Effects of low shading grade white cheesecloth cover (giving 10% shade) on the shoot growth and fruit quality of peach (Prunus persica Batsch cv. 'Hikawahakuho') trees were investigated. The covering greatly reduced terminal shoot growth and their contact with cheesecloth caused shoot bending resulting in mutual shading with shoots. It seemed that this delayed fruit maturation and slightly lowered fruit quality when harvested at the same time as the control. The leaf drop of covered trees was one-fifth that of the control when the trees were affected by a typhoon. The ethylene production and abscisic acid (ABA) content of the shoot tips of covered trees tended to be higher than those of the control ones. Therefore, the inhibition of shoot growth by low grade shading white cheesecloth covering may be caused by promotion of ethylene production and ABA accumulation in the shoot tips.