Hello friends, I am looking a peach tree that will do well in zone 5. Just wonder what is your favorite peach for eating fresh and canning that fruits regularly in zone 5.

What is your favorite mail order nursery?

-- Brian N. E. Ohio (brilas@hotmail.com), April 27, 2002

Answers

I just love Stark Bros! www.starkbros.com. They have a lot of different peach varieties. I planted a peach tree from them and it had three peaches the year I planted it. It skipped the next year and the year after that I so many peaches I didn't know what to do with them all! I just ordered 3 trees from there this year, and one of the trees had a branch broken off of it. The box was crushed by the postal service. I called them and told them about it, and they sent me another tree and told me to keep the first one. So we planted that one too. They are fruit cocktail trees. 5 different fruits on one tree. 2 kinds of plums, apricots, peaches and nectarines. I live in Zone 5 and love ordering from there. You can get a catalog by calling 1 800 325 4180 or log onto their website.

-- Cindy (ilovecajun@aol.com), April 27, 2002.

Stark Bros use to be my favorite..BUT it was taken over by another company (after the bankruptcy) and just opened again for business. They also have differant suppliers now. They are also back logged and many items are on back order. This first year will be a hit and miss. I am waiting until next year to order from them and see what kind of trees others are getting this year.

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), April 28, 2002.

Oh, by the way, the Stark website isn't even up and working yet. There is a message that it will be functioning in a few days; however, that one has been up there for several weeks!

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), April 28, 2002.

I just ordered Pecan trees and a dual cherry from Stark. They came right away. I live in Zone 7 and hardly ever get peaches. Late frost seems to get them 9 times out of 10. I'd sure like to know what type would be good for my area. I guess I need a late bloomer and fast developer (as we have lots of bugs/insects). We tried a Reliance a few years back, but my goat ate it :^)right to the ground! Needless to say, I have no clue if that would have been a good choice.

-- Sharon (cheesyemailaddy@notreal.com), April 28, 2002.

i got some great trees from gurneys this year. they looked great when they arrived and still look good. all have good leaves. i think this year i planted them better. after i planted the trees, i added a full wheel barrel of dirt around the tree and packed it down in a mound. i think, although i don't know if its true, that alot of trees drown because the hole fills up with water

-- randy in central missouri (rwybrant@coin.org), April 28, 2002.

I ordered peaches from guerneys this year and got apricots instead. That's OK, They sent me extra trees, so I am not sure if they sent me extra to make up for running out of peach trees, or if it was a genuine error. I did NOT complain, I ordered 2 peaches on a buy one, get one special and got sent 3 apricots and 3 cherries instead. 6 trees for $13 and they are good, medium-sized trees. I planted 5 and put a dwarf Stella into a pot for a friend who will be moving into a new home shortly. I will definately do business with Guerneys again.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), April 28, 2002.

Try Miller nurseries in Canandaigua, NY. I have gotten many apple, and some peach trees from them, and the peaches have been wonderful. We even got peaches after below zero temps,but the winter that we had 25 below for over a week they did not produce, although the trees survived. I recommend the dwarf trees. GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), April 28, 2002.

Reliance peach from Fedco out of Maine. Get all my fruit trees from them. We order as a co-op.

-- Suzanne (weir@frontiernet.net), April 28, 2002.

I'm in zone 5 in NW OH. I have Reliance and Madison peach trees. Reliance are ok in flavor, Madison's are much better. I also like Fedco in Maine and Schlabach's which is in New York now, I think. They used to be near Millersburg, OH. I know their address was in an issue of Countryside.

-- vicki in NW OH (thga76@aol.com), April 28, 2002.

Vicki, How often do your Madison peaches miss, or get frosted? Do they can well?

Just found out my fathers peach tree was an Elberta and I remember a lot of peachless years growing up.He finaly cut it out,gave up on peaches in Ohio.

-- Brian N. E. Ohio (brilas@hotmail.com), April 29, 2002.

Thanks for all your suggestions I have orderd a lot of new catalogs. I was sorry to find out that fedco is done filling orders for the year.

-- Brian N. E. Ohio (brilas@hotmail.com), April 29, 2002.

Raintree Nursery in Morton Washington. They are great!

-- Sara Perry (momofseven@home.com), April 29, 2002.

www.raintreenursery.com is way cool! i want their 'saturn' peach, anyone growing it? i bought all my peach trees locally.

i ordered plums & quice from raintree the plants were stong & healthy enough to make the looong trip out to me & have begun fruiting. excelent selection, very good info on cultivars & rootstock etc.

-- bj pepper ,in central MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), April 29, 2002.