I have posted about my problem this year of a bumper crop of huge, softball sized peaches, perfectly beautiful but devoid of flavor because of inadequate sugar. I managed my trees as I always have, giving them a modest shot of quick release N early, no extra water, with only two insecticide sprays in spring and fungicide spray at two week intervals to keep them pristine (I use the beauty of my fruit to sell trees form my nursery). Most of my customers get only one fungicide spray during summer.
The difference this season has almost surely been the excess rain. However, no other orchard I mange has had the same level of blandness- all my clients seem to have better flavored peaches than mine- delicious to my bland.
My peaches are huge while their’s are more average store size. They received an early shot of N also, although mine was my urine and their’s was sulfur coated urea, so should have lasted longer. I’m quite convinced that it is the excessive vigor of my trees causing the problem and I think it is because, against my own advice, I keep mulching my trees. I think this greatly increases the amount of available water- especially as the humus layer below builds over the years. I mulch them mainly to allow not to have grass grow right up to the trunks, which seems to shorten the life of peach trees by seriously reducing their vigor.
However, some of my customers use the same mulching system, but it hasn’t led to the same vigor of their trees at most places. Obviously, how you manage your trees has to be adjusted to your specific site.
I have raked off mulch and some of the rich humus at the base of my later fruiting peaches and nectarines. Measured a nectarine today receiving this treatment and got an 18 reading for brix- it was delicious- a higher number wouldn’t improve it, IMO. However, it is probably not the result of my action, because I only did it a few days ago. Also, this is the least vigorous peach or nect tree in my orchard and always has been. It has also always been the source of some of my most highly flavored fruit.
The trick of being a great fruit grower is finding the sweet spot of moderate vigor for your trees and keeping it their, irregardless of weather. I hope to achieve greatness one day, but I’m getting pretty old.