Hello again everyone. I just want to start off first by saying how much I appreciate reading all of your posts. They are all super informative and fun to read. I have researched and would just like some suggestions on my issue.
I have an area of my backyard that I would like to smush two peach trees into. The trees will roughly be 4 feet apart and the idea was to have two variety trees that I can harvest earlier than the rest in my yard. I was thinking I could do a peach tree that I could harvest in May and one in June. But after reading I don’t know if the zone I am in would allow for that. The tree that I had there last year unfortunately got eaten by my dog. It was a just planted Stark brothers early white giant And now this year they are not selling them. I was so frustrated because I can’t find them anywhere else.
So to my question. Is it possible in the zone I am In to have a peach tree develop a harvest in May and June? If so what selections do you have. Of the research so far I have found these varieties that are early but I don’t know if they would do well in my area. A lot of the nurseries online state they will but you never know what you’re really going to get until it’s five years later and it won’t bear a single peach.
Early Amber, diamond princess, June gold, May pride, tropic snow, and sugar lady.
The area I’m going to plant them is on the north side of my yard, decent draining loam soil with a little clay, and I live in Clinton Utah. I believe zone 7A, although I have been told zone six and five as well. LOL
I already have a red Haven, which should harvest in July, a starking delicious which should also be in late July, and a Gleason early Alberta which should be around lat aug/early sept.
When do peach trees typically bloom in your area? What are temperatures in spring after the peaches bloom? When is the last frost? Unless these things are known, it’s impossible to give you a good answer.
Anyway, just guessing about your climate from general location info, I would say May harvest is no way, mid-late June — maybe. Take into account that an early bloomer is more likely to be hit by a spring frost, which would mean no harvest at all. Very early peaches are developed for places like California, not for locations with spring frosts.
Sugar Lady ripens in second half of July in Zone 9, you’re confusing it with something else (Sugar May perhaps?).
You’re right about sugar lady. I did not notice that.
The last day of frost is generally by the reports I have seen is around the last week of April. Most of the blooming that I have seen is around that time as well.
So is it just a concern of the blooms freezing or would it be a concern of the tree not being able to take the freezing temperatures?
I am in 7a and have peaches ranging from early to late. For the most part they all bloom close to the same time and frost can be an issue for all of them. I have june gold, babcock, and others as my early. They all ripen in july. As far as may or june, I doubt you will find anything that early. Dave wilsons est. cropping times are based on a much longer and warmer season than ours. For us our ripening times will be later in the season.
Welcome to our forum! I live in Wilmington, DE; zone 7a and our last frost is typically late March/early April, and that’s also when peaches start blooming. We also have relatively warm spring and summer. Very early peach here starts early July, Sugar May for instance, ripens mid July (check ACN nursery for their ripening chart, it matches my area fairly well). So, for you my best guess is that you’re looking at late July for an early peach.
I think @Olpea’s peach reports (2018 peach report, 2019 peach evaluations) will provide valuable information for you. His earliest peaches are Spring Snow, Earlystar, and Harrow Diamond, which all ripen for him about 3 weeks before Redhaven. If you know when Redhaven ripens at your location, this will give you a good reference point.
so it sounds like no matter how early they say they will bloom and harvest it’s also our climate that pushes it back to July? Hypothetically if I were to purchase a May blooming tree and have a very warm spring could I get peaches in May or even June? But then the following year have a really cold spring and snow weather in April The trees were just not produce peaches?
Southern climates start their spring earlier and therefore have longer growing seasons. Since your spring starts later the ripening time is later as well. So if you lived further south you could get what you want, but not where your at.
Wow what a list. Thanks for this! And thanks to olpea for making it. Good info. I will look up those varieties and see. I wish I knew when the redheaven would ripen but I haven’t had a peach yet. It’s still young. I should get one this year though.
