Pekin peach

General Fruit Growing
#1

I’d like to try to find the Pekin peach variety, if it’s still extant.

Here is some background.

Pekin was developed by NCSU. I’ve had super good luck with almost all the varieties I’ve tried from their program.

One of the objectives of their breeding program is good production in marginal peach growing climates (like mine). One hole I have missing in my peach harvest windows is the period of about -9 (Redhaven).

I’ve never found a reliable peach (in this climate) which ripens around that window.

According to NCSU, Pekin ripens -3 in North Carolina, but I suspect it ripens earlier here. That’s because, according to NCSU, Clayton ripens +4 in NC, but here it consistently ripens -4 (although it has a long picking window). Based on that, I’m guessing Pekin would ripen about -11 here or probably a bit later. That would fit the window I’m looking to fill almost perfectly.

It’s rated as an excellent producer, highly resistant to bac. spot and few split pits. Fruit flavor is only rated as good, which is a bit worrisome, but I would accept a good peach for that window, since there isn’t much else. Pubescence is light, which is a nice trait.

Here is an old NCSU document, which sometimes floats around the forum, which describes Pekin and some of their other old varieties.

I emailed Mike Parker at NCSU to ask if this variety was still extant, but never received a response.

I’ve never seen the variety mentioned on the fruit forum, so I don’t have much hope of finding it, but thought I’d give it a try.

@blueberrythrill or anyone else ever heard of this variety in modern day existence?

4 Likes
#2

I have an old paper copy of that publication and I have met David Ritchie who co-authored the publication. I believe he may still be at NCSU so you may be able to send the question to him too.

If NCSU holds their normal Peach Growers meeting in person this spring I can ask Mike Parker about Pekin.

Although I have that publication, I have never seen that variety discussed or seen it growing anywhere

3 Likes
#3

Thanks so much Rick. And thanks so much for the PM.

I’m not too worried that Pekin may be semi-cling, as you mentioned in the PM. NCSU also listed Clayton, Redhaven and Surecrop as semi-cling. I’ve raised all of these cultivars for quite some time, and never had any trouble getting the meat off the stone here. In the worst years they only require quartering to get meat off the stone.

I’ll follow up on your suggested leads and see how far along that gets. Thanks again!

3 Likes