Great info, thanks for sharing.
Scott–
Any idea how hardy Foster is?
No idea on Foster; it did fine at the old Geneva NY station so it can’t be too sensitive.
Scott
Scott, that is a very interesting list, of course, but how bout a condensed one that starts off with the keepers and a star based rating- I don’t really need to know much about the rejects- just a code something like F for fungus issues, FL for flavor, P for productivity and so forth. I need to take notes of your notes to sort out all those varieties.
Not to sound unappreciative of all the work that went into such a comprehensive list. You are a fruit hero for that. I’m just lazy.
Maybe someone else would like to convert your lists into a quick read chart form to refer to when requesting wood or ordering trees if you’d allow it.
I don’t even bother to take careful notes while tasting the varieties I grow. A few weeks later or less all I remember is often only whether I liked them.
I hope others realize how subjective and how site and region specific such a list is. If I followed your recommendations I would never have tried Flavor Grenade pluot, which ironically you sent me wood for. At it’s best, to me it is an exceptionally good and unique fruit- the first crisp plum I’ve ever loved eating. All people I’ve shared it with agree. Plus the fruit holds on the tree and it is almost as late as Elephant Heart.
Also I don’t find clear distinctions between very good and great peaches- there is greater variability on the same tree of a single variety, especially for some varieties. It is amazing how the brix can vary, even in equally sun exposed parts of the tree.
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Not to poo-poo what Alan is saying, but I really appreciate all of the detail Scott’s shared here. I am an hour’s drive away from him and am finding his advice very useful-- especially his notes about the “losers.” I weigh reports of how good a fruit tastes & how difficult it might be to grow when I am selecting varieties to trial on my property. I imagine he has saved me from a lot of grief trying to grow certain varieties he’s found particularly pest/disease-prone or otherwise ill-suited to our similar climates. I like to be challenged, but I’m not interested in wasting my time on hopeless pursuits.
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Matt, I must not have communicated my meaning well. I’m not criticizing Scott’s lists, only suggesting an additional truncated version of both for quick reference, not so I don’t have to read through an entire list but for after doing that.
I also have already benefited from Scott’s fine work and have 2 keepers in my orchard that I discovered through him, although one of them he has rejected as I already mentioned.
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Thanks for the list, It is very useful. My conditions are similar. it’s colder here, but can be humid, so results are going to be close here. All I want is a few good cultivars, and this lists plenty to choose from. No trail and error or counting on nursery descriptions. Thanks!
Alan, I agree some shorthand would be nice. I used to do something very similar to what you suggest. At some point I got tired of updating the symbols though and got rid of them. I’ll add the symbols in some future edit of the list.
Scott
Scott, I just re-read your reviews and this year I hope we have the opportunity to taste the Shui Mi Tao. I have at least 20 or so on my tree that are staying on this year. I also have quite a nice crop of Early Crawford, about 40 on that tree. My new ‘Black Boy’ is leafing out really well as it just went it. Sorry to read about the ‘mealy’ taste. My tardive should be much better.
You don’t seem to have many gages. My Bavay is having a small crop this year as are the Mirabelles. I agree with you about the Montmorency they are one of my favorites! Thanks again for your review. As my fruit gets closer to ripening I’ll be checking back to your review again.
I also have a good load of Shui Mi Tao, I hope its better than last years. I have one new red-fleshed peach fruiting this year, Sanguine de Chateuneuf, we will see how it does. Black Boy is a good peach, its not that mealy. Sanguine Tardeva can also be mealy, those two are similar in the mealiness category. The main negative on Black Boy is its the same season as Indian Free and I couldn’t see any advantage of it.
I have many Gage plums but they are not in a good spot and are too close. I now have fruit hanging on five different gages and I hope I finally get to taste a good cross-section of them.
My seedling peach is going to be perfect for grafting new peaches next spring. Cannot wait to try many. Do you grow Bavay? If so do you like it?
Bavay is going to give me fruit for the first time this year. Or so is the hope. I have been getting fruit for several years but I have had a combination of rot and curculio overload plus low set to begin with, so have not harvested much at all from my plums. This year I paid more attention and still have some plums hanging.
I will get fruit as well this summer. My first Bavay bit the dust with borers. My current Bavay was a whip four or five years ago and is producing faster that any other euro plums of mine. I cannot wait to taste it!!! We have fruit to compare notes on. An exciting year for fruit at my house.
Scott,
Looking forward to your opinion on Shui Mi Tao this year. Sounds like our loss that Athena hasn’t been released.
Yeah, I want Athena too! Wish I could get some.
Pallas is very similar to Athena and it is available. Its too bad there are not more honey peach options, if you have several peach varieties having a honey type is a good thing to add for variety.
Scott, you probably say, but I didn’t notice on reading.
Are the fruits listed in any particular order?
They are listed in ripening order more or less. I don’t log ripening dates but I type things into my log sequentially; its not completely accurate but ripening dates are not really precise anyway 
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That makes sense, and I figured there was a method to it.
Scott,
After reading your post on the Bacterial Spot thread, I went back and reread your stone fruit list. Is their a nectarine that grows well for you that you also enjoy the flavor of?