Peach Scionwood Grafting

[Olpea]

@JesusisLordandChrist

Why is this? Lovell for canned peach halves is exactly my plan. A tree ripe canned lovell peach has to be better than those tasteless rubbery peach impersonation things that come in jars from the store.

Correct. The peaches in the stores around here are mostly inedible.

Lovell originated in 1882. It’s not used as a canning peach anymore because like all peaches created over time, there have been advancements in breeding.

There are not a lot of peaches left from that era. Heath Cling, Old Mixon Free, Elberta, Belle of Georgia and probably a few others. Peach breeding was in it’s infancy then (sort of).

I say “sort of” because peaches have been bred for 1000s of years, but there have been a lot of advancements in the last 150 years.

Beware that Lovell peaches may disappoint you. I believe I’ve read of someone who let a Lovell rootstock produce and was really disappointed.

In addition, there is at least two Lovell strains (probably more). Here is a thread on it.

So there are two Lovell Peach Rootstocks, or one is an impostor

I have purchased several fruit trees in California, supposedly on Lovell Rootstock, but after the years, some trees have died and the rootstock grows to be a peach tree. Now 20 years later, I order Lovell rootstocks for grafting and its a totally different animal. (looks more like an apricot). Those are two totally different plants. If some people are interested in my hypothesis, I’ll post pictures.

There are probably more than two Lovell strains because it’s very likely that some nurseries along the way planted Lovell peach pits, let the tree grow, then started harvesting “Lovell” peach pits from the Lovell seedling. It happens, and more likely to happen when the fruit isn’t even used for eating anymore.

If you want a canning peach, I’d recommend Babygold #5. I’ve grown it before. It’s a very high quality canning peach.

It’s not like a canning peach your typical home canner might think of though. True canning peaches (the kind they send to canneries) are very firm and rubbery in texture. They are also clingstone.

The reason they are rubbery is because they want the peach to have some texture after the canning process. The heat in canning breaks down the flesh quite a bit so that a normal peach gets really soft. In some cases, very very soft.

True canning peaches are rubbery or very chewy in texture right off the tree, but about normal peach texture after canning.

The reason true canning peaches are clingstone is that the pits of freestone peaches will shatter in the processing machinery used in canneries.

I thought Babygold #5 was an excellent flavored peach. And it produced abundantly in average years. But I couldn’t really sell any of the fruit for fresh eating. Customers here are used to melting flesh peaches and didn’t like the texture of Babygold #5.

I didn’t mind the texture. The texture was very close to a TangOs peach.