Contender Peach Tree

Not just a contender, but a full champion if you want to grow peaches in cooler parts of the country, the Contender Peach is a real winner. It ripens around the middle of August, just when the summer heat says, ‘peaches’, and is delicious – imagine how good it would be on a hot day to bite into a succulent, tree-ripened peach. With a deep-red skin, and firm but delicious flesh, this is a freestone variety, so it just falls off the stone, with no wastage at all. The attractive tree has long, glossy leaves and you don’t need to plant a second, different tree because this variety is completely self-pollinating – you just need a few bees in your garden. Best of all, it is completely hardy throughout zone 4, and the flower buds won’t die in winter, even if the temperatures fall a little below zero Fahrenheit. It’s a great choice for home gardeners, even if you have a small garden, and especially for cooler zones. In zone 4, consider growing it on a south-facing wall as an espalier tree, spreading the stems out so the fruit catches the sun and ripens fully.

• Top variety for colder zones, and totally hardy to 0oF
• The delicious flesh just slides off the stone, as it’s a freestone variety
• Beautiful, large pink flowers in spring
• Red-skinned peaches ripen around the middle of August
• Self-pollinating, so a second tree isn’t needed

The Contender Peach Tree should be planted in full sun, for good ripening of the fruit. In zone 4, if you can, plant against a south-facing wall, spreading out the branches on the wall for extra warmth. Plant in rich, moist, well-drained soil, preferably with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0, although trees are adaptable to less precise conditions. If planting against a wall, don’t forget to water, as rain may not reach it because of the eaves. If you have a heavy crop of young fruit, thin them out to just one per cluster, for good-sized fruit. Prune in early spring, before bloom-time, creating an open, vase-like shape with no more than 4 or 5 rims radiating out like the spokes of a wheel. Cut back new growth by 50% – this stimulates flower production. More detailed pruning is needed when grown against a wall – see this blog.