How to choose a peach tree or a nectarine tree?

Choosing a peach tree or nectarine tree based on the fruit it bears.

The fruits of these shrubs can have several names: peaches, nectarines or brugnons. They differ according to several factors:

• their flavour;
• their texture;
• their shape;
• their colour.

There is therefore something for virtually every taste! They can be eaten raw as they are, or used in compotes, jams, pastries or even in savoury dishes.

Classic peaches

They have white flesh, a soft, downy skin and a freestone that detaches easily, described as “free”. Notable among them are the old varieties ‘Queen of Orchards’ and ‘Grosse Mignonne’, or ‘Michelini’.

Pavie peaches

Pavie peaches Pavie also have a downy skin, but their flesh is rather yellow and clings to the stone. This is the case with the very fragrant peaches such as ‘Redhaven’, the juicy ‘Dixired’ or the very large fruits reaching up to 500 g of ‘J.H. Hale’.

Nectarines

Their skin has no fuzz (glabrous and smooth epidermis), they have white, fleshy and firm flesh, as well as a free stone.

Brugnons

They have smooth skin and yellow flesh that clings to the stone. Notable among them are ‘Morton’, with sweet, melting fruits, or also ‘Olympio’ with a fragrant, floral flavour.

Other varieties

Diverse selections now make it possible to find fruits with other characteristics, such as brugnons with white flesh, white-fleshed vine peaches veined with red, blood types like ‘Sanguine d’Auvergne’ with purple flesh veined with white, or flat peaches such as ‘Saturne’.

Sweet fruits

Among the sweetest fruits, note those of ‘Fantasia’, which produces large nectarines of about 8 cm in diameter, with fragrant and juicy flesh. This is also the case for the nectarine tree ‘Sauzee King’, which rewards us with large flattened fruits. ‘Michelini’ also offers white-fleshed fruits that are sweet and mellow, as does the small ‘Nectarella’ or ‘Flavor Top’.

On the brugnons side, ‘Morton’ is also known for the sweet flavour and melting texture of its fruits.

Sour fruits

If you prefer more tart flavours, try ‘Sanguine d’Auvergne’, which also pleases palates that dislike fuzzy skins. Also taste the wine peach ‘Sanguine’ ‘Sanguine’ with its small, juicy and fragrant fruits, ‘Sanguine de Savoie’ with its blood-red flesh, or the old variety ‘Amsden’.

In clockwise order: Peach ‘JH Hale’, nectarine tree ‘Olympio’, ‘Sanguine d’Auvergne’, ‘Flavor Top’, Sauzee King, vine peach ‘Sanguine’, ‘Sanguine de Savoie’

The colour of the fruits

Most peaches or nectarines display red to orange hues. But some fruits stand out by offering less common shades, all just as beautiful.

The nectarine tree ‘Nectarose’ and the peach ‘Suncrest’ produce, for example, bi-coloured fruits, red speckled with yellow, whereas white-fleshed vine peaches or ‘Fertile de septembre’ are yellow marbled with red.

The peach ‘Redhaven’ on the other hand yields fruits with yellow skin, whereas those of ‘Téton de Vénus’ are yellow striped with carmine on the sunny side. ‘Fruit Me Peach Me Yellow’ offers, as its name suggests, yellow fruits with a faint orange tinge, almost the colour of apricots.

Even more remarkable, the dwarf peach ‘Ice Peach’ produces round fruits with velvety white skin and equally white flesh.

The astonishing white fruits of the peach ‘Ice Peach’

Choose a peach tree or nectarine tree based on the harvest season.

Harvest periods vary by variety, but of course they can also vary by region and weather conditions.

Early-fruiting fruit trees

Fruit harvest takes place between the end of June and mid-July for these varieties. Among them, we note the ancient variety ‘Amsden’, the productive ‘Dixired’, or the small ‘Fruit Me Peach Me Donut’.

Late-fruiting fruit trees

For these cultivars, harvest takes place between medium and the end of September. This includes ‘Michelini’, the aptly named ‘Fertile de Septembre’, the cultivar ‘Téton de Vénus’ or vine peaches.

Choose a peach tree or nectarine tree according to the colour of the flowers.

The peach flowers appear on the previous year’s shoots, usually before the foliage. They are white or pale pink. The dwarf peach ‘Crimson Bonfire’ stands out slightly with its flowers in a very deep pink, as do the dwarf nectarines ‘Rubis Necta Zee’ and ‘Amber Pix Zee’, producing very ornamental dark pink flowers.

But for a more original touch, some bear a pretty red colour, such as the delightful ‘Garden Beauty’.

The flowering of the peach ‘Crimson Bonfire’

Choosing a peach tree or nectarine tree based on pruning and use.

The text discusses the sizes of peach trees and nectarines, including dwarf and mid-sized varieties, with references to specific varieties and a WordPress caption element. It is formatted with HTML tags and shortcodes.

Key points:
– Large peach trees can exceed 6 meters in height, average 4-5 meters.
– Dwarf/compact varieties are suitable for pots or small spaces.
– Examples of dwarf nectarines: Garden Beauty, Nectarella, Snow Baby.
– Dwarf peach varieties: Crimson Bonfire, Amber Pix Zee, Diamond Zaipevi.
– Mid-sized varieties to garden cultivation: moderate growth, height up to 2.5-3 m, 2 m spread.
– Some semi-dwarf varieties: Fruit Me Peach Me, Ice Peach, Bonanza (2 m height, 1-1.5 m spread).
– Caption about Bonanza reaching 2 m height.
– Slightly larger nectarines: Morton, Flateryna, Honey Kist, Andromède (Andromeda) around 3 m height, 2 m spread.
– Varieties for large spaces: Nectarose, Flavor Top, Sanguine d’Auvergne, Queen of the Orchards (Reine des vergers) up to 7.5 m high and 7 m spread.

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Choosing a peach tree or nectarine tree based on the growing region.

Regions with cold winters or late frosts

Despite their good hardiness (usually down to -12 to -15°C), peaches and nectarines are bushes or fruit trees more suited to mild regions. They do require warmth and sunshine to bear fruit. But it is mainly late frosts that can destroy the flowering and thus limit, or even completely compromise, fruiting. Flowering typically occurs between February and April.

If you live in a region prone to late frosts, choose varieties whose flowering does not occur before April. This includes the White Vine Peach, the Yellow Vine Peach, the cultivars ‘Grosse Mignonne’, ‘Sanguine vineuse’ and ‘Michelini’. For nectarines, turn to ‘Nectared’.

North of the Loire, we advise growing your fruit trees in a sheltered position, protected from cold winds, for example against a south-facing wall. These conditions will improve the chances of fruiting.

You can also opt for pot or container cultivation (see the paragraph above). This will allow you to keep your fruit trees in a frost-free sheltered location, then move them outdoors once all risk of frost has passed. You will still need to air the storage area regularly, or place your fruit trees outside during the day to encourage pollination.

Regions with conditions favourable to disease development

Peaches and nectarines are among the fruit trees fairly susceptible to fungal diseases, caused by fungi. Blister is among the most widespread. But other diseases such as powdery mildew, moniliosis, bacterial canker or rust are also encountered.

Some cultivars are nevertheless naturally more resistant. To limit the risks, favour varieties less susceptible, such as vine peaches, ‘Amsden’, ‘Reine des Vergers’ or Morton. The peach ‘Bénédicte’ is also a good candidate.