My Redhaven Peach tree sucummed to deer antlers last winter, however the Lovell rootstock is coming back fast and healthy. Have any of you had experience or knowledge with Lovell peach trees? There is hardly anything online except that they taste like canned peaches. Seems like the Lovell used to be the main tree until people realized they could use the roots to graft other varieties.
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The FPS description above really says it all. In the SE US it had been used as a rootstock with more success where there is Peach Tree Short Life until Guardian was developed.
Lovell peach does have excellent dried fruit quality when harvested dead ripe.
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What does harvested dead ripe mean? Sorry Im a newby with 12 new fruit trees and an old one. I take it the Lovell is not as good fresh compared to the others that are grafted onto the rootstock?
Keep in mind that ‘Lovel’ rootstock is typically propagated by seed so some variation should be expected.
I let a ‘Lovel’ root sucker grow. The resulting peaches taste quite nice, but are firmer than typical for a fresh eating peach. I don’t mind the firmness, but I suspect that’s why they’re typically used for canning since softer peaches would just become mush if canned.
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That right,- ‘Lovell’ has non-melting flesh appropriate more for canning.
‘Dead ripe’ meaning fully mature and ready to fall from the tree.
Thats all great info, thank you guys. How do you think Lovell would be cut ane frozen compared to a normal peach?
I wish I could say for sure, but I’ve never worked with frozen slices. But I would think that compared to any ‘normal’ peach (with melting flesh), Lovell would stand up at least as well when sliced and frozen.
And welcome to the forum Nathan!
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You could probably freeze some canned peach slices to find out how it stands up to freezing (probably worst case scenario quality-wise as it’s already been cooked, too).
Here’s a YT video of somebody trying a Lovell that they grew out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOTCT9_yMQU
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