DESCRIPTIONS OF PEACH & NECTARINE CULTIVARS, 2017.
PEACHES
Autumnstar: The tree and buds are extremely hardy, according to Van Well Nursery. Fruit size as grown here is very uniform. Fruits are freestone, round, 70-80% red blush, medium to large, and very firm. A real hit at the farmers’ market, it ripens 45 days after Redhaven, Sept. 9-11, 2014 in our orchard.
Chinese Honey Peach: Has survived temperatures of -34F without winter-injury in SW Minnesota during the past ten growing seasons. Tree growth habit is upright to spreading; tree appears to be precocious based on our experience here. Fruits are small to medium sized, with silvery-greenish-yellow skin and with red around the pit and white flesh. Brix levels of fruit were 17 degrees in 2015. Fruit must be harvested immature and stored for a week in the refrigerator for it to be freestone and somewhat sweet; otherwise it is fibrous and clingstone if left to hang till it is tree ripe. Compatible with Manchurian apricot rootstock; this is what our tree is on. Ripens with Contender.
Contender: A consistent cropper that blooms late, noted as a great peach in areas where frost is a problem. The fruit is large, round, and highly colored. Flesh is freestone, sweet, full of flavor, resists browning when cut. The best-flavored peach we grow. Ripens 27 days after Redhaven.
Flamin’ Fury PF-24C: This cultivar has a reputation for cropping when other peaches succumb to frost and cold temperatures. As grown here, growth habit is spreading, vigor moderate. Fruit is large, highly colored, sweet, and juicy, ripening 24 days after Redhaven; and it is bacterial spot resistant.
Golden Jubilee: Yellow-skinned peach with light yellow flesh, fruit is medium to large and oblong in shape, very popular for home canning. Tree is spreading as grown here; fruit ripens 5 days after Redhaven.
Harrow Diamond: Redskin x Harbinger cross. Tree is medium vigor, open-spreading with wide crotch angles, resistant to bacterial spot, brown rot, and peach-leaf curl. Fruit ripens very early (July 7-9, 2014 here, about 18 days before Redhaven), is medium sized, bright red blush over yellow ground color. Flesh is freestone when ripe, yellow, non-browning, juicy, sweet. An outstanding peach for its season.
Reliance: Grown in Homedale, but not in my orchard, ripens 3 days after Redhaven. Fruit size is medium to large, round in shape. In hardiness second only to Veteran, based on MN observations.
Risingstar: Tree is of medium vigor, hardy and productive with good resistance to bacterial spot and peach canker. Flower buds and blossoms are very hardy, resulting in heavy fruit set and needing diligent thinning to get decent size. Fruits average 2-1/2” and larger. Skin is 80% bright orange-red. Flesh is firm and melting with a pleasing sugar:acid ratio, non-browning and semi-freestone, ripening 14 days before Redhaven or July 15, 2014 here. The peach is more attractive to birds, yellowjackets, and honeybees than any other peach I grow!
Veteran: From Canada, 1928, has withstood -29F in central MN and borne a crop. Tree has a spreading growth habit and medium vigor. Fruits are sweet, large, moderately firm, mostly yellow in color. Flavor is outstanding; a favorite for home canners. Veteran ripens 24 days after Redhaven. Ours were ripe Aug. 12-14, 2014. (Note: I do not have Redhaven growing here.)
NECTARINES
Easternglo: Ripe early August in western NY State. Reported to have good hardiness and vigor. Fruit is large, red, with a very smooth skin and excellent flavor. Yellow flesh is freestone. We planted our tree in April 2014. It grew well but had no fruit in this, its first year.
Fantasia: Tree is vigorous, productive, self-fruitful. Fruit is large, ovate, dark red here, the harvest date being Sept. 5-7, 2014. Flesh is yellow, smooth, firm, excellent flavor—our best nectarine.
Firebright: Tree is somewhat upright in growth habit and vigorous. Fruits are yellow heavily blushed with red, flesh is semi-clingstone and yellow. Fruits came ripe Aug. 12-16, 2014, our earliest ripening nectarine.
Red Gold: Tree is medium vigor, upright to spreading, moderately productive, good disease resistance in the South. Fruit is yellow blushed with red, firm, a good keeper and ships well, tastes good. Harvest was Aug. 28, 2014.
