You’ve never really tasted a peach unless you went out in your yard and picked it from your own tree, or bought it at my farm market ; )
I personally grow (or have grown) all of these varieties in my orchard. They are all freestone (or mostly so) and have all been reliably hardy in my region of Michigan. If you live in northern Michigan, and not near a great lake, you may be in an area too cold for peaches to live. Peach trees are considered a USDA zone 5 tree for hardiness, so check your location. Some varieties are hardier than others, and are described as so.
Peaches are the quickest fruit tree to produce fruit, often bearing the year after you plant them. They are very site specific, and will only thrive in well drained soil, even if it’s on a sand hill where nothing else will grow!!! If water lays on the ground more than a day or two after a good rain, plant your peaches somewhere else.
Peach trees should be planted 10 feet apart, and kept to 8-10ft tall and no more than 10ft wide by pruning each spring.
All of the peach varieties offered are self fertile so only one tree is needed to produce fruit.
ALL PEACH TREES ARE PRICED AT $33.00 each
Canadian Harmony – this is one of the largest peaches you can grow. These are often seen at roadside and farmers markets sold as Amish peaches. Fruit has a red blush over a greenish-yellow background, and flesh is sweet and juicy, and of excellent quality for all purposes. Great for canning as they are very freestone. Trees are very strong growing, and have good winter hardiness.
Ripens later in August
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Contender – one of the most cold hardy peaches. Strong peach flavored fruit is large in size, and half red over bright yellow. Contender is recommended for cold areas where peaches won’t normally grow, and also excellent for milder regions. Great fresh eating, canning and freezing peach that’s always freestone and a very reliable cropper. This is a very heavy producing variety that ripens over a long period. Contender sets huge amounts of flowers so fruit should be thinned early and heavily to achieve large size. One of the best peaches I grow, and probably the most cold hardy.
Ripens mid-late August .
Encore – is our latest ripening variety this year. The fruit is consistently large, and bright yellow with a pretty red streaks. Flesh is firm, always freestone, and highly flavored. Encore is a great canning variety, and also excellent for all other purposes. Trees have very good cold hardiness and are strong growing. If you love peaches, be sure to include this one, as it’s the last fresh peach until next summer.
Ripens early-mid September
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Glohaven – is an old, Michigan developed variety that has everything you could ask for in a peach. Fruit is very large, half red over bright yellow, nearly fuzzless, firm, freestone, and excellent flavored. Cold hardiness is as good if not better than most other varieties. Glohaven is a dependable, heavy producing variety and one of my favorite peaches. Excellent for all purposes, and one of the best canning peaches. Every year when I’m picking this variety, I ask myself why I haven’t planted more of them.
Ripens mid August
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Madison – is a very cold hardy, late season variety. Fruits are bright yellow with a good amount of red striping and freestone yellow flesh that is very juicy and flavorful. They can be used for all purposes and are great for canning. Trees are rapid growing, set huge amounts of blossoms, and have above average tolerance to frost. If you are in the northern part of Michigan, and want to grow peaches, this is one of your best choices.
Ripens later in August
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Redhaven – this is probably the best known variety of all peaches. It is half red in color, firm fleshed, and mostly freestone when ripe. It is excellent for fresh eating, canning, freezing, and any other purpose you can use peaches for. It is very cold hardy and heavy producing, and must be thinned heavily to produce large fruit. Even after more than 70 years, Redhaven is still one of the most planted and sought after peaches in Michigan.
Ripens in early August
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Saturn – is one of the flat or donut peaches. It is white fleshed with a beautiful red blush and tiny pit. Saturns have a unique, mild flavor that you won’t be able to stop eating ! Saturns are very difficult to find in grocery stores or farmers markets, and bring premium prices. Quite cold hardy too.
Ripens in early August
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Veteran – is an heirloom variety that is known for its ability to set fruit in marginal peach growing areas. Freestone peaches are medium – large in size, and of excellent quality and flavor. Great for fresh eating, canning, and freezing. Veteran is mostly yellow with a red blush. Very cold hardy, so a good choice for northern areas. This is a very dependable producer.
Ripens mid August
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White Lady – a beautiful mostly red skinned, white fleshed variety with firm, very sweet, low acid flesh. Although a California developed variety, White Lady has been grown in the eastern states for a long time with great results. Trees have cold hardiness as good as most other peaches. If you’ve never eaten a white peach, you’re really missing out!!
Ripens in early – mid August