I think one that has been highly recommended is Redhaven, and it is on sale at Stark Bros right now. I ordered one a couple of months ago, but after seeing their sale prices this week I ordered a few more, and one of them was another Redhaven.

Here is a link that might be useful: Peach

We're looking at buying a Belle of Georgia peach to add to our Elberta.

Redhaven and Ranger both have produced very well here in southcentral OK. They have great flavor. Sentinel and Reliance also are very reliable producers with great flavor.

In a good year. two trees give us all the fresh peaches we can eat, at least 20 quarts to put up in the freezer and 100-150 jars of canned peaches and peach jelly, jam, peach preserves, peach butter and spiced peach butter.

With the late freezes that are so common here, every year is not a good peach year though.

I'll link the OSU fact sheet with recommended peach tree varieties.

Sweetness of peaches and other fruit can be influenced by weather conditions, especially rainfall. If too much rain falls as the fruit are ripening, their flavor and texture can be really poor. Picking them too early or too late also can have an adverse effect on the fruit quality. When you grow your own, at least you have some control over irrigation, and you can pick the fruit at the right time so the flavor and texture are perfect.

So, it isn't just the variety that matters---it is the way it is grown and harvested too.

Dawn

That may be the deal with theirs then. I did not know that. I think theirs may be new haven but not sure. I know they have other varieties but I never know when they are coming off. They are also very expensive. Thanks for all the info. Tried Belle of Georgia last year. Got lazy and didnt water it enough in the heat.

This post was edited by borderokie on Thu, May 30, 13 at 8:18

In this climate, the Belle of Georgia will probably need slightly more care than normal for the first couple years, but it should work. The only reason our last go 'round with a Belle of Georgia didn't work was because I tied it up too tight and didn't check it regularly. Rubbed a hole half way through the trunk.

I more patient than many people, too. I'll prepare the tree beds well ahead of time and let the compost and amendments sit for weeks, or even months before I plant anything in them. ...and I always add at least couple of inches of mulch, once the trees and bushes are in the ground.

A couple of inches of mulch on newly planted trees and bushes makes a world of difference.

Just planted a Honey Crisp apple. Hadn't even thought of mulching it. Will do that today. Hope they are good for our area. Didnt really even do any research. We just had them at the greenhouse where I work and I got one on a whim. I know better than that. But spring fever kicks in and your brains fall out.