PEACHES
Autumnstar: The tree and buds are extremely hardy, according to Van Well Nursery. Fruit size as grown here is very uniform. Fruits are freestone, round, 70-80% red blush, medium to large, and very firm. A real hit at the farmers’ market, it ripens 45 days after Redhaven, Sept. 9-11, 2014 in our orchard.
Chinese Honey Peach: Has survived temperatures of -34F without winter-injury in SW Minnesota during the past ten growing seasons. Tree growth habit is upright to spreading; tree appears to be precocious based on our experience here. Fruits are small to medium sized, with silvery-greenish-yellow skin and with red around the pit and white flesh. Brix levels of fruit were 17 degrees in 2015. Fruit must be harvested immature and stored for a week in the refrigerator for it to be freestone and somewhat sweet; otherwise it is fibrous and clingstone if left to hang till it is tree ripe. Compatible with Manchurian apricot rootstock; this is what our tree is on. Ripens with Contender.
Contender: A consistent cropper that blooms late, noted as a great peach in areas where frost is a problem. The fruit is large, round, and highly colored. Flesh is freestone, sweet, full of flavor, resists browning when cut. The best-flavored peach we grow. Ripens 27 days after Redhaven.
Flamin’ Fury PF-24C: This cultivar has a reputation for cropping when other peaches succumb to frost and cold temperatures. As grown here, growth habit is spreading, vigor moderate. Fruit is large, highly colored, sweet, and juicy, ripening 24 days after Redhaven; and it is bacterial spot resistant.
Golden Jubilee: Yellow-skinned peach with light yellow flesh, fruit is medium to large and oblong in shape, very popular for home canning. Tree is spreading as grown here; fruit ripens 5 days after Redhaven.
Harrow Diamond: Redskin x Harbinger cross. Tree is medium vigor, open-spreading with wide crotch angles, resistant to bacterial spot, brown rot, and peach-leaf curl. Fruit ripens very early (July 7-9, 2014 here, about 18 days before Redhaven), is medium sized, bright red blush over yellow ground color. Flesh is freestone when ripe, yellow, non-browning, juicy, sweet. An outstanding peach for its season.
Reliance: Grown in Homedale, but not in my orchard, ripens 3 days after Redhaven. Fruit size is medium to large, round in shape. In hardiness second only to Veteran, based on MN observations.
Risingstar: Tree is of medium vigor, hardy and productive with good resistance to bacterial spot and peach canker. Flower buds and blossoms are very hardy, resulting in heavy fruit set and needing diligent thinning to get decent size. Fruits average 2-1/2” and larger. Skin is 80% bright orange-red. Flesh is firm and melting with a pleasing sugar:acid ratio, non-browning and semi-freestone, ripening 14 days before Redhaven or July 15, 2014 here. The peach is more attractive to birds, yellowjackets, and honeybees than any other peach I grow!
Veteran: From Canada, 1928, has withstood -29F in central MN and borne a crop. Tree has a spreading growth habit and medium vigor. Fruits are sweet, large, moderately firm, mostly yellow in color. Flavor is outstanding; a favorite for home canners. Veteran ripens 24 days after Redhaven. Ours were ripe Aug. 12-14, 2014. (Note: I do not have Redhaven growing here.)
NECTARINES
Easternglo: Ripe early August in western NY State. Reported to have good hardiness and vigor. Fruit is large, red, with a very smooth skin and excellent flavor. Yellow flesh is freestone. We planted our tree in April 2014. It grew well but had no fruit in this, its first year.
Fantasia: Tree is vigorous, productive, self-fruitful. Fruit is large, ovate, dark red here, the harvest date being Sept. 5-7, 2014. Flesh is yellow, smooth, firm, excellent flavor—our best nectarine.
Firebright: Tree is somewhat upright in growth habit and vigorous. Fruits are yellow heavily blushed with red, flesh is semi-clingstone and yellow. Fruits came ripe Aug. 12-16, 2014, our earliest ripening nectarine.
Red Gold: Tree is medium vigor, upright to spreading, moderately productive, good disease resistance in the South. Fruit is yellow blushed with red, firm, a good keeper and ships well, tastes good. Harvest was Aug. 28, 2014.