Growing your own peaches is well worth the effort. Most of the peaches you buy in the store are picked green, so they rarely resemble the real thing. In other words, they don't taste so good. If you want SWEET, soft, juicy peaches that aren't pumped full of chemicals, take the time to grow your own. If you want peaches all summer long, choose several varieties that ripen at different times, as it's just as easy to take care of half a dozen trees as one.

In researching varieties to grow in our area, we looked into Louisiana State University's breeding program. Louisiana has a large low-chill peach belt in the southern part of the state that produces some of the finest tasting peaches in the United States. Because of Louisiana's high humidity, their breeding program is aimed at disease resistance. They achieve some of this resistance by using a simple trick of nature -- they breed peaches with extra long fuzz on the skin. This fuzz acts like a raincoat, keeping fungus spores that cause fruit rot from settling in the skin of the peach.

The University of Florida's great breeding program has given us peaches adapted to the very low chill Zones 9 and 10, as well as Zone 8. New non-melting peaches stay firm while they sweeten up (check out the Gulf and UF series!). This increases eating quality, shelf life and appearance of these wonderful peaches. What a selection to choose from! All peaches are grafted on Nemaguard or Guardian rootsock.

If you are uncertain about your chill hours, contact your County Cooperative Extension Agent or check out the University of Florida IFAS chill hours map for Florida (left) or click for the USDA zone map HERE.

Peach Varieties (Prunus Persica) - 350 to 650 chill hours

CARORED PEACH Beautiful velvety red-skinned peaches with sweet, juicy yellow flesh ripen about mid to late May. Self-pollinating. 650 chill hours. Zones 8A and 8B. $29.99 3 gal(4-5ft).

FLORDA KING This is a new University of Florida release. It's a very exciting release too, because it allows us to have fresh, ripe peaches in early May, and they're so sweet! Fruit averages 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Clingstone, with beautiful, red- blushed skin and golden-yellow flesh. Ripens early to mid-May. Self-pollinating. 400-450 chill hours. Zone 8B. $29.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

GULF CRIMSON NEW for 2010! Sweet tasting, medium to large sized yellow fleshed peach. Clingstone with small pits that resist splitting. Patented. Ripens mid to late May. Self-pollinating.400 chill hours. Zones 8A and 8B. $32.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

GULF KING Large clingstone peach with small pits. Red over gold skin and yellow flesh. Firm, sweet flesh that can ripen longer on the tree. Plant Patent No. 14683 P2. Ripens early May. Self-pollinating. 350-400 chill hours. Zones 8A and 8B. $32.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

GULF PRINCE High yields of medium-sized semi-clingstone peaches with red- blushed skin and golden-yellow flesh. Firm, sweet flesh that can ripen longer on the tree. Plant Patent No. 12686. Ripens late May to early June. Self-pollinating. 400 chill hours. Zones 8A and 8B. $32.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

JUNEGOLD Late bloomer good for frost pockets. Large freestone peach with beautiful, red- blushed skin and golden-yellow flesh. Great for canning. Ripens in June. Self-pollinating. 650 chill hours. Zone 8A and 8B. $29.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

RODDENBERRY HEIRLOOM WHITE A white-fleshed, low acid peach, ripe in June. This one comes true from seed that our friend Peggy gave us. This local peach may get attacked by borers, but will come back from the root (we also think it is less likely to be attacked than others, but we don't have enough data on it yet). This aromatic and flavorful beauty is famous locally and is a winner! From Sopchoppy Florida and flowers early, so we estimate about 450-550 chill hours. You might experiment with this one as far south as Gainesville. Ripens June. Self-pollinating. Found in Zone 8B. $29.99 3 gal (4-5ft).



SUWANNEE This peach should really have been spelled with five "F's" because it's an old favorite, firm freestone peach with deliciously flavorful, finger-licking good flesh. Ripens mid to late June. Self-pollinating. 650 chill hours. Zones 8A and 8B. $29.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

TROPICAL PEACHES

Tropical peaches have been bred for super low chill zones like 9-10 (less than 300 chill hours). Try these as far south as Orlando!

FLORIDA PRINCE Medium-sized fruit is semi-cling and early, requiring only 150 chill units. They grow it down in Phoenix, AZ, so you know it's taking the heat. Firm yellow flesh is covered by a beautiful deep red-blushed skin. Ripens in May. Self-pollinating. 150 chill hours. Zone 9. $29.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

TROPIC BEAUTY Medium-sized, red-skinned peach. Soft, melting, semi-freestone, yellow center. Excellent flavor. Ripens mid-May. Self-pollinating. 150 chill hours. Zone 9. $29.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

TROPIC SNOW A sweet, low acid peach for Central Florida. Freestone. Ripens mid-May. Self-pollinating. 200 chill hours. Zone 9. $29.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

UF2000 Another great peach developed by University of Florida for our friends further south, UF2000 has a winter chilling requirement of only 250-300 hours (defined as units below 45F). It is a big, vigorously growing tree, bearing heavy crops of beautiful, symmetrical clingstone fruit with juicy, firm yellow flesh. The skin is about half yellow-orange and half bright red. Ripens mid to late May. Self-pollinating. Zones Lower 8B-9. $32.99 3gal(4-5ft).

UF BEAUTY Low chill, early ripening peach. Good disease resistance on one of the best and sweetest new peaches. Another non-melting peach that sweetens longer on the tree. Plant Patent No. 14784. Ripens mid May. Self-pollinating. 200 chill hours. Zone 9. $32.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

UF SUN Ultra-low chill, non-melting peach sweetens longer on the tree. Red over bright yellow skin and sweet yellow flesh. Semi-clingstone. Plant Patent No. 146764. Ripens in late April to early May. Self-pollinating. 100 chill hours. Zone 9. $32.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

UFO Exciting new peach variety from University of Florida! The unusual, saucer-shaped peach has a firm, non-melting texture and an incredible sweet taste. According to Wayne Sherman, the breeder of this beauty and a professor with UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, this peach has been popular in Asia for hundreds of years, and was a favorite of Chinese emperors because they could turn it around in their hand and eat it without dripping juice in their beards. Fortunately, you don't have to be an emperor to grow one now, if you live between Tampa and north of Gainesville. Plant Patent No. 113352. Semi-freestone with yellow flesh. Self-pollinating. 250 chill hours. Zones Lower 8B-9. $32.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

ORNAMENTAL PEACHES

PEPPERMINT No fruit, but WOW what a flower! Large, double petalled red/pink/white striped blossoms burst forth in mid spring. Say hello to spring with this beauty. Will sometimes bear all white or all pink flowers on a branch. Zones 6-9. $29.99 3 gal (4-5ft).

Just the Facts
Not sure what to do with peaches and necatarines or how to grow them right? DON'T PANIC! Push the panic button and we will give you "Just the Facts" you need to successfully grow them.

Are we out of what you are looking for? Email us at Justfruits@hotmail.com and we'll put you on the "Call When Available" list. We will call you!

Please come to see us if you can (Wednesday to Sunday, 9:05-5:08). We are located 19 miles south of Tallahassee, just off US Highway 98, 1 mile east of the intersection with US Highway 319 (South of Crawfordville center and actually in the village of Medart). If you need further directions, feel free to call us at 1-850-926-5644 or enter 30 St. Frances St. Crawfordville FL 32327 (or Just Fruits Nursery) into Google Maps ( CLICK HERE).