough to warrant growing them in my situation.

I got my first crop of Contender last year. It ripens later than Reliance and has much larger and firmer fruit. Tough to evaluate from just the first harvest. I will see what they taste like this year. They tasted fine but I actually preferred Reliance for flavor.

Thanks for the info spartanapples and fruitnut. :) I don't have much choice in my zone, and at the time I bought them Reliance got the better ratings. But ANY locally-grown peach would be pretty amazing for me. lol!

Any homegrown peach is going to be better than the rocks they sell at the store. Enjoy your fruit!

I don't know if you get peach pests in your area, but it's a pretty common problem, and they can ruin the entire crop. You might want to try bagging a couple right now so that no matter what happens you at least get to taste the fruit for the first time.

Well, I have the answer to my question... the trees seem to be aborting excess fruit naturally. I went out this evening to thin more fruit and found the ground completely littered with small peaches. :)