Peach Cultivar Favorites for Zone 6?

preston,

i have harrow diamond, redhaven, and contender. Harrow diamond is young, but had 3 peaches this year, waiting to taste. Contender lost all to plum curculio, will spray something next year. Redhaven did not set any this year for me.

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Ill look into that thanks

I have had the Redhaven and Contender trees for a number of years. The Contender seems to be a better producer than the Redhaven BUT I have two Contender trees and only one Redhaven. The last two years the peaches have not produced hardly any peaches at all. The weather ( freezing temps and frosts) got the blossoms right when they were fully open the last two years. Last year the peaches that were on the trees were about the size of golf balls. This year I have some peaches on the peach trees, mostly on very low branches and on the inner parts of the branches.
I do have a Flaming Fury variety that has peaches on it for the first time. I hope this variety eventually becomes a good producer here.
I think with peaches you have to spray if you want any peaches. The years that could not spray in time were pretty bitten and the peaches were basically useful for just making preserves or cutting up just to use for eating not whole peaches.
Looks like you have made some good peach choices for trying there.

I’ve enjoyed reading about peach choices and I have Contender growing in my small orchard. Now I’m looking for its sibling as a nectarine. Is there a nectarine that has the ability to weather late cold snaps and has a good taste? Thanks and any help is appreciated.

We used to grow Hardired nect. It was consistent and very productive smallish nectarine. Later bloomer. It’s very easy to overcrop. If not overcropped, it’s a pretty decent nect.

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Thanks

Bill
Do you use chemical spray on fruit trees?

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Normally I don’t use any chemical sprays unless they are considered organic. I will probably have to use some on the peaches. I’m pretty sure Pyganic will kill the curculio but it would require daily spraying and then I’m not sure how effective it would be.

In my experience, growing peaches in the humid east need fungicide and pesticide. Organic ones appear to be less effective.

Nectarines have a thrips issue on top of everything else peaches have.

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Good tips. Thanks

Thinking of getting a donut nectarine (Sauzee king) but that thrip issue does make me think.

Thrips are difficult to manage. If spraying is needed, it needs to be done during bloom time. You may end up killing beneficial insects instead of thrips or kill both.

I have not sprayed for thrips and lived with some thrip- damaged fruit. So far, it’s OK.

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Sauzee King has rubbery (non-melting) texture. Some people like it or are ok with it, but I hate it.

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+1 for Contender. Mine fruited for the first time last year and I got to try it. And it was the best peach I have ever had. I can’t wait for it to start producing more. This year I think there are 3 on the tree, but I only planted it last spring.

I think Surround works well on thrips. I have pretty much zero damage from them and I use no poisons on them.

The main thing making 100% organic peaches difficult for me is the brown rot. Besides that all the issues are not hard to control organically.

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When do you spray Surround for thrips?

I don’t spray for thrips per se since they have never been a problem. I spray Surround from shuck split to harvest more or less.

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Maybe that is why most people do not sell it. What is the sweetest nectarine that you would expect with a donut peach anyway?

My parents have two trees that have grown well. Each in the Stellar type. This year they are having a disease issue possibly. But in three years the peach trees have really taken off here in Michigan

All great suggestions. Does anyone have a good source of summer budwood, or want to sell some themselves?

Josh