Friday, July 20, 2012

Peach Trees In Tucson

Hey hey hey!!!  Have you heard?  The peaches are here....the peaches are here.  This year at Presidio all 3 varieties (Red Baron, Elberta and Babcock!) have produced delicious peaches.  The reliable peach over the past two summers has been the Elberta (producing plenty!).  And this year 2 more surprises!  The Red Baron and Babcock both have peaches on them!!!
Babcock Peach
These pictures were taken on 6/30 and they should be ready to eat now.  A couple things to note about growing Peach trees in Tucson.  Like any fruit tree, they will need plenty of water if you are going to have plump and ripe peaches:)  They also surprisingly will take our sun if watered well.  I placed all 3 in different locations around the property.  Two had almost full sun along a water line and the second(the Red Baron) was in some shade.
Red Baron Peach
Now about placement.  Put them along a water line.  All of these trees are dwarf trees which means they'll only grow to about 12 feet.  Perfect height for picking peaches:)  Another reason to plant peach trees?  In Spring, when it's cold(for the desert) and there's nothing on the branches, the first sign that spring is around the corner comes in the color of blooms!!!!  Depending on the variety, the blooms will be red red or a bright pink.  Each bloom represents a peach so protect from winds during this time period.
And what about wildlife vs. the peach?  You all know I am an avid fan of birds and everything else.  Some people have suggested putting brown paper bags over the fruit and leaving a few out for the birds.  Surprisingly it wasn't the bird I had to be weary of.....it was a huge shiny alien green beetle known as the Figeater(I'm calling it Peacheater)!  I came back from my trip last year in July and found that they ate about HALF!!!  the crop.
Elberta Peach
So keep an eye open for these critters in the Tucson area.  A reliable fruit tree for the desert.  Chill hours are the lowest for this particular fruit tree.  Apricots and Nectarines also do very well here.  For two years I've had a few green apricots on the trees but they seem to disappear....hmmmm......now I think a bird may be responsible for these disappearances:)
I look forward to tasting the 3 different peaches as they ripen.  What fruits are growing in your garden?  Would love to hear your favorite seasonal fruit right now or what fruit you've had success with?  More tomorrow....
This Figeater should be called Peacheater:)

19 comments:

  1. Ummm que buena pinta tienen esos melocotones.. ;-)))

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  2. Lovely peaches and great to see rewards from your plantings. The blossoms are pretty too. I hope that insect isn't too hungry. Great post, have a wonderful weekend.

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  3. I had a neighbor in Phoenix who had a very prolific peach tree. The fruit was really small though (it probably needed some fertilizer) and you could wear yourself out peeling enough peaches to get a decent-sized cobbler. But the smell that came out of the oven was enough to make you forget you had to go to so much trouble!

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  4. Mmmmm those are going to be so good! Lucky you!

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  5. one of the best things about summer, all the fresh fruit ~ these are so fuzzy

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  6. You know what friend Kreesh, i will tell you a secret. I haven't tasted a fresh peach, we just get them from the can! At least apples, nectarines and plums i already did, but when i was in Australia a peach tree is near the balcony but the fruits are not yet ripe, unfortunately. Also when i first saw apple fruits we got one even if we know it is still immature, just to satisfy the excitement of picking an apple. hahaha!

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  7. sorry about the pests! i was worried your neighbors might be picking them before you could harvest. :)

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  8. Those peaches look delicious. No fruit trees growing around here and the few berry bushes have already been picked clean.

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  9. My SIL has a dwarf peach tree in her yard here in the Phoenix area. I don't know the variety, but some years she is very blessed with peaches and the blossoms are a flower lover's dream. That is one voracious beetle!

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  10. The peaches look wonderful. The japanese beetle does not. :-)

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  11. oh he looks like a cousin of the japanese beetle...nasty little critter.....Peaches...heavenly

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  12. Uwielbiam brzoskwinie. Ja bym chyba założyła papierowe torebki na owoce, żeby te zielone "paskudy" ich nie zjadły. Pozdrawiam.
    I love peaches. I would probably set up paper bags for fruit to these green pests do not eat. Yours.

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  13. Those peaches look delicious... Hope you keep those nasty beetles off of them... I love peaches and we usually get ours either from Georgia or South Carolina.... YUM..

    I love most all fruits... We're still eating delicious CA navel oranges (1 a day)... We eat strawberries and a banana for breakfast.. Love Blackberries and sometimes we hike for them around here since they grow wild.... YUM....

    Yes---we are fruit lovers!

    Have a great weekend.
    Betsy

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  14. I have a lemon tree. I think it's a Parker Lemon. I am interested in knowing the difference in tastes between the peaches.

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  15. I love peaches Chris you are so lucky to be able to grow your own! We have a lemon tree but its never produced fruit. Years ago we used to grow a lot of fruit to freeze and make jams - rhubarb, blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries. My favourites are strawberries and I love gooseberry fool. We do collect blackberries from the wild in the autumn and use them in fruit crumbles - they are delicious :)

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  16. The "peacheater" is a very good looking guy who seems to have found a very good way to steal food! We had a peach tree in Phoenix but it died after three years which was said to be common. Nothing edible in our backyard except for the weeds... and herbs in pots.

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  17. Oh, how wonderful you can grow peaches there!!! I am soooo jealous! :) Seriously, enjoy!!!!! The figeater sure is a beautiful bug!!!

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  18. I have tried growing fruit trees Chris, but we have so many pests here in Oz that you really have to be dedicated to looking after them. Thank goodness the growers have that dedication, we have brilliant fruit and veg here, and it's just too easy to pop to the market, I always make a point of buying Australian produce though, hmmm I think I may just go off and have an apple right now!!

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  19. YUM! peaches!! i was going to say, 'fig eater? should have been called a peach eater'...but you beat me to it.
    the blooms are beautiful. hopefully even with all the little critters who are waiting just like you...for the peaches to ripen...will leave you AT LEAST HALF of your crop!! :)

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