So, my wife’s raised veggie garden that shares space with my raised pluot row is being “relocated” and I now have room for 2 trees. I need recommendations for stone fruit you have that is productive and lower chill (less than 300 or 400 hours). I already have the following either as stand alone trees or grafts:
Pluots - Splash, Emerald Drop, Geo Pride, Flavor Grenade, Flavor King
Plums - Santa Rosa, Weeping Santa Rosa, Beauty, Burgundy
Nectarines - Arctic Star, Snow Queen
Apricots - I have a few newly grafted but most people I talk to tell me that they are hit and miss in my zone 10A so I probably would not be interested in putting in a stand alone tree.
The only other consideration would be that this area stays wet and does not get direct sunlight during the winter so the rootstock would have to tolerate wet soils.
Flavor Supreme pluot is top 10 eating but needs hand pollination to set well. On Citation for wet soil.
Spice Zee is worth having but not top 20 in IME.
Cot-N-Candy is not top 40. Drops, soft, half green when ripe, has very short holding period, and a difficult tree. I have had a few good ones potted at 24-26 brix.
When you say top 20 what are you referring to? Is this your own ranking or are you referring to another website like Dave Wilson. Maybe you’ve posted it here and I’ve missed it but what are your personal top 10 lists for stone fruits?
Brown, where are you in the country? I am also 10b, but in S. California. So, what we recommend may not be applicable to your area. I don’t see any apples, so I would suggest Fuji and Pink Lady (Cripps) as the cross pollinator. Fuji is absolutely outstanding here in S. California, I have never eaten such a delicious apple ever - 100 times better than from the store. If you still want stone fruit, consider some flat peaches or nectarines. Stark Donut is exceptionally delicious, and since we’re so dry here, no rot issues that plague other areas of the country. Galaxy Flat peach was also very very good. Sauzee Nectarine was very good, and the flat fruits are so easy to eat - just push the pit out and eat. Lastly, no cherries I see, so you might consider Minnie Royal and Royal Lee. They are great if you can get them to bloom at the same time. This is my 4th year in the ground and I finally will have a decent crop, but they still do not bloom quite at the same time.
Okay, I’m 6.5 miles in from the coast (Vista), but, I’m at nearly 1,000 ft. in elevation, so yes, I have a very odd, weird amount of chill hours. A real microclimate within a microclimate. I am literally surrounded by nurseries (mostly Altman’s growing grounds) because our little coastal valley (I have an ocean view) has some of the finest growing weather in the country. I can grow mangos and papayas and can get stones fruits with 600 ch to produce. Drive down a mile downhill, and you can’t grow either. Sauzee King is the only flat nectarine I think in production. Check Walter Andersen’s in Poway, or El Plantio to see if they have it in stock, still. And I adore Spice Zee Nectaplum, it was one of my very favorites. Right up there with Flavor King pluot.
So, I am going to be purchasing a peach and nectarine tree this weekend (Thanks to everyone who responded with great suggestions). When I contacted the nursery, they told me some of the trees were bare root from this season that were placed in containers a month ago and others were placed in containers a year ago.
Is there an easy way to tell the difference between the two? I would want the trees that were freshly placed in containers.
I’m sure the trees are already leafing out. When I plant, I want to chop them down at knee level. Is that a problem if the trees are already leafing out? Also should I choose the thinnest caliper trees for this?
I would chop 'em either way. Do it before loading them into the car. Makes travel a lot easier. Watching people’s faces in the parking lot is priceless
Don’t chop a peach or nectarine below all current branches that’s been in a pot for a yr. It’s possible or even likely you won’t get any bud break on what remains of the scion. Choose the smallest caliper tree they have. Even then you may lose the scion unless it’s a young tree. It’s safer to choose one with branches you can live with.
There should be a difference in rootball that’s obvious if you dig down on a newly planted vs one yr in pot.
Long Beach peach info can be found here. From LE Cooke:
Not sure about Florida Home fruit quality, I know it is often grown for its showy flowers, but think the fruit is decent. Both are low chill hours, think both are self-fruitful. Who is selling these two varieties, Brown?
and I now have room for 2 trees. I need recommendations for stone fruit you have that is productive and lower chill (less than 300 or 400 hours). I already have the following either as stand alone trees or grafts: