My first 2019 tree order-

General Fruit Growing
#1

Today I put in my first order for the year and (for me) its a big one (mostly peaches). It’s also very exciting. I wanted to tell you folks about it and would enjoy hearing from anyone who has any of these trees and what you think of them. Of course I mostly want to hear good things, but I have pretty thick skin so if you want to tell me some of my choices are very poor ones, I can take it. Every single tree I ordered was done after research and reading- much of it here on GF, So pretty much every tree I ordered had someone who said very good things about it. What is funny is that most of the same trees also had someone who trashed them and said it was a terrible variety! ha. Its amazing how many varieties have someone who thinks it is great tree and someone else who thinks it is an absolutely awful one. Of course much of that might be due to the different ecosystems where it is grown (different climate, soil, rainfall, insect pressure, diseases, etc) as well as owner inputs (fertilize, mulch, pruning, watering, etc). WE all know that one man/woman’s favorite fruit tree can be a disappointing failure for another person.
Anyway, here is what I’ve gotten SO FAR this year. Love to hear from you if you have any of these:

PEACHES (all on Guardian Root stock)
Carored
Harvester
Intrepid
Loring
Caroline Gold
Indian Cling
Blaze Prince
Scarlet Prince (white)
Blaze Prince

Plums (on Guardian)
Six weeks
Byron Gold
Ruby Queen

Apple
Pink lade on m-111

Good or bad, lets hear some thoughts, especially if you have any of these, or know something about them.

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#2

In my experience, Cripps Pink (Pink Lady) apples improve when left hanging on the tree for a long time; I usually pick mine around New Year. However, at my location temperatures rarely drop below freezing (at worst we can get 28 F for a couple of hours), which allows such late harvest. You probably should pick these apples just before the first freeze.

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#3

Kevin, I am eager to see how these new varieties do for you. I planted Indian Free last year and plan to put Loring in this year. I might be pushing things a little with both, but we will see. By the way, I’m in your state today. Had some business in Jackson yesterday and I am flying back to Spokane this morning out of Memphis. Had my first trip to Beale street last night. Quite a bit of fun. Good luck with your new trees!

#4

I wish I had room for all of those…someday I will move to a place with some land.

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#5

Kevin, I grow Scarlet Prince but it’s not white. It’s a pretty good peach though. Mine got hit pretty hard by PC last year as I was late getting my spray in. Since then I’ve purchased some Imidan and hoping for better timing this year.

I also have Pink Lady but it’s on Bud9 like most of my other apples. M111 makes sense for your setup.

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#6

Where did you order you peaches from? I have not seen many places selling on Guardian Rootstock.

#7

He might have got them from someone else, but it looks like Vaughan Nursery in Tennessee has all these. They have really good prices, like less than $10 a tree, so I don’t what the catch is, unless they’re like small caliper trees. You’d think they’d sell only to commercial customers at those prices, but their site doesn’t specify that. He’s not that far from them so he could probably drive down there and just pick them up.

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#8

Carolina Gold is an excellent peach.

Byron Gold blooms extremely early. Mine is blooming now. Late freezes kill the blooms almost every year. Of course, that happens an all of my plum trees. I won’t plant anymore plum or peach trees.

Both Vaughn and CVN are only about 30 - 45 minutes from me. Both are primarily wholesalers, but will sell retail (at or close to wholesale prices). You just have to call them. I just drive to both to pick up trees. Both are great nurseries.

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#9

I agree!

Vaughn and CVN are both excellent with a very wide assortment of peach trees especially for commercial peach growers in the south east.

Vaughn also sells limited varieties of apples on several Geneva Rootstocks for a price not available elsewhere. Excellent customer service too!

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#10

Thanks for everyone’s comments! Its always fun when someone else grows the same thing I do and are willing to tell me about it and maybe compare notes it the future.

@SpudDaddy , I absolutely should have said who the vendor was when I posted my order! Detective Bob (@subdood_ky_z6b ) already solved the case on this one, though. This whole order list was bought from Vaughn Nursery. I’ve watched them for years and just like Bob, I’ve always wondered if there was some kind of catch to their low low prices. A few years ago their web site had a small note saying “wholesale only” but even then some members here said Vaughns would still sell to them. The top guy at Vaughns happened to answer when I called (he said everyone was at lunch). I actually sort of apologized to the guy and said I appreciated him fooling with my small order because I was sure he would rather get big commercial orders. He couldn’t have been nicer and said they were happy to get any order at all.
They were out of a LOT of peaches I wanted.

@speedster1 I don’t know where I got the idea that Scarlet Prince was white. But you will get a kick out of this: When I got done with my order and was just having some small talk with the nursery manager I asked him if there were any other peaches that I should have ordered and what his favorite peach they sell is. He was very quick to answer: “yes! Scarlett Prince” and said he second choice is Blaze Prince. I honestly do not believe he was just trying to get me to buy more trees- he genuinely loved those peaches, though I’m not sure what it is about them he liked so much.

@SpokanePeach Two Kevin’s in Tennessee today??? haha. Sounds like a work trip but I am glad you made it to Beale Street. Hope you got to hear some good blues at BB Kings and/or eat some Ribs at Blues City Cafe or elsewhere. Mmmmm… Memphis Ribs! Good luck with your trees this year!

