Peaches in south FL (low chill)

[Altrexy]

I’m looking to buy a peach tree to plant in the Kendall area. Is it even realistic to get great peaches this far south? I saw a peach tree at fruit and spice with a few fruits on it so it seems possible to fruit them. Any recommendations on varieties? I looked it up and homestead supposedly only got 5 chill hours this year. How is it possible for any peach to have fruited? Maybe 45 degrees isnt the minimum for chill?

[AndrewAZ]

It may not work, but I have Eva's Pride out here in Scottsdale, AZ and it is listed at 100-200 chill hours.  About as low as you can go and it is an absolutely delicious peach, self fertile.  Blooms early and ripens early.  I think it could be a real winner.  You probably need to pay attention that it is grafted on proper So. FL rootstock.
And, I use those chill hours as a guide.  We typically get about 200-250 chill hours around my direct area and trees listed at 400 will produce heavy.
There are other, less common ways to calculate chill that are probably more accurate.

[MadFarm]

Florida King, Florida Prince, Tropic Beauty are some I've heard of and seen in South Florida. I have a friend with a tree from the 1980s that produces heavily in western Palm Beach County but it is almost impossible to harvest quality fruit due to the Caribbean fruit fly maggots seemingly getting the fruit at all stages. Even picked far from ripe and left to ripen off the tree the worms are in them. We don't know the variety but it's super productive every year. Apparently they are very susceptible to pest pressure. UF has a ton of info https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/mg374

[Calusa]

I've successfully grown Florida Prince peaches in Land O Lakes zone 9b/10a. The tree produced heavy crops of small and delicious peaches, much better than most store bought.

[johnb51]

With all due respect, I think you're wasting your time.  In a few years we'll probably have no reliable chill hours in South Florida if that's not already the case!

[RS]

Pine Island also sells several low chill varieties, e.g. FL Grande, https://tropicalfruitnursery.com/files/editor/files/low-chill-peach-info.pdf

[roblack]

I know someone in the Miami area who has told me they have a producing peach tree that does quite well. Will inquire as to the variety, as I am curious as well.

[pineflatwoods]

Peaches like Avocados find my "soil" completely inhospitable. I've seen container grown peaches here with success. some to try are Tropic Snow, Tropic Prince, Tropic Sweet.

[561MangoFanatic]

I grow several varieties of low chill peaches in Loxahatchee. It’s possible just know that the peaches tend to be on the smaller side.. I harvested a few last year-Tropic Beauty,Florida Prince and Tropic Snow. This year UF Sun and UF Best first time fruiters with a couple of small fruit. Trees are also still pretty young and need to mature..

[roblack]

I would argue that Glenn mango is one of the best growing options for peach lovers in SoFL. Takes me partly back to GA every time.

[Altrexy]

With all due respect, I think you're wasting your time.  In a few years we'll probably have no reliable chill hours in South Florida if that's not already the case!

I would generally agree but seeing as peach trees only live a couple decades at most and I have a ton of space and a peach loving family I figured it’s worth trying at least a couple of trees. Maybe I should buy an industrial freezer and keep the trees in pots 🤔

[Altrexy]

Florida King, Florida Prince, Tropic Beauty are some I've heard of and seen in South Florida. I have a friend with a tree from the 1980s that produces heavily in western Palm Beach County but it is almost impossible to harvest quality fruit due to the Caribbean fruit fly maggots seemingly getting the fruit at all stages. Even picked far from ripe and left to ripen off the tree the worms are in them. We don't know the variety but it's super productive every year. Apparently they are very susceptible to pest pressure. UF has a ton of info https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/mg374

I don’t mind bagging the fruits especially since I’ll only have one or two trees. It’s just for myself and the family

[Altrexy]

I would argue that Glenn mango is one of the best growing options for peach lovers in SoFL. Takes me partly back to GA every time.

As good as mangos are I’ve had thousands of them and only a handful of peaches that were worth eating. I’ve been dreaming about that peach falling apart all over me for years now.

