Lam Dong’s Peach Growers Hold Their Breath as Lunar New Year Nears

For peach growers, this is not merely the final stage of cultivation but a period of intense anticipation—closely watching every bud and every weather fluctuation to ensure the blossoms bloom on time for Tet.

Watching Every Bud Amid Unpredictable Weather

In Lam Dong, Tet peach trees are far more than decorative plants. For hundreds of households, they represent the main source of annual income.

A successful Tet season can generate enough income to cover living expenses and reinvest in the next crop. As a result, prolonged cold spells or sudden heat waves can quickly unsettle growers.

In Hiep Thanh Commune, Mr. Tran Toan’s orchard has been bustling since the beginning of the twelfth lunar month. His family now spends most of their time in the garden. Each morning and late afternoon, he inspects buds, branches, and leaves to fine-tune care measures.

“This year’s peach trees are growing well, but the weather is very unstable,” Mr. Toan said. “One day it’s hot, the next it’s sharply cold. If leaf stripping is done just a few days too early or too late, the flowers will miss Tet.”

Over the past three weeks, his family has mobilized additional labor to strip leaves and pot thousands of peach trees aged between two and six years. Extended rains and repeated cold air spells this season have made cultivation more demanding. Growers must constantly “slow down” or “speed up” blooming by adjusting irrigation, shading, humidity control, and even covering trees with plastic sheets during sudden cold nights.

Thanks to nearly a decade of experience, Mr. Toan’s orchard now has hundreds of peach trees with dense buds expected to bloom right at Tet. Prices at the garden remain stable, ranging from VND 1.2 million to VND 5 million per tree depending on age and shape, with many already pre-ordered or rented.

Leaf Stripping: The Decisive Stage

According to orchard owners, leaf stripping is the decisive factor determining bloom timing. Prolonged cold weather requires earlier stripping, while warmer conditions mean delaying the process to prevent premature blooming.

In Thach That 1 Hamlet, Tan Ha Lam Ha Commune, Nguyen Quang Tuan and his wife are busy pruning and shaping potted peach trees for the market.

“Learning from previous years, we no longer strip leaves all at once,” Mr. Tuan said. “This year, we divide it into several batches to hedge against weather risks.”

His orchard has around 350 Nhat Tan and Cao Bang peach trees, along with more than 150 trees entrusted by customers for year-round care. Staggered leaf stripping, he said, provides greater flexibility if weather conditions shift.

Growing a well-shaped peach tree takes at least three years, he added. The trees are mainly cultivated with organic fertilizer, carefully watered, and pruned repeatedly to achieve balanced canopies and desired forms before sale.

Nam Ban Lam Ha Commune is currently the largest concentrated area for Nhat Tan peach cultivation in the region. Many residents who migrated from Hanoi brought with them the traditional peach-growing craft of their ancestors. For them, peach blossoms are not only a livelihood but also a cherished cultural symbol of Tet.

Mr. Chu Van Loi, whose family has grown peach trees for four generations, is widely trusted among peach enthusiasts. Thanks to his deep understanding of annual climate patterns, he can adjust care techniques to ensure timely blooming. This year, he is focusing on popular tree shapes such as cascading, waterfall-style, and “five-blessing” forms.

Most of the trees in his orchard have already been reserved for rental, with average prices around VND 2.5 million per tree. Ancient peach trees aged 40–50 years can fetch rental fees of VND 15–20 million.

“Growing peach trees requires not only meticulous care but also the experience to ‘read’ the weather,” Mr. Loi said. “Timing leaf stripping correctly is the key to controlling the flowering season.”

As Tet approaches, Lam Dong’s peach growers continue working quietly day and night in their orchards. For them, the moment the blossoms open at the right time is not only the reward for a year of labor, but also a symbol of hope for a warm and prosperous New Year.

According to preliminary figures, Da Lat, Duc Trong, Lam Ha, and Don Duong areas together have more than 50 specialized peach orchards with approximately 70,000 peach trees of various types, largely meeting local demand for Tet decorations.