North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Dianne Stephany" <iluvdanc@rochester.rr.com>]

HI,

We have a Coralstar and Starfire peach tree. They were 5ft when we planted them in 2001; they were bought from Hilltop Nursery.  We have gotten two (and a third ripening) harvests from the Starfire peach. A really juicy, great tasting fruit that freezes very well.  The Coralstar had three peaches on it last year and none this year. Last year the 3 peaches were like rocks when they finally fell off in late September.  Coralstar is a late peach, while Starfire is an early (August) peach.

 

We are zone 5/6, Rochester, NY.  The trees are about 12 ft apart, recieve similar fertilizer (organic) and water during the year.  The Coralstar is leggy and taller than the Starfire which has a compact, lovely shape.  Both trees had lots of blooms, though the Coralstar had fewer. I did not need to thin the Starfire this year; last year I thinned it 4 times and the tree thinned itself as well.  They were both sprayed with B. subtilis this spring when the pear and apple trees were sprayed.

 

Is there something that the Coralstar needs?  a micronutrient?   or is it just a dud?  Is it possible that as it gets older it will finally bear fruit?   How long would you recommend that we wait till we decide to yank it out?

Could it be more sensitive to weather? It has been cold and rainy all spring.

 

Thanks for the help and advice,

Dianne and Gary Stephany