[Amel]

Florida Prince and Florida Grande, both taste better than what you get at a store, the Prince is very sweet and on the smaller side

[drymifolia]

Maybe I should buy an industrial freezer and keep the trees in pots 🤔

Remember you don't actually want them below freezing. Max chill occurs in mid-30s to upper 40s. So more like an industrial refrigerator.

It's always funny how we all want what we can't get. Here I am in the PNW with the highest chill of any zone 9a in the country, but I just wish I could grow a mango tree in my greenhouse. But even the greenhouse gets too cold in winter.

Peaches grow well here, other than PLC and lack of heat units to really sweeten them up. I got nearly 3000 "Utah chill units" from September to March this year, and my peach tree flowered prolifically, before PLC set in (in April) causing it to lose most the leaves and drop all but a few fruit. New healthy leaves are replacing the lost ones, so maybe it'll hold a few fruit and I'll get my first homegrown peaches this year.

Maybe someone in good peach growing climate and someone in good mango growing climate could set up a fruit swap? 😂

[Julian R]

I grow several varieties of low chill peaches in Loxahatchee. It’s possible just know that the peaches tend to be on the smaller side.. I harvested a few last year-Tropic Beauty,Florida Prince and Tropic Snow. This year UF Sun and UF Best first time fruiters with a couple of small fruit. Trees are also still pretty young and need to mature..

I've found on my tropic snow the pit (roughly dime sized) is also really tiny, so you're getting a really good flesh/seed ratio.

[Oolie]

Tropic snow is a winner.

Anyone else growing Florida Glow?

[bulldawg305]

I had a Florida Grande tree from PIN years ago. They were small delicious fruit and the tree was productive but the 2nd year it fruited they all had worms. So I removed it and planted a mango instead. I heard that some years the worms are there and some years they aren't? not sure about that statement but maybe someone with more experience can chime in if the worms are present every year.

[palingkecil]

Maybe I should buy an industrial freezer and keep the trees in pots 🤔

Remember you don't actually want them below freezing. Max chill occurs in mid-30s to upper 40s. So more like an industrial refrigerator.

It's always funny how we all want what we can't get. Here I am in the PNW with the highest chill of any zone 9a in the country, but I just wish I could grow a mango tree in my greenhouse. But even the greenhouse gets too cold in winter.

Peaches grow well here, other than PLC and lack of heat units to really sweeten them up. I got nearly 3000 "Utah chill units" from September to March this year, and my peach tree flowered prolifically, before PLC set in (in April) causing it to lose most the leaves and drop all but a few fruit. New healthy leaves are replacing the lost ones, so maybe it'll hold a few fruit and I'll get my first homegrown peaches this year.

Maybe someone in good peach growing climate and someone in good mango growing climate could set up a fruit swap? 😂

This a very good idea. I got over 500 peaches a year from my trees, and only 2-3 mangoes a year. And I only have 7 peach trees and about 15 mango trees! All the trees are only 3 years in ground, but peach trees start producing like crazy the 1st year.
Should we start 'Fruit Swap Forum' then?
 

[EvergladesEdibles]

I had a pretty solid harvest on my 2-3 year old Tropic Beauty peach tree this year, not too much farther north than where you’re at. Like others have said they’re not huge peaches but I had a few that were sizeable. There’s some other varieties I have in the ground similar age that do produce extra small, quarter sized fruits. If you’ve got the space I’d say go for it.

[561MangoFanatic]

Tropic snow is a winner.

Anyone else growing Florida Glow?

Growing both and others

[Calusa]

https://sowexotic.com/search?type=product&q=peach*

[Galatians522]

For what its worth, I went down to Immokalee years ago with my dad to the IFAS research center (I think its gone now). They had an experimental peach grove. Tropic Snow was the care taker's favorite. We bought a tree later and the peaches were very good. Its a low acid type as I recall. Tropic Beauty also gets high marks in my book. Florida Price is just a notch below. Followed by UF Best which is just ok--about like a store peach. I do not care for the hard fleshed "non-melting" varieties.

[roblack]

Was eating GA peaches last night around midnight; what a treat! Take back what I said about Glenn mango being peachy enough to satisfy peach cravings. Freeze drying a few, curious as to how they will come out.

[gnappi]

They will die don't waste time, effort, yard space or money.