@RobThomas and @blueberrythrill I am so glad to hear those positive comments on Vaughns, and I had heard other good things. But you just never know about a place, so that really helped with my peace of mind. I told the Manager that he should come here to this site and I gave him the name extension/ web address and he said he would. ??? It would be neat.

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#11

So what were the caliper of the trees that you got from Vaughn’s?

I wonder what their shipping costs are? I probably wouldn’t be buying any trees but was curious. I’d maybe like to get some peaches at these prices, but I don’t think Guardian would be a rootstock that would work here (too cold).

#12

Can’t remember the size of the peach trees but they produced well in year 3. I believe the apple trees were 5/8 and they grew faster than any trees I have ever purchased. G11 and G41. Just a few varieties to choose from on Apples. Shipping was very reasonable.

#13

Thanks, my bro-in-law keeps hinting that he might want to plant some fruit trees or berries, but doesn’t want to spend a lot, so maybe this could be a good source for him.

5/8 sounds like a good thickness, they can put on good growth in the right soil. I planted a 7/16 Grimes Golden (G16) three years ago, and it has really done well. Might get lucky and get some fruit off it this year.

#14

I couldn’t help but chuckle just a little because I’ve seen you in other threads say you weren’t going to buy any trees this year, then you talked about possibly an apple or two but probably not, and right there in the post above you seemed to be arguing with yourself whether you might, just maybe, end up buying a peach or two now (they are cheap)!!! I know you have a good enough sense of humor to know I’m just giving you a good natured ribbing. Also, I’ve earned the right to kid you about your inner conflict (as have most people here) because I/we have the same struggle each year and it usually goes just like yours has! haha. “Not buying anything this year!..well, maybe just one peach…ok, 2 peaches and 1 apple…etc”. ha We can’t help ourselves! It sounds like you are going to resist the temptation, but its fun to watch you struggle with it!

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#15

I should have thought of Vaughn, I have not ordered from them before. Thanks for sharing. I have an order with CVN and some of the varieties are on Guardian. As far as the varieties you ordered I own Intrepid and Indian Blood but my trees have not produced yet (maybe this year). I am not sure if frost is an issue in your area but I think some of the varieties you ordered may not be so frost hardy. Carolina Gold maybe but I don’t own it and haven’t seen much about it. Intrepid is marketed as being frost hardy. Best of luck.

#16

Well, it’s tempting to order some more peach trees, especially at those prices, but I don’t think Guardian is a good fit for here. Peaches are so iffy here because of late freezes, so it’d probably be futile to try more, even though we do have 4 trees already. Two are Contender and Blushingstar, which are supposed to be more bud hardy, so we’ll see.

We certainly don’t need any more apples, I think 17 is enough. I was out there this evening weeding some of them, and I was ashamed I hadn’t done it last season. We have 29 trees and it’s all I can do to maintain them, and they haven’t even produced anything! But, maybe this year will they will start a bit.

To be honest we’re running out of places for new trees, they’re encroaching on our garden plots, and I don’t think my wife would like losing veggies to fruit. She’s pretty much made it clear that we don’t need any more trees, and I agree. I do have three potted apple bench grafts from last year I’m going to find a place for, though.

Plus, we have all our berry plants too, to deal with, but they give you quicker satisfaction. So, that should tide us over until the trees get going.

I have been out just about every day looking over my dormant trees and pulling down branches on some of them, debating how I’m going to prune them, checking to see if any of them are producing any fruit buds. The peach trees are full of them, but I’m not sure about the others, that’s what I was looking into when I saw your post. I’m tempted to start pruning, but it’s probably still a bit early. I was at Lowe’s yesterday and I was looking at some loppers that I know I’m going to have to get eventually. Good thing I got some Lowe’s gift cards for Christmas!

It is exciting to see how the trees do this year, some will be in 4th leaf, and should be ready to give us some fruit. I’m trying to get up to speed about spraying for bugs and disease. Our UK extension office is having free classes on controlling these issues, and I’m planning on going to them over the next couple weeks, then there’s another grafting class to go to in March.

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#17

Best to have 10 good trees you can manage and afford spray, than to have 50 you can’t afford to spray or keep up with. Getting older will slow you down too. Enjoy a few than toil over many.

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#18

Why do you think Guardian is not a good fit for Kentucky?

#19

UK has said it hasn’t survived well in Kentucky, I suppose it’s not cold hardy enough. They recommend Lovell, Bailey and Halford, but not Guardian or Citation for peaches.

But, I did plant a pluot (Geo Pride) last year that’s on Citation, so I guess I’m taking a chance there, but I couldn’t get GP on any other rootstock. My other two pluots are on Myrobalan, which is OK. I know the pluots may never fruit here because of bloom killing freezes, but thought I’d try.

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#20

I heard that nemaguard was not cold hardy although I have one tree on nemaguard and it is growing fine but I had not heard of issues with Guardian. I ordered some peach from CVN and Peaceful Heritage Permaculture Nursery on Guardian. Peaceful Heritage Permaculture Nursery is located in Stanford, KY. It seems strange they would grow on a rootstock not suitable for Kentucky. Stanford is zone 6B vs zone 7A for Lynchburg Va. Now I wonder if I ordered trees on the wrong rootstock.

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