North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Alan Haigh <alandhaigh@gmail.com>]

It seems a lot of you northern growers put your faith in the Reliant peach.  Are their leaf buds hardier that other peaches?  I know the flower buds are supposed to be a couple degrees worth hardier than others but I've never heard that the tree itself is.

 

I cut down a huge Reliant last fall for a customer.  I had planted an Elberta for her and once she tasted that fruit it was all over for the Reliant.  A lot of the nurseries down here stock Reliant even though here in Z 5B to Z 6B New York, we can grow a wide range of varieties that reliably bear fruit outside of test winters.  We did have one of those 10 years ago and negative 20 F. wiped out the flower buds on all the peaches, including Reliant.  I don't think this peach gives enough of an advantage to be worth its wide distribution.