Author Topic: Peaches and Plums in hot climates  (Read 3259 times)

elriba

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Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« on: June 30, 2022, 11:31:22 AM »
Hi,
I have seen some messages about peaches and got really curious.  Do peaches grow in hot climates?   I was under the impression that only Georgia and above...   

And while we are with peaches, what about plums?

Thanks!

Elopez2027@aol.com

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #1 on: June 30, 2022, 02:45:13 PM »
Yes you can! Super low chill for peaches. They out there and I’m looking. Patiently. Plums can’t comment.

K-Rimes

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #2 on: June 30, 2022, 03:18:32 PM »
Santa Barbara peach does great here in... Santa Barbara. It's a low chill peach that is actually really delicious. Their spot is 10A. For 13b, I think you may not get enough chill even though the requirements are very low for it. My gf's family has two and they fruit prolifically.

Can't say much on plums, I am personally in 9b and mine make a ton of fruit.

johnb51

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2022, 05:52:17 PM »
You might find this information and this chart useful.  A chill hour is any hour under 45 degrees.
https://ruckscitrusnursery.com/products/low-chill-peaches/#:~:text=PEACH%20CHART%20%20%20%20VARIETY%20%20,%20%2082%20%208%20more%20rows%20
And here is plum information.  https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS250  It includes a map of Florida that shows chill hours, but that may be changing due to climate change (?).
« Last Edit: June 30, 2022, 10:38:13 PM by johnb51 »
John

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2022, 07:20:15 PM »
The university of florida has all kinds of super low chill peaches.
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2022, 11:34:12 PM »
I have peach trees growing exceptionally well in the Arizona desert.  I have plums, they grow well, but not quite as good as peach trees.
An absolute winner is spicezee nectaplum.  Grows like a weed.

Galatians522

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #6 on: June 30, 2022, 11:37:07 PM »
Red Ceylon is the lowest chill peach that I know of. It is what the UF used to create their low chill peaches. There is also an evergreen peach from Mexico with a gene that allows it to make flower buds without chill. Plums are harder because they typically require cross pollination, but Scarlet Beauty will bloom with less than 50 hrs of chill and is semi self fertile. Manual defoliation may help trees bloom stronger when there is less chill. I have seen local native plums bloom profusely with fewer than 40 hrs of chill.

That being said I don't think you will find anything cultivated that will be productive in zone 13 Costa Rica. It is possible that there are some wild prunus species that might fruit there?
« Last Edit: July 01, 2022, 09:48:06 PM by Galatians522 »

Victoria Ave

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #7 on: July 01, 2022, 12:21:19 AM »
If you’re interested in nectarines I grow ‘desert delight’. Very low chill and very productive with early fruits

elriba

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2022, 10:31:18 AM »
Thanks for all your input!   This is very interesting.   I am going to research more into this.

elriba

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2022, 10:32:41 AM »
You might find this information and this chart useful.  A chill hour is any hour under 45 degrees.
https://ruckscitrusnursery.com/products/low-chill-peaches/#:~:text=PEACH%20CHART%20%20%20%20VARIETY%20%20,%20%2082%20%208%20more%20rows%20
And here is plum information.  https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS250  It includes a map of Florida that shows chill hours, but that may be changing due to climate change (?).

Thanks!  This is very interesting!

achetadomestica

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #10 on: July 01, 2022, 11:01:41 AM »
Try one of the low chill peaches and see what happens. A chill hour is one hour below 45F
but in Florida the next day it might be 80F and we never get the required consistent chill hours for the
peaches and most years they set fruit. Most of the peaches are on the small size but the taste is the best.
The white fleshed peaches are my favorite like Florida Glo

elriba

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #11 on: July 01, 2022, 11:33:03 AM »
Try one of the low chill peaches and see what happens. A chill hour is one hour below 45F
but in Florida the next day it might be 80F and we never get the required consistent chill hours for the
peaches and most years they set fruit. Most of the peaches are on the small size but the taste is the best.
The white fleshed peaches are my favorite like Florida Glo
One time I was in Spain (Madrid) and was given peaches from the garden of the place I was staying at.  I was VERY, VERY impressed!  I may be wrong, but since then I have the impression that store peaches are nothing compared to fresh from the tree, properly matured.

