North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["William C. Garthright" <billg@inebraska.com>]

> It could be my tree is mislabeled.  Let me give you a bit more of a 
> description so as to be able to determine if we're talking about the same 
> variety tree.  I got this Reliance from Burnt Ridge, planted spring 2006. My 
> Reliance was also loaded with blossoms (non-showy).  It bloomed later than 
> all my other varieties (about a week later than most).  I thinned it hard 
> after petal fall and thinned some more a few weeks later, as I did other 
> varieties.  Like yours, mine also ripened before Redhaven, about a week 
> before.


No, Mark, it sounds like they're the same. Mine was slightly later 
blooming than the others (three days after the Redhaven and Intrepid, 
and five days after Hardired Giant Nectarine), and they were non-showy 
blossoms. It gets slightly more sun than the Redhaven, which might 
account for the larger size here. And I thought the color was good, but 
it just looked like a peach. Heh, heh. I didn't pay much attention, really.

As far as being 'stringy,' I didn't notice that, but I didn't peel them. 
I did notice that Redhaven seemed firmer, easier to cut up, but Reliance 
seemed to be more what I expected in a peach. I was very happy with 
them, but then I GREW MY OWN PEACHES! Heh, heh. I *would* be happy, 
wouldn't I? I liked them (slightly) better than the Redhaven, but after 
all, I ate them first.


> If it was the only tree ripened peach I'd ever eaten, I'd rave about it.


Yeah, Alan, you've probably got it right. I'd never even seen a peach 
tree before I grew these, so maybe I'm not as discriminating as the rest 
of you. But I'm happy enough with them, so I guess that's the important 
thing. Still, as a complete newbie, I'm not the best judge of peaches!


> The amount of sugar and other issues of quality in a peach can be 
> greatly affected by soil, weather, and especially sun exposure as most 
> of you probably know so it should not come as a surprise that the same 
> cultivar would perform differently in different locations.


Good point! My four trees are planted in one hole, basically. My 
neighbor's garage is to the southeast, which shades the Redhaven a bit 
in the morning (that one is planted 18" to the southeast of the others). 
My Reliance peach is on the northwest, so it gets the full west sun.

Bill

--
I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat. - Will Rogers