You keep talking up the Arctic Glo nectarines, I really want to try it here. That, and Indian Free peach. I know they’re on opposite ends of the season, but how do those two compare?
They are both high acid fruits, but AG has less than IF. They both have a kinda cranberry flavor mixed with peach or nectarine flavor, because of that they do not taste the same exactly. I like both a lot. most years the flesh is red throughout AG, but only once in awhile on IF. AG like all white nectarines has a thick skin, not as thick as some whites. Most white process poorly, but these do not. AG also is a cling stone. I crossed both hoping for a red that ripens in between them. I still have to grow the seeds out. AG is not easy to grow, can have problems with insects and the usual nectarine problems. I added a few yellow nectarines as grafts, and some yellow peaches too. I also added Indian Blood cling peach. I hope to get wood from other red fleshed peaches and nectarines. If anybody has the others, I’m looking for scion, so if you can help out, please contact me.
The color is almost certainly climate-dependent. The Indian Free peaches that I grow here on the Northern California coast are invariably deep purple right down to the pit; they’re indistinguishable from the adjacent Black Boy peaches (apart from being less prolific). Indian (Blood) Cling is marbled red here, definitely lighter than the other two.
I really like these peaches. Apart from a light amount of PLC early in the season, they’ve been pest- and disease-free. I spray them with a light oil once in the winter, and with a neem/Serenade mix once just before bloom, and that’s it - they don’t need anything else (knock on wood).
Here are a bunch of IFs I picked a couple days ago, been enjoying them daily. Color varies widely from peach to peach. A few are quite red, but most are not.
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Yumm! That is a very fine and flavorful late season treat.
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Yes, mine are not that red this year. I started harvesting them. I thought it would be in a couple weeks, but some are ready.
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That is beautiful! I planted one Indian Free this year. I wanted to give it a try, but I am a little concerned about how late it ripens. We will see…
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I was worried also, because I’m in S. NY away from the coast far enough to shorten my season. However, even this wet, gray season the fruit ripened and is pretty good, right off the tree. It’s better most years, though, with higher brix.
That said, it’s main use for me is cooked and in that context Heath Cling appears to be a better performer. The peaches are cleaner, bigger and the crop much heavier- but the flesh is greenish white with no red, so not the eye-candy that is IF.
This year HC has a funny slightly bitter off taste off the tree, but once cooked, that disappears and it has lots of peachy flavor. It also holds its texture well and will keep in cool storage later than IF because of its firm flesh and slightly later baring.
For people that like cooking with peaches, having some of both varieties is a plus.
Scott turned me on to this variety, but never mentions it in his reports.
Thanks Alan, I am encouraged that Indian Free does well for you. We have great Summers here in Spokane, but the days get short and cold rapidly in the Fall - it’s great apple country.
The first time I tasted IF was at Monticello in VA in August a long time ago. I expect IF will ripen in Spokane before that cool weather comes in, but as long as day temps are in the '60’s at least, IF seems to ripen pretty well, even when there’s lots of cool rainy weather.