Extremely low temperatures throughout the winter months cause freeze damage to fruit buds and may also cause tree damage. Winter fruit-bud damage to tender varieties such as Camden, June Gold, Loring, Goldcrest, Goldprince, Juneprince, O'Henry, and Topaz often leaves few fruit buds to produce full crops. Growers must be prepared to deal with both winter and spring freezes. As a first step, a peach grower should begin planting varieties with greater hardiness and cropping ability to decrease losses from freezes. After more than 18 years of variety evaluation through research, demonstration plantings, and grower experience across the state, we have identified a number of hardy peach varieties that will crop much more consistently.
Experienced growers know there are no perfect varieties.
All have one or more flaws. However, the varieties identified will at least give the grower a greater opportunity for profitability. When approved by the EPA, the use of a promising growth regulator to enhance bud hardiness and delay flowering may eventually improve overall annual fruiting of varieties and permit planting of more tender varieties in some situations. Fruit bud loss during winter freezes is not nearly as severe in southern Alabama as it is in ventral and northern counties. Because most varieties can withstand the winter temperature in southern Alabama, hardiness during flowering and early fruiting is usually of greatest importance.