Check if it's alive -- scratch the bark LIGHTLY in a few spots to check if it's green underneath. Bend the thinnest branches to see if they are flexible or stiff.

I agree that's it's troubling it's not showing signs of life yet. I'm also concerned that it didn't set any fruit in 2 years. But first, check if it's still alive.

Yes that is odd, esp being in Fla now. Up here (Va) my newest 2 year old peach tree is almost in full bloom mode. It's been my experience that peach trees (as do other fruit trees) will bloom first just before they put out their leaves.

Jojo and vgkg, thank you for your replies!!

The thin branches are still flexible, and I just scratched the trunk this morning. I had to scratch it a bit deep, but I found that yes, it is still green under there!!

What can I do to encourage it to leaf, or bloom? It has never had flowers, either. :(

miss hibiss 🌺

First, you need to keep the area around the trunk free of grass for at least a few years when the tree is young because grass is hungry for nitrogen and water, and it's stealing it from the tree. Peaches have thin feeder roots right under the surface and they can't compete with grass. This alone should make an improvement.

Can you tell us how you take care of the tree? Watering? Fertilizing?

How's your soil -- is it sandy?

Jojo,

I usually feed the tree with a balanced, water-solubl, all purpose plant food every 14-21 days. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of grass growing around the trunk... maybe that's why it has no leaves or flowers, the grass is stealing all its food!

I water it roughly once a week, but should probably water more often because, for some reason, rain is very very hard to come by this year!

What can I do to get my tree going? ♡

Your help is very much appreciated!!! ♡

miss 🌺

Oh, and!!:

The soil IS sandy, yes! Typical Florida soil, I think, a bit on the gray side and gritty.

Just Fruits and Exotics is a mail order nursery in Florida that sells several varieties of peaches. They give the chill hours for each variety in the description. Once you find out your chill hours it would be good to look at their site to see what is adapted. They are a reputable nursery. They might be close enough to you to visit.

Apart from the chilling requirement issue the bottom few inches of your tree is dark in your picture as though something may have happened down there. Otherwise there is lots of information here:

Cir1159/MG374: Florida Peach and Nectarine Varieties (ufl.edu)

Gary, thank you for this info even if it does sound sad for me and my little peach tree! :( I'm in West-Central Florida, near Tampa Bay, so...I'm in the 200-300 chill hours range.

Oh gosh.

Do you think my Dr. Davis has even a ghost of a chance here, in my tiny chill hours range??

Those links and the nursery information might come in very, very useful to me...

Thank you again,

Miss Hibiss

Embothrium,

Those bottom few inches of my peach's tree trunk DO look a bit dark. What does that mean? Is it a sign of poor health?

JoJo, I have cleared a circle of space under the tree! There is now no more grass in the area around its feet, and I've even put a little tree ring of rocks to keep the grass from growing in there. When can I expect to see signs of improvement--if at all, since my chill hours might be too few...? :(

miss hibiss

Honestly, if the tree doesn't bloom this year in which you had more than average chill hours, then it probably never will fruit. However, Tropic Snow and Tropic Beauty are in your range of chill hours. If it were me, I would see if the tree blooms this year, if not I would pull it up and plant another variety.

If it is any benefit, I was looking at peach trees at a big box store and they had an Elberta peach. You are not the only one that has planted the wrong tree. Just make sure the tree you replace it with has the proper chill hours.

Gary, I sure will look into Tropic Beauty and Tropic Snow (I LOVE white peaches so much)! They seem like they really would grow here. Can I find these varieties at big box stores like Home Depot or Lowes?

It was an online store that sent me the Dr. Davis peach, with the misinformation that it was right for my zone. Ugghh.

Then again, those stores have deceived me-- I have a concord grape vine that I bought at Lowes two year ago. And I am learning, the more I research into it, that it is unfit for Florida... no wonder it gave one teeny tiny bunch of grapes last year and it only JUST NOW started putting out little baby leaves.

I'm going to wait out this season, do the best I can... if this tree fails and does not even leaf, then I guess I'll know for sure Dr. Davis hates Florida.

When is the right time of year to plant a new baby peach tree, by any chance...? x:

Thank you so much,

miss hibiss

I am in Wichita ks zone 6A? pretty sure, and I am seeing leaves budding out but very few fruiting buds, I see the OP is in Florida so maybe I shouldn't even be posting? Should I start another post? I am uncertain of forum etiquette please advice. I have a dozen Intrepid peach trees, I had fruit the year before last, but none last year. We had a very unusual winter with record lows for multiple day, Intrepid is 1,050 chill hours and just now starting to see leaves. Please direct me if I am what they call high jacking this thread. Thanks

The best time is in the fall, but the second best is in late winter/ early spring. The main problem is most places have already sold out. I have seen Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes having one if not both Tropic snow and tropic beauty each year when they first get their shipment in the late winter. You can plant container trees any time of the year, but hot summer can be trying. If planting bare root you can plant them anytime plants are dormant as long as they have time to develop roots before summer sets in.

When growing grapes you have to get muscadine in the humid south due to disease. Some are self fertile, others need a pollinator. I am trying a couple of varieties that are crosses with muscadine, but the still have seeds. They have a couple of new varieties of muscadine that are seedless, but they are expensive and still a little too early to tell if they are worth planting.

Growing a peach tree in Tampa is going to be difficult, but not impossible. You will need to find a variety that has the lowest chill hours. I'm in a similar climate and got my first (small)peach 3 years after planting. This year (#4) I have 4 nice peaches. I likely purchased the tree from Just Fruits and Exotics which is where I've bought a number of fruit trees. Much luck and patience!

Everyone--

Thank you so much for all your comments and suggestions! They've been really helpful to start my new journey of...well, wondering what to do with this peach tree, lol!

Since the last time I was here, there have been some...interesting developments with my Dr. Davis peach tree.

Unfortunately, no bizarre midspring appearance of flowers, but leaves are coming in! As well as.... well, baby peach trees that are now pretty big. O.O See attached photo. I believe these little trees coming off the main tree are called 'suckers'? And are probably no good?

This photo was taken a month or so ago. And now, these tiny suckers are nearly my height now, probably a good four feet!

What should I do, guys? Should I cut down these suckers, take out this tree, give up?

The funniest part of this is that these only grew from the weirdest trigger: my mom dumping all the ice from our freezer onto the peach tree. Maybe it was tricked into thinking it had a few more chill hours? LOL!

Any suggestions would be appreciated, as always!

miss hibiss

Yes, those are suckers, come from the root stock. The only reason to keep them would be if you wanted to graft a good peach to them. Honestly, time to start over. Sorry. I had one die back but it did have one sprout above the graft. I cut off the others and will let it become a new tree. But all those look to be well below the graft.

Everyone--

Again, thank you for all the kind replies and help. Nearly one year later, and...

...my peach tree looks pretty much the same as the original photo I posted, if not worse. It's just a bit taller now, but just as stringy and nearly leafless. The few leaves it does have are yellow and spotty. One more year and this tree has not flowered or fruited.

Should I, in fact, get rid of this tree and start over? Is it really impossible to grow a Dr. Davis peach tree in central FL (Tampa)?

TIme to start over. If it is any comfort, I have tropic snow peach trees that have had very little cold temperatures that have decided winter is over. They are fully bloomed out and are now starting to push out leaves. There are peaches that will grow and produce in your area. Just not the Dr Davis peach.