There are other fruits that will go at that time. Also, some of the people on here have made simple plastic greenhouses for just a couple trees and were able to push a zone or two extra. Sheet plastic and wood is cheap. Might be worth a try.
I was thinking about that earlier today. Sounds like a fun project. Maybe I will look into it. Are usually do a small little hoop house for a winter garden every year. I’m sure I could make something for A tree. I would just be afraid I would forget about it and heat up the tree too hot. Fry it.
Even for the earliest of peaches, the time from first bloom to first ripe peach is nearly 3 months, and this is in California’s Central Valley, with no frosts. For example, for Snow Angel peach (which, I believe, is the earliest ripening peach in California), USPP18750P3 - Peach tree named ‘SNOW ANGEL’ - Google Patents (the dates are for the area of Modesto, California): Date of First Bloom: Feb. 15, Date of first picking: May 9. And this is a very low-chill peach (200 hours) that blooms early and will produce fruit in your area one year out of ten at best.
For Spring Snow (the earliest peach that Olpea grows in his orchard), USPP9883P - Peach tree `Spring Snow` - Google Patents (the dates are for the area of Modesto, California): Date of First Bloom: Mar. 3, Date of first picking: May 26. This is a high-chill peach (750-850 hours). Therefore, if this peach blooms in your area in last week of April, you can expect a ripe peach in mid-July at best.
Early peaches are normally clingstone, but most folks prefer freestone…
My location in 7b is prone to warm up early then experience multiple freeze events during bloom. If this happens in your area too, peaches with high chill hours are not effected as much by these freeze events.
Rich May is my earliest peach which ripens in late May. Its low chill hours so the frost often kills the blooms.
Contender is a high chill hour peach which ripens about a 5 or 6 weeks after Rich May. It is less likely to get frosted out than any other peach I grow.
Edit: Forgot to mention that early peaches are more prone to problems with split pits than peaches that ripen later. Too many split pits on all of my early peaches last year. I removed most of my early peaches because they produce less or no fruit in some years combined with the split pit problem
Yes, l love pluots, they are very sweet and have rich flavors. If you want something to ripen in May/June, I think strawberries are your best bet. Next are Cherries and early apricots.
By the way, I noticed you are located very close to Salt Lake, do you know if it moderates spring weather? Do you have any stone fruit orchards within driving distance of you? Their owners/workers can give you good first hand information on what works and what does not work in your area.
Yes I will be putting in strawberries this year. Raspberries and blueberries as well. I was just hoping for the ability to have the best fruit fresh off the tree all times of the year.. I guess I will just have to bottle a lot more. I have called a few nurseries and they stick to the more cold hardy versions. Maybe I will just stick with oplea’s list and just try and graft on some other early varieties and hope the work. Thank you for your help though.
Stan is correct, about 3 months from bloom to harvest is about the earliest you can get a peach. Rich May has a little bit shorter bloom to harvest time, but it was decidedly unproductive for me.
As Rick mentioned low chill peaches tend to bloom earlier vs. higher chill peaches. The time which an individual cultivar blooms has nothing to do with whether or not it is an early or late peach. In other words, there are some early peaches, which bloom late (because they have a high chill requirement) and there are some late peaches which bloom early (because they have a low chilling requirement). I hope that makes sense.
The earliest blooming peach I ever grew was Galaxy ( a flat peach). It ripens a bit after Redhaven. It was so early blooming, I never got a peach from that variety.
so it sounds like no matter how early they say they will bloom and harvest it’s also our climate that pushes it back to July? Hypothetically if I were to purchase a May blooming tree and have a very warm spring could I get peaches in May or even June? But then the following year have a really cold spring and snow weather in April The trees were just not produce peaches?
. I wish I had a 1/2 acre green house for trees that was heated. Haha.
. I guess I will just have to bottle a lot more. I have called a few nurseries and they stick to the more cold hardy versions. Maybe I will just stick with oplea’s list and just try and graft on some other early varieties and hope the work. Thank you for your help though.