Top Five Stone Fruit Choices For SoCal- # 5
Plants and trees, and the flowers and fruit they give us are woven into the tapestry that forms the sweetest memories of our lives. What are your memories of fruit or flowers? I think of my grandfather George's roses and peonies, and my Grandma Gladys picking cherries from her own tree, then baking them into the most delicious cherry pies.
A friend of mine describes these plants and trees as legacy plants. When I moved into my first home, the first tree I planted was an Anna apple; it still thrives and gives wonderful apples to this day. The second tree that I put in makes my top five list for the best stone fruits for SoCal. The original tree became infested with borers, and ultimately had to be removed. But, it was such a great grower, and the fruit was so sublime I replaced it.
If you want to grow luscious tree ripened stone fruits, they are pretty easy, but do have a few challenges. If you grow peaches or nectarines they MUST be diligently maintained to prevent poor health or death. They need the following three tasks done without fail each year. Even with good care, one can lose trees, but your diligence will help a great deal.
Peaches and nectarines need these three tasks done without fail:
1) They need pruning and thinning. They grow vigorously, and need to be opened up. They also need help to develop a strong network of scaffold branches. Left to their own devices they grow out of control, suffer from broken branches and become too shaded for proper fruit development.
2) They must be sprayed while dormant at least once, but preferably three times with fungicide spray to prevent peach leaf curl. These prophylactic treatments are carried out when the tree defoliates in the fall and winter.
3) While you are spraying you should also spray with a horticultural oil to kill off overwintering insects and their eggs. It is helpful to also use pheromone traps for borers as soon as they become active. Once you have a borer infestation, it is almost impossible to save the tree.
A little bit of work will be rewarded with a bountiful harvest of fruit you just can't buy at the market. Your taste buds will thank you.
Number five in the stone fruit countdown is the Babcock peach.
If you are familiar with my blog, you are likely aware of the numerous times I mention the agricultural program at UC Riverside. UCR's very existence is built on its agricultural roots; it was started by citrus growers during the great heyday of the navel orange in southern California. UCR has been at the forefront of so many significant introductions, we owe them our gratitude.
Babcock peach is another fruit variety developed by the program at UCR. The Babcock peach was introduced in 1933, as a result of low chill peach breeding done by Professor E.E. Babcock.
His experimental fruit orchards were in Whittier, CA. Where has all that precious farm land gone? It is bittersweet to recall just how much of southern California was agricultural in the not so distant past. To quote Joni Mitchell, "we pave paradise, and put up a parking lot."
The Babcock became the standard for a new line of breeding in peaches...the white peach. I think it remains the very best white peach ever bred, and right at the top of any peach varieties. If you have never had one, I can't recommend getting your hands on one enough. The tree begins bearing just before July 4th (and continues till about July 20th). This became significant in our family because we always prepared Babcock peach vanilla custard ice cream made with real vanilla beans for our July 4th celebration. Serving that ice cream became a treasured family tradition. Excuse me a second... just the recollection of that most delicious dessert has caused a spell of food euphoria for me. See what I mean about those fruit, flower, and food memories?
I'll let you in on another favorite preparation for this most gorgeous and delicious fruit. I gleaned this idea from Bobby Flay, it is not my own idea, but oh my is it good. Grill your stone fruits! Halve the fruit, remove the pit, and place it on a hot grill. Baste with three wonderful ingredients, the three B's: bourbon, butter, and brown sugar. When the basted fruit has nice grill marks, and is just softened, serve with panna cotta, or vanilla ice cream, or creme freche. Keep it simple. Oh the flavor. Give that one a try at your next party. You will impress all your guests. Babcock looks great grilled, the grill marks are very pronounced against the white flesh of the peach.
Why plant a Babcock peach?
1) It is very vigorous and easy to grow.
2) Very low chill hours required, only 250.
3) It is nearly completely lacking in "peach-fuzz". It is also free stone, which makes prep easy.
4) If you have never tasted a white peach...mmmmm. It has a most unique flavor.
5) It is extremely soft, sweet, fragrant, and delicious.
6) It is a very heavy bearer. You will absolutely need to thin fruit to make them grow to their full potential. Our large and mature tree bore hundreds of very nice sized fruits.
Plant a Babcock. I am 100% confident you will love it.
If you want to grow luscious tree ripened stone fruits, they are pretty easy, but do have a few challenges. If you grow peaches or nectarines they MUST be diligently maintained to prevent poor health or death. They need the following three tasks done without fail each year. Even with good care, one can lose trees, but your diligence will help a great deal.
Peaches and nectarines need these three tasks done without fail:
1) They need pruning and thinning. They grow vigorously, and need to be opened up. They also need help to develop a strong network of scaffold branches. Left to their own devices they grow out of control, suffer from broken branches and become too shaded for proper fruit development.
2) They must be sprayed while dormant at least once, but preferably three times with fungicide spray to prevent peach leaf curl. These prophylactic treatments are carried out when the tree defoliates in the fall and winter.
3) While you are spraying you should also spray with a horticultural oil to kill off overwintering insects and their eggs. It is helpful to also use pheromone traps for borers as soon as they become active. Once you have a borer infestation, it is almost impossible to save the tree.
A little bit of work will be rewarded with a bountiful harvest of fruit you just can't buy at the market. Your taste buds will thank you.
Number five in the stone fruit countdown is the Babcock peach.
If you are familiar with my blog, you are likely aware of the numerous times I mention the agricultural program at UC Riverside. UCR's very existence is built on its agricultural roots; it was started by citrus growers during the great heyday of the navel orange in southern California. UCR has been at the forefront of so many significant introductions, we owe them our gratitude.
Babcock peach is another fruit variety developed by the program at UCR. The Babcock peach was introduced in 1933, as a result of low chill peach breeding done by Professor E.E. Babcock.
His experimental fruit orchards were in Whittier, CA. Where has all that precious farm land gone? It is bittersweet to recall just how much of southern California was agricultural in the not so distant past. To quote Joni Mitchell, "we pave paradise, and put up a parking lot."
The Babcock became the standard for a new line of breeding in peaches...the white peach. I think it remains the very best white peach ever bred, and right at the top of any peach varieties. If you have never had one, I can't recommend getting your hands on one enough. The tree begins bearing just before July 4th (and continues till about July 20th). This became significant in our family because we always prepared Babcock peach vanilla custard ice cream made with real vanilla beans for our July 4th celebration. Serving that ice cream became a treasured family tradition. Excuse me a second... just the recollection of that most delicious dessert has caused a spell of food euphoria for me. See what I mean about those fruit, flower, and food memories?
1) It is very vigorous and easy to grow.
2) Very low chill hours required, only 250.
3) It is nearly completely lacking in "peach-fuzz". It is also free stone, which makes prep easy.
4) If you have never tasted a white peach...mmmmm. It has a most unique flavor.
5) It is extremely soft, sweet, fragrant, and delicious.
6) It is a very heavy bearer. You will absolutely need to thin fruit to make them grow to their full potential. Our large and mature tree bore hundreds of very nice sized fruits.
Plant a Babcock. I am 100% confident you will love it.
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