Suggested Peach Varieties for Southern Alabama

TABLE 4: PEACH VARIETIES RECOMMENDED FOR COMMERCIAL USE AND TRIAL PLANTINGS IN EXTREME SOUTHERN ALABAMA1
. . Chilling Hours . . . Marketing
Variety Ripening Season (Days Before Elberta) Flower Bud Leaf Bud Stone Freeness Fruit Size Cold Hardiness Shipping Local Sales
Flordaglobe2 61 550 550 Cling S to M F to G * *
Goldcrest2 60 650 650 Semi-Free M F * *
Starlite3 55 650 650 Semi-Free M F to G - *
Empress 52 650 650 Cling S to M F * *
Suzi-Q2 52 650 650 Semi-Cling S to M F to G * *
Flordaking 51 400 400 Cling M to L P to F * *
Springcrest 51 650 650 Cling S to M F to G * *
June Gold 47 650 650 Cling L F * *
Cherry Gold2 47 650 650 Cling S to M P to F * *
Goldprince2 47 650 650 Cling S to M F * *
Texstar 45 500 500 Semi-Free M G * *
Magnolia2 42 650 650 Cling M F * *
Shepard's Beauty2 42 650 650 Cling M F * *
Flordacrest2 41 425 425 Semi-Free S to M F? *? *?
CVN-1A2 (Delta) 40 550 550 Cling M ? *? *?
La Pecher2 39 450 450 Semi-Free M F -? *
Maygold 39 650 650 Cling M F to G * *
Juneprince2 35 650 650 Semi-Free M F * *
Texroyal 34 600 600 Free M F to G? *? *
Flordagold2 34 350 350 Cling M P to F * *
CVN-13W3 34 650 650 Free ? ? ? ?
La White3 27 650 650 Free M to L F to G - *
Rio Grande 25 450 450 Free L G - *
Sun Grande 25 450 450 Free L G - *
La Feliciana2 20 550 550 Free M to L F - *
La Festival2 20 450 450 Free M to L F -? *
Hawthorne2 17 600 600 Free M to L F *? *
Suncrest2 10 650 650 Free M to L F to G? * *

1. Extreme south Alabama refers to the southern 2/3 of Mobile, Baldwin and Houston counties. The optimum chilling range in this area is 450 to 650 hours at or below 45oF. Don't use varieties with chill requirements much above 700 hours or below 400 hours. Varieties with chilling requirements of 450 hours when grown in the other southern most counties of Escambia, Covington and Geneva will be subject to freeze problems nearly every year. The upper limit for chilling in these 3 counties is about 750 hours.

2. These varieties are initially recommended only on a trial basis. Some are older varieties never grown much while others are newly released promising selections. NOte: Early Gal is not recommended because of previous poor performance.

3. White fleshed varieties.

4. Indicates fruits are best adapted to this type of marketing.


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