We’ll be getting 2 Shui Mi Tao peaches today. We are in Maine, but classified as a Zone 6A. However last winter we had about a month of -27 and -24 degree weather.
I have a Hesse Plumcot and a Paviot Apricot that made it outdoors with some cover and are doing beautifully this spring. A handful of trees died - a plum, a Duchesse D’Angouleme and a White Doyenne pear, a Redhaven peach died. The other 65 or so apple, peach, plum, apricot, and pear trees survived and are leafed out.
We have an unheated high tunnel greenhouse. Should we plant the 2 Shui Mi Tao peaches in there or outdoors with the other peaches? What kind of winter cover do you provide for them?
Any other advice on their culture would be much appreciated.
I have a five ir six year old Shui Mi Tao. I would plant it in your hight tunnel. The blossoms are very tiny and very sensitive to cold. I have not has a decent crop yet. This is my last year to try! Loaded with buds, so fingers crossed!
So nice to hear from you, Mrs. G. I thought that I remembered that you had Shui Mi Taos. I wondered because they supposedly fruit in the last great heat of August in China, where there are some severe winters, too.
Are yours still planted in Rhode Island? Please let me know if they fruit for you! Thank you!
Honey peaches are considered more tender than your average peach, see e.g. Peaches of New York. But in my climate all peaches are hardy so I have no concrete data.
Hi MrsG: I purchased 2 Shui Mi Tao from Arboreum. There were 2 small peaches on each tree. 3 fell off. One tree held stubbornly to its little peach so I let it keep it to ripen. We had it 2 weeks ago. Heavenly! I hope it will survive the winter protected by our double walled inflated high tunnel.
August was full of milestones for us in many ways. First, on August 3 our farm, books and records were examined for MOFGA organic certification. Then my 92-year-old mom passed away on August 5. We had moved her in with us 5 years ago onto our little farm and were taking care of her. She was not on any medication, except for herbal treatments, but the last 3 months were tough. We held Her funeral on August 10 two hours away from home in her old hometown. We created all the flower arrangments for the funeral and reception ourselves. In the middle of it all - on August 8 - I was notified that we had passed our organic certification and were now officially certified organic for all our crops.
Life goes on here, and change is always part of it.
I hope you’ve had a less eventful, but good summer so far. The heat and humidity here have been unusual for Maine.