"New" Fresh Market Peaches - What's Hot?

For the last 14 years, I have been doing peach and nectarine cultivar evaluations at growers' farms, at the research station on the Victoria Avenue Farm and in a CanAdapt funded demonstration trial. Each year there are winners and losers but in 2007, many cultivars performed extremely well under the growing conditions in Niagara.

Many of my comments are based on my observations only and there will be growers that will have different opinions due to macro climates, age of tree, pruning style, irrigation and many other factors. Growers in Michigan and Southwestern Ontario typically get more heat units than we do in Niagara so late season peaches will therefore perform better with the long growing season.

I gave presentations about peach and nectarine cultivars both at the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable convention in February at Brock University and just recently in Leamington at the Ontario Tender Fruit Producers' Marketing Board and Ontario Fruit Testing Association meeting. Most growers have a copy of my 2007 ratings but anyone that missed the presentations can get a copy by email/fax or mail.

At this time, most of the selections from Vineland and Harrow are not available for testing. There are several cultivars that were not included in the summer ratings, only those listed were evaluated. The ratings are for 2007 only.

In the early season, there is a new selection from Vineland that showed good promise. HW274 and Risingstar continue to be mediocre while another Vineland selection looks good in the Garnet Beauty season. HW261, PF15A and HW267, performed well in the Redhaven to Vivid season. Starfire performed well also but had a slight ridge at the suture. Blazingstar perhaps performed the best of those evaluated with outstanding colour and uniformity for an easy 2-pick harvest. Many cultivars in the post Redhaven season performed well, including PF17, Allstar, HW273, Coralstar, HW268, PF23 and another Vineland selection. A couple of disappointments with lighter crops were Glowingstar and PF24-007.

Blazingstar performed the best with outstanding colour and uniformity

Nectarines - There are some good looking Harrow selections that could be named in the future. Most have good colour, firmness and good size and extend the harvest season.

So, just when I was getting a handle on some of these cultivars, I received my 2008 copy of the Flamin Fury peaches. It lists 17 new selections that I have not seen before out the 23 listed including PF 8 Ball, PF Lucky 13, PF Big George and more.

I want to thank the Ontario Fruit Testing Organization for providing some funding for the 2007 and the 2008 season to hire a part time casual to assist me with the fruit evaluations.

| Top of Page |