I have a question about the reliance peach tree. From my readings elsewhere on the net, people have claimed it hardy to zone 4 or -34c. Edmonton has not gone below that temperature for many years and my backyard has not gone colder than -30 for at least the past 10 years. Although Edmonton is rated zone 3a or -40c, that was based off the international airport readings which are consistently -5 to -10c colder than in the city. People in zone 4 MN, WI, and ILL have grown this tree with no problems. Where is the closest city that I may pick up this tree to try it here? Kelowna is the first one that comes to mind. And what kind of wind protection can I offer it to protect the buds?
I bought mine (Reliance Peach) last year in Ottawa at "Rona" in pot. It was slow in leafing. They came to Rona a few weeks later than the other fruit trees. Check with the right person at Rona or Home Depot (if you have these stores in Edmonton) and ask if they have ordered these for the coming spring/summer season. They order their trees in fall for the next season and by now they should know what will be available (allotted) to them from the wholesalers etc. Contender is another hardy peach (Zone 4) but not as hardy as Reliance (but better fruit). Redhaven may be close in 3rd spot in hardiness though it is also rated by some for Zone 4 (& Zone 5), also with better fruit.
Rona in Edmonton carries nothing more interesting than cedars, burr oaks or crimson king maples. The only fruit trees I've seen them carry are apples. Maybe I should try Lethbridge, they are the closest steady zone 4....but I know BC would have them, its just a really far drive.
I am sure Dinter Nursery (at Vancouver island) carries a very good fruit trees stock but these may not all be very hardy (for Xone 4), and they do not do mail order business. They do not provide detail description of the fruit trees on the website but do have a good choice. Do google search with "Dinter Nursery" or go here: http://www.dinternursery.ca/FruitTrees.htm They surely have Redhaven peach and some others . The bare-root trees are already available. I would have ordered from them (for Xone 5) if they were in mail order business.
Howdy nlafrance3, I know of a nursery operator in Edmonton who once had a peach tree grown in containers. Although the tree flowered and fruited each year, he never got the peach to grow bigger than an inch and ripen. They used to test peaches at the Horticulture Research Station in Brooks with the same result as the nursery operator. Having said that another nursery operator in DeWinton has been harvesting full size and tree ripen peaches from his two trees. How does he do it? He grows his trees under high tunnels where he can heat in spring necessary. You may want to visit him and his operation as DeWinton is just 20 minutes south of Calgary. Peace Thean
Thean, can you elaborate a little more on "He grows his trees under high tunnels where he can heat in spring necessary". What is "high tunnel" and what relation to "spring necessary"? Does he later bring out his trees in the open outside and when? Does it all mean that he give his plants a good start inside in a heated lighted place before bring it outside?
Howdy ncafrance, A high tunnel is just a polyethylene greenhouse without supplimentary heat or lighting. This particular grower in DeWinton grows his peach trees directly in the ground of his high tunnel. He does not move them in and out. The high tunnel