Replacing peach varieties

Hubby agrees. We have two Strawbery Free peaches that just aren’t good enough to put up with them being clingstone. We want something more flavorful, that will be cood for canning, as that is the main way we preserve our harvest.
I have a few varieties I have heard good things about. I need to buy one tree, but have two I can graft over/ top work if I can get enough scion.

I am considering June Pride, as it sounds flavorful, and might be earlier then Redhaven.
Rio Oso Gem as it is liked on the west coast, and Scott says very good things about it.
Also thinking about using scion off our Silver Logan, as it was liked by everyone that tried it. My only concern with that idea is this young tree had gumosis, though it seems to be growing, and set and sized a decent crop. As much as I like the Silver Logan, I am also a variety glutton and could easily be talked into trying something great that I don’t have yet. Lol

Other contenders would be O’Henry, Red Baron, Baby Crawford and any other great flavored firm freestone that might thrive here in our great zone 8 climate.

Very open to suggestions.
Thanks to all in advance. :smiley:

2 Likes

My sister in law a bit north of us (higher and colder) votes for the Intrepid peach. She said it was the best flavored peach they grew this year. They liked their Redhaven too, and said they canned very well.

I am wondering if Intrepid would get enough chilling here. Several places said it needed 1000 or more chilling hours. Is anyone growing Intrepid in zone 8?

1 Like

With so many varieties it is hard to choose from. I really liked Mary Jane peach. It was freestone, very dense and not very juicy orange flesh, very sweet with acidity, but not sour. It is the most productive of the several varieties I have. I was thinking that it will be good peach for processing and drying, when I’ll have more of it, but it is also delicious fresh.

5 Likes

I’m not in CA, but I’m in your same zone. Of the many varieties that I
grow, July Prince is a real stand out. Freestone, large and delicious
If you don’t want to buy a tree, I can send you scion wood this winter.

3 Likes

For sure I’m not in your zone, and am unsure on chill hours, I was thinking in the 850 range but would not bet the farm on that :slight_smile:

I should probably not even weigh in, given that my 3 year old Intrepid held exactly 1 peach this year…, but I put a cage around it so it could reach dead ripe status. My wife, grand daughter, and myself sampled it and we all thought it was AWESOME!

I thought it outdid the RH, but I also thought my RH this year were not as good as last year.

In any case, a lone sample is not a great litmus test - but it was a great peach!

3 Likes

The county extension office recommends we plant varieties with 700 to 1000 chill hours.
I’m thinking we could try it.
That’s two people saying it was great so far. :smile:

1 Like

July Prince sounds like a stand out! The description alone would sell it.
But why do they name an August ripening peach July Prince? August King is more accurate.

I am just glad hubby agrees with me on replacing the varieties that were lackluster. Picking new ones is so fun, I could almost wish I had more to replace!
I decided the Giant Babcock is going too. Subacid just isn’t our favorite.

1 Like

It ripens in July, not August. I also grow August Prince, which
ripens in August.

2 Likes

I found a description from a Georgia fruit grower that said I’d ripened in mid July, but I found two other ripening dates in two other descriptions. One said Aug. 7 to 11, and the other Aug. 12 to 16.
It might just depend on location and climate.

1 Like

Are you sure your trees are not mislabeled? My Strawberry Free is freestone and the description says freestone as well (and the word “Free” in the name indicates the same). I think it’s superb when well thinned. However, I don’t can fruit so can’t estimate how good it will be for canning. There are so many peach varieties to choose from. I buy a lot of O’Henry peaches every summer from local orchards and they’re ok, but not something special. Maybe, they would be better home grown, it’s difficult to say. I personally prefer white peaches and nects. Those that I grow, when thinned enough, consistently get to mid-20s Brix and are fantastic. Peaches that I purchase in local orchards are usually in high teens Brix and pretty good on their own but subpar relative to mine.

3 Likes

I appreciate the suggestion @Stan, they may be mislabeled. We bought them from Orange County Nursery, and I bought a Hale Haven from them that is identicle to our two Redhavens.

I know it’s supposed to be freestone, but these are NOT freestone. The description on Strawberry Free says the flavor is “delicate,” and these are mild and sweet. shrugs
We like the Snow Beauty white peach, and the Silver Logan, though I wonder if that tree is mislabeled, there is so much red in the flesh I wouldn’t call it white. Here are a couple pictures.


4 Likes

I like my Snow Beauty very much, I think it’s better than Strawberry Free, but the latter is a fine peach as well.

Are those Silver Logan peaches on the photos? I don’t have a Silver Logan tree, but from what I’ve read and seen locally, Silver Logan peaches do not color well, their skin has a bit of reddish blush on a side but most of the skin is creamy colored. Your peaches on the photos seem to have fully colored skin.

3 Likes

Those are off the tree that is supposed to be Silver Logan. (Bought from trees of antiquity)
I know they don’t match the pictures I’ve seen, and was thinking about sending TOA the pictures and asking them.
We love the fruit. But if it isn’t Silver Logan I want to know the right name for the variety.

3 Likes

Try Baby Crawford. Not a baby at all, mine are the size of my Red Haven and Early Elberta, but the rich flavor greatly surpasses both of them.

4 Likes

We grow Silver Logan and it doesn’t have as much red as that one. It also wouldn’t be that good for canning because the flesh is not very firm and so it wouldn’t hold shape. Rio Oso Gem does well for us, is delicious, and would can beautifully.

2 Likes

The big advantage of Intrepid is the very high chill hours which helps delay bloom and reduce frost/freeze damage. NC State developed these high chill hour peaches after many commercial growers in NC lost their peach crop several years in a row. These peaches taste similar to me (except for China Pearl which is a white peach) and they ripen pretty close together

2 Likes

That also doesn’t look like my Silver Logan. Boy it sounds like you had a lot of mix-ups!

Rio Oso Gem, Baby Crawford, and Red Baron all are great peaches. O’Henry is prone to spotting in the east but it may do better for you. Nectar is another outstanding peach. Make sure you have a good spacing of varieties over the summer.

3 Likes

Good thread I too am looking for peach scion. All mentioned sound great. Baby Crawford and Rio Oslo Gem particularly interest me. Others sound great too.

3 Likes

We planted almost a hundred trees. I guess a certain number of goofs are to be expected.

I just want to figure out what I have, so I’m not sharing mislabeled stuff.

I have decided to replace a plum tree too. I’m not a huge plum fan, and would much rather have more peaches to put away, then the plums that need tons of sugar when canned, and hardly get eaten fresh.

2 Likes

Agreed. Peaches and nectarines way ahead of plums in my family too.

Anthony

3 Likes