What do you think?

mangoba

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #12 on: July 01, 2022, 12:35:57 PM »
Try one of the low chill peaches and see what happens. A chill hour is one hour below 45F
but in Florida the next day it might be 80F and we never get the required consistent chill hours for the
peaches and most years they set fruit. Most of the peaches are on the small size but the taste is the best.
The white fleshed peaches are my favorite like Florida Glo
One time I was in Spain (Madrid) and was given peaches from the garden of the place I was staying at.  I was VERY, VERY impressed!  I may be wrong, but since then I have the impression that store peaches are nothing compared to fresh from the tree, properly matured.

What do you think?

I grew up in the mediterranean and I bought peaches from regular grocery stores here once and never again :) You can certainly find decent quality peaches but they would be quite expensive, especially if you don't live in C/GA

elriba

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #13 on: July 01, 2022, 12:56:38 PM »
I grew up in the mediterranean and I bought peaches from regular grocery stores here once and never again :) You can certainly find decent quality peaches but they would be quite expensive, especially if you don't live in C/GA

Last time I was in Atlanta, Georgia (right before the pandemic), I purchased some supermarket peaches, but they weren't that good.  I guess that even in Georgia you need to know where to purchase the "good stuff"....  :)

johnb51

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #14 on: July 01, 2022, 01:54:31 PM »
I've been eating peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots since I was a kid and my uncle in the San Fernando Valley of L A (perfect growing conditions) had fruit trees in his backyard.  So I know the best, sweetest stone fruit is tree-ripened.  In general, commercial growers have to pick their fruit hard for storage, shipping, and eventual display.  Under optimal growing conditions and with the right varieties some of this fruit will have developed enough sugar to still taste good, but obviously not all.  Does this make sense?
« Last Edit: July 01, 2022, 01:58:03 PM by johnb51 »
John

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #15 on: July 01, 2022, 02:10:59 PM »
Scarlet Beauty plum produces well for me in Broward County. Fruits reliably every year regardless of the weather. Peaches not so much. 1-2 peaches per year if you're lucky. The home-grown Florida peaches are delicious but not productive enough. Id go for a plum tree.

achetadomestica

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #16 on: July 01, 2022, 02:11:34 PM »
I've been eating peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots since I was a kid and my uncle in the San Fernando Valley of L A (perfect growing conditions) had fruit trees in his backyard.  So I know the best, sweetest stone fruit is tree-ripened.  In general, commercial growers have to pick their fruit hard for storage, shipping, and eventual display.  Under optimal growing conditions and with the right varieties some of this fruit will have developed enough sugar to still taste good, but obviously not all.  Does this make sense?
It makes perfect sense. Allot of the Florida peaches have melting flesh like the Florida glo
You will never see one in a supermarket it has such a short shelf life. My wife's family lives
in Georgia and one year I bought some peaches along the road and they were OK. The next
year I bought some peaches from the same place. I was already in Florida when I ate one and
they were incredible. What a difference between years! I regretted only buying a dozen. I would have
bought a box for sure

achetadomestica

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #17 on: July 01, 2022, 02:15:13 PM »
Scarlet Beauty plum produces well for me in Broward County. Fruits reliably every year regardless of the weather. Peaches not so much. 1-2 peaches per year if you're lucky. The home-grown Florida peaches are delicious but not productive enough. Id go for a plum tree.
do you trim back your peach every year? They produce fruit on new growth like citrus.
If they are done fruiting this year cut it way back and feed heavy. Next year you'll have
a great crop?

elriba

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #18 on: July 01, 2022, 04:21:43 PM »
I've been eating peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots since I was a kid and my uncle in the San Fernando Valley of L A (perfect growing conditions) had fruit trees in his backyard.  So I know the best, sweetest stone fruit is tree-ripened.  In general, commercial growers have to pick their fruit hard for storage, shipping, and eventual display.  Under optimal growing conditions and with the right varieties some of this fruit will have developed enough sugar to still taste good, but obviously not all.  Does this make sense?
Makes perfect sense John!   Thanks for sharing that.

skhan

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #19 on: July 02, 2022, 02:21:17 PM »
I had a UFbest peach that i finally cut down this year.
I'm in Broward 10B hot, humid sea level.

Finally had more than a handful of fruits this year, without fruit fly larva. It was great but not worth the space.
I had around 15 golf ball sized fruit on a 15ft tree.
Standard open vase pruning technique.
It was a nice little treat at the end of March.

If your conditions are similar, I wouldn't bother with peaches, not enough chill hours in a typical year and fruit flies can infest the later season fruit.

Galatians522

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #20 on: July 03, 2022, 04:41:13 PM »
There has been some very interesting work done in Thailand regarding low chill deciduous fruit production in tropical mountainous areas (mostly above 1000 meters of elevation). The research covered peach, necatarine, plum, mume (sour apricot), asian pear, apple, and persimmon. See link below.

https://www.fao.org/3/ab985e/ab985e0a.htm

Also the Sanyueli plum from Taiwan only requires 28 hrs of chill to bloom! Here is the article for anyone who wants to know more.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.31.193243v2.full&ved=2ahUKEwjdh8KVxt34AhXcczABHaebDSA4ChAWegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw3Cips59c4MTPg-ohHx-mB7

johnb51

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #21 on: July 03, 2022, 07:27:45 PM »
There has been some very interesting work done in Thailand regarding low chill deciduous fruit production in tropical mountainous areas (mostly above 1000 meters of elevation). The research covered peach, necatarine, plum, mume (sour apricot), asian pear, apple, and persimmon. See link below.

https://www.fao.org/3/ab985e/ab985e0a.htm

Also the Sanyueli plum from Taiwan only requires 28 hrs of chill to bloom! Here is the article for anyone who wants to know more.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.31.193243v2.full&ved=2ahUKEwjdh8KVxt34AhXcczABHaebDSA4ChAWegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw3Cips59c4MTPg-ohHx-mB7
I don't find any nursery that sells that plum.
John

Galatians522

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #22 on: July 03, 2022, 07:47:38 PM »
There has been some very interesting work done in Thailand regarding low chill deciduous fruit production in tropical mountainous areas (mostly above 1000 meters of elevation). The research covered peach, necatarine, plum, mume (sour apricot), asian pear, apple, and persimmon. See link below.

https://www.fao.org/3/ab985e/ab985e0a.htm

Also the Sanyueli plum from Taiwan only requires 28 hrs of chill to bloom! Here is the article for anyone who wants to know more.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.31.193243v2.full&ved=2ahUKEwjdh8KVxt34AhXcczABHaebDSA4ChAWegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw3Cips59c4MTPg-ohHx-mB7
I don't find any nursery that sells that plum.

Neither have I. I even checked the USDA stone fruit repository. I am thinking Gulf Ruby would be the most similar plum available in the US. It was mentioned in the Thai article and was developed with stock from Taiwan. It should be very similar even if it is not a direct decendant. Do you have any contacts in Taiwan? Lol!
« Last Edit: July 03, 2022, 07:50:20 PM by Galatians522 »

RS

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #23 on: July 04, 2022, 07:19:38 PM »
Do you have any contacts in Taiwan?

I do, a friend lives there, but have no idea about plant or seed importation. Any ideas how that would work?

Galatians522

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Re: Peaches and Plums in hot climates
« Reply #24 on: July 04, 2022, 10:23:15 PM »
Do you have any contacts in Taiwan?

I do, a friend lives there, but have no idea about plant or seed importation. Any ideas how that would work?

Importing seeds is pretty simple as long as they are on the "allowed" list. That is how both Burbank and The University of Florida got their start with plums. I have never done it, but the process would be similar to what was done for Yangmei.