I purchased a peach (Belle of Georgia) from what is supposed to be a reputable (and expensive) local nursery last year. The tree is blooming (pink non showy flowers, some of which have just opened) much earlier than I would think it should be. I also just noticed that the tree does not have a visible graft scar. Is it possible that the nursery pulled a fast one and this is just a peach planted from seed? I am in zone 6b.
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Maybe check your planting depth. You may have covered the graft union. When nurseries bud a rootstock, the point where they prune above the graft may be hard to see, especially when the grow it a couple years before selling. This tree looks like it’s a couple years of growth since grafting. Tree diameter appears to be near an inch so if they budded it at 1/4” diameter, you may not actually be able to see it even if you dig down!
You can always ask the nursery about their process and how old and large they bud their rootstocks.
Dennis
Kent, wa
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Thanks for the response Dennis. The tree is actually close to 2" caliper. I had dug down a few inches but did not see an obvious graft union, the trunk does start to swell but it does not seem to be a scar
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If it’s that large then it has by now completely covered the pruning scar with bark which is all you would have if they used a simple T or chip bud the graft it. Once they prune off the rootstock above the new bud, it goes vertical and so those types of graft are practically undetectable after a few years! A two inch diameter is at least 4 years of growth if not more!
Dennis
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Got it. I thought it was a little younger than that. I bought it last year and thought it would have been two years old at the time
Everything said I do regret buying it a little. I knew very little about fruit growing at the time (even less than now) and know now that Belle of Georgia is not very highly ranked among peach varieties. I had wanted a white peach and this was the only white peach they had at the time, hence why I went with it. I also had read online articles which recommended the BoG which I now know are generally exaggerated.
If you graft you can easily make it multi variety and even add nectarines for variety! I assume it’s a standard rootstock?
Dennis
I do have plans to topwork it 
I am not completely certain what rootstock it is, or (as in the original post) that it was even grafted at all. Right now I have Redhaven and Indian Free scions I am going to put on soon, although I have little experience grafting so I am not sure I am going to be successful. I have watched videos and read articles on it though
If you can’t tell if there’s a graft union, then you were either done dirty with a surprise seedling tree or it’s grafted on peach, probably Lovell, rootstock.
Is there something about peach rootstocks which makes graft scars less visible?
That’s very interesting and helpful, appreciate your taking the time to put that together
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Keep in mind this is the result of a very skilled grafter with the ability to focus nigh perfect aftercare to a graft.
It is incredibly unlikely you will see such skill at a local nursery or box store.
I think the point was the bark texture would be more similar vs peaches grafted on non-peach rootstocks, so you wouldn’t get the obvious change in bark texture that you sometimes see below/above the graft union.
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