Hello everyone, our old semi-dwarf Redhaven finally bit the dust this year after 12 years and died during this winter. She used to give us nearly a hundred peaches every summer. Mind you it has been an exceptionally mild winter here in North TX, Zone 8A. No snowmageddon this time. I thought maybe I should try replacing it with a different peach for a change. I considered going the yellow nectarine route with how much people rave about them, but I’m scared of dealing with the disease issues compared to the “simplicity” of a peach. I’m already on round 2 with my Indian Free as it is. Fingers crossed as it appears this time it managed to make it through.
I’ve read quite a few threads with recommendations based on east coasters, or those in colder northern climates but wanted some advice for my southern central area with loads of sun, humidity, and heat. Should I just stick another Redhaven in there, or are there newer more tasty peaches savvy to my area to grow instead? Thanks!
Redhaven is a great peach. A very dependable and reliable producer, for me. If you are interested in another variety to try , look at the Flaming Fury peach varieties or a Contender peach. I have a Flaming Fury peach tree that just produced some very delicious peaches this year. The one Flaming Fury peach I have planted is the 35-007 variety. It is a later ripening peach than the Redhaven.
My Contender peach is a more prolific peach producer than the Redhaven. I like the Redhaven for the little earlier peaches it gives but the Contender is about 10 days after the Redhaven.
The Flaming Fury peach is about 40 days after the Redhaven.
The Flaming Fury peaches tasted better this year than the Redhaven or Contender peaches.
Some of the higher chill peaches may not do well every year. Perhaps Frost peach or Spice-Z nectaplum. The nectaplum has nice red leaves in Spring.
8a seems a bit warm for a Redhaven to be killed by frost, unless the frost was after it leafed out. Did the rootstock survive?
That does seem like a little bit short of life span.
I have Redhaven on Bailey, Lovel and Citation rootstocks, all almost 30 years old. Starting to look their age but still hanging in there and producing like crazy.
If you want a variety that ripens the same time as Redhaven (+2) you might try Blazingstar. Its even more freestone, less split pits, If thats a thing where you are, and been a very excellent producer/ seller for me.
Contender is also good but at my farm is 21 days after Redhaven.
Honestly I wanted to try something a bit earlier than redhaven rather than later. Our summers are brutal. I will look into Contender, thanks.
Rootstock was cooked too. I don’t think it was due to winter. I don’t really know what happened to it. I’ve never tried a nectaplum. I wanted to give pluerries and pluots a go, but remember reading that due to the heat, clay soils, and humidity, that they wouldn’t do too well here. I don’t know of anyone here that grows them either, otherwise I’d be planting flavorking and such instead of another peach.
Yeah she just randomly went bellyup after winter was over. No sign of disease or insect issue. No peach borer. Nothing. I have no idea what happened to it.
Blazingstar definitely seems up my alley. A shame starkbros seems to no longer carry it. Anything at or earlier than Redhaven would be good for me. I have a Loring that Ripens something like a month after Redhaven and it’s always in rough shape that deep into our sweltering summers. I have half a mind to get rid of it, in all honesty. It just never produces much either. Got 5 peaches total last year. They were good, but not that good.
My recommendation would be - “If it ain’t broke . . . don’t fix it.” The Redhaven is a GREAT peach. I’d stick with it.
I have quite a few other varieties of peach, grafted to my Redhaven and my Indian Free. In my opinion, none are better than the Redhaven peaches. But, that said . . . we find that our nectarines are even better! And I don’t find them any harder to grow than peaches. I have a Harko and a Mericrest. Both fabulous nectarines.
And you can always graft other peaches and nectarines to your ‘new’ Redhaven, of course.
Personally I gave up on Stark Bros a long time ago. Poor quality and dont back up their product. The 2 places in your neck of the woods where I have ordered from that I know have Blazingstar are Mehrabyan Nursery and Adams County. Problem with Adams is the 5 tree minimum. I have ordered from Mehrabyan once, peaches as a matter of fact, and they were good quality.
There is only one peach that I grow that is earlier than Redhaven, by about 7 days, thats Harbelle. Also the Redhaven on the Citation rootstock is easily 1/2 the size of the other Redhavens and does mature fruit 2-3 days earlier.
Earlier peaches in my area are usually not very good tasting. Usually smaller and less sugar or taste. That’s why I went with the varieties I put in my orchard. In your area there maybe varieties that will do better. We get frosts or late freezes to where earlier varieties bloom earlier so they would be even more susceptible to not producing fruit. IMO.
As mentioned, Redhaven is a good choice if it has performed well for you before.
For an earlier peach, I like Risingstar. I like it slightly better than Redhaven. The reason is that Risingstar doesn’t get bac. spot.
On top of that, it’s really hard to wash the flavor out of Risingstar. Whereas Redhaven can end of bland if there is a lot of rain close to harvest. Risingstar has been an excellent flavored peach for me. Especially for an early peach. It ripens about 2 weeks before Redhaven here, in the KC area.
It’s going to be a bit of a problem ordering one tree. Many online nurseries have a minimum order of more than one tree. Grandpa’s Orchard Nursery has Risingstar. I think they sell just one tree?