Thats a bummer. Thanks for the insight.
Genetic dwarf peaches have super-short interstems, so they have a lot less stem for each new leaf made, compared to regular peach trees.
Mine were delicious, but very susceptible to peach leaf curl. Keeping them coceted from the winter rains really helped. Growing in containers, so the tree could be moved out of the rain in winter, also helped. However, mine needed watering twice daily during the hottest part of summer, and that was too much for me. So was moving the container into storage. So I gave up.
Maybe with some better pruning to keep it even smaller, including root pruning like some people do for container figs, mine would have done better.
I still think about it. I love fresh peaches.
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@Bear_with_me, I know you don’t spray your trees. I wonder if spraying once before bud open will eliminate peach leaf curl in our climate. I got a bunch of exotic peach varieties at the CRFG scion exchange and am very tempted to graft them on my young trees.
I intend to graft normal varieties onto my GD peach this year. It’s in a very big pot, and gets fertilized, but barely grows a half inch a year. Like Rob mentioned above, it doesn’t even grow enough to create new fruit wood. Just not viable, at least in a pot.
Also, I spray for peach leaf curl, but when you think about it, dwarf peaches aren’t a good idea for areas with PLC because the leaves are clustered so close together that there is no air circulation.
Returning to the topic of genetic dwarf peaches and, if I may add them here, nectarines.
In my rainy Pacific Northwest climate, peaches and nectarines are challenges that I have never solved.
i love eating the fresh fruits. I’ve tried many that were sold as leaf curl resistant, but died of the disease anyway, or struggle along with minimal fruits. I’m not up to spraying - with very limited exceptions - especially trees that reach above me, which is necessary because of deer. As I have less strength and endurance, I need to scale back. With the right system, genetic dwarf peaches can be protected from the rains and, therefore, leaf curl. And maybe, canker too?
The only real success I have had with peaches, is genetic dwarfs. The challenges for them, for me, were leaf curl for in-ground trees and watering and transporting for containerized trees.
I think I’d like to try genetic dwarfs again. I can design and build wooden boxes on small skids, sonI can use a dolly to haul them into my shed for the winter. The boxes can have double layered sides, with insulation such as bubble wrap sandwiched in between, and paint white or have mylar sides to reflect light and cool the contents for decreased watering need. The sides should be removable, to allow for removal of root ball for root pruning.
I was wondering about experiences on this forum with genetic dwarf cultivars. Raintree carries El Dorado, which I like a lot, and nectarines Arctic Babe and Necta Zee. I didn’t see much at other nurseries but didn’t look much.
Any experiences since prior posts? Flavor, productivity? They do have a different culture and challenges, but I think I might try again.
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Something to try,may be Joe Real’s organic fungicide mixture or otherwise yeah,they will need some kind of cover,if not using a chemical.
I had an Empress Peach.The fruit was okay about 12 brix,better than stuff at the grocery store.I gave the tree to a coworker.bb
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Bear,
Since you will build very good containers and have a way to move them in and out of a garage, wouldn’t you consider growing regular peaches on somewhat a dwarf rootstock like Citation?
I can’t recall if @fruitnut has any of his peaches and nectarines in pots. He would be a great resource.
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Thank you @mamuang. From my prior experiences, the genetic dwarf peaches are so much more compact than any regular peach tree. They are less top heavy, too, although I did have problems with them falling over when fully loaded and in need of water. I can also include a support system when i build the boxes. This will be my winter project.
In the end, I’d like to think of this as being like a tomato plant, only woody, and perennial, and bearing peaches instead of tomatoes.
In the past, I grew HoneyBabe and Sunny - something (I forget). They were tasty peaches too. Better than any store peach.
@Bradybb, thanks for the info. I tried so many things, none of them really effective. I might give in and try another spray on my existing trees - Charlotte, Salish Summer, and my young Frost and Kreibich Nectarine. But when the tree is 10 or 12 feet tall, towering over me, spray isn’t fun.
I’m thinking the genetic dwarfs are so much smaller, highly ornamental, very easy to thin fruits (and they do overset like crazy and need about 90% or more thinning), easy to pick fruits. I think I’m ready for another stab at container culture.
I also thought about that for bush cherries. But that is another topic.
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hey @Bear_with_me i just bought a Garden Gold miniature peach tree from home depot. it was looking kinda sad next to just ornamental shrubs. i searched for reviews of garden gold–not many results, but this page with your comments/pictures is one of those results.
we planted the garden gold in a large container. reading up, it looks pretty well suited for growing in containers and fruit is decent. we’re kinda on a peach kick right now in that our elberta peach tree we planted a year ago yielded delicious fruit! we also picked up an o’henry variety that we’ll put in the ground soon–it should ripen late august, after our elberta tree harvest finishes.
anyways back to the garden gold. your pic shows such beautiful flowers–something i really am looking forward to. how about the fruit? did you have to thin them? do you have a picture of them? also mind telling me where you’re located? we’re in the south sacramento area and it’s definitely hot.
thanks!
-raph
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Good luck Raph! I should check our home depot. If they have any, I will buy one.
I am near Portland, not as hot as Sacramento, Maybe it will be in five years.
They do over-set fruits. You need to really thin them - so they are about a fist apart, or about 5 inches apart. That might mean removal of 90% of fruits. I use a scissors.
Edit: These are Garden Gold peaches from my tree.
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thanks for your reply! so we’re addicted to the dwarf peaches…we went out looking for eldorado, but found a honey babe. the next day i went to another home depot and found a nectar babe nectarine for only $26. the honey babe was $48. i read up how the nectar babe benefits from pollinization from other peaches, suggesting the honey babe for example. so we got them! pic of the honey babe peach on the left, with the nectar babe on the right.
you’re right about thinning the fruit–these dwarf varieties show dense clusters of blossoms. should we wait until after the blossoms fall ?
can’t wait for summer of 2020!!! 
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Consider grafting peaches on Krymsk-1 rootstock, they make really compact peach trees. This gives you much more possibilities for choosing different peach varieties.
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Resurrecting this discussion. Where does one buy genetic dwarf peach trees? Is it just a matter of luck finding one at your local Home Depot?
It doesn’t help that I am late to the party. I’ve found some reasonably priced Elberta and Reliance on directgardening.com but the reviews are fishy.
For DWN trees, you can navigate to the variety you like and click “Where to buy” to see all the retailers who’ve ordered it for this year. Of course, that doesn’t mean they have it in stock, which you need to check with the individual retailers.
https://www.davewilson.com/product-information/product/necta-zee-miniature-nectarine
The other option is to get Lovell rootstocks and graft them next year. Many of these varieties are off patent now
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Yeah, that company is in Illinois. I bought a lot of stuff from them in my earlier garden years. But have not bought anything from them in past10 years. It does offer very attractive price that is why it still exists. The big problem with this company is quality and service. The trees or plants I ordered some lived some died shortly after receiving. So you take the risk. About the service and warranty. It does say cover for one year, but you have to save the shipping label on the package which in most cases, was thrown away to the garbage. It kind like sets you up for not able to claim the warranty. Also when they ship, the plants all stuffed in a garbage bag like dark plastic bag which may be ok, but the package I received was very wet inside and can smelled the mold. Well, this is my experiences, maybe it has been improved over the years. You can find it out.
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mine are a mix of raintree mail order (all DWN) and a local nursery who gets them from “eugene wholesale nursery” who actually grow them in town here (someday I may get to see their mother trees but I need to ask a friend because they don’t do retail). eugene wholesale nursery appears to have picked up some of the old le cooke varieties considered good for the PNW: golden glory, empress, garden annie (apricot), golden prolific, etc.
btw it’s early days but I didn’t have a spot of leaf curl on anything this year. my recipe was kocide+sticker around december, lime sulfur january, and ziram+sticker timed to the first hint of bud swell (february)
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Genetically dwarf peach trees have only a few varieties. They are also called Patio trees.
To my surprise, Home Depot near me (in MA) sells them this year. But at $64.00 I am not interested.
Elberta and Reliance are not genetically dwarf.
If you have Costco near buy, now is the time to look for their fruit trees, very reasonably good price and ofen good varieties.
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Well, I pulled the plug and ordered Reliance and Elberta from directgardening. They are calling them dwarf but I understand now that it’s different from patio/genetic dwarf (thanks, @mamuang ). I guess it’s going to be peach galore. Will look for patio ones at Costco and Home Depot. Otherwise, it will have to wait until next season.
The directgardening website is not the most user friendly. While going back and forth between different pages, I managed to order two Elberta peaches instead of one bigger one that was priced similarly. When I tried calling them their line is constantly busy. I sent an email but it says orders must be canceled the same business day. So far, not the best customer service experience but will wait for the trees to arrive before passing judgement.
I too fell pray to the low low prices of direct gardening. It really is a crap shoot with them. Some of the more hardy plants I ordered arrived in good condition, and did very well. Some others were DOA. It wasn’t worth the hassle for me do utilize the warrenty, for a few measly bucks. The sedum and ice plants I got from them thrived. The primrose pokers were sent out in 90 degree weather and rotted in the plastic bag. Mind you I placed this order in March it only shipped in August. ymmv but buyer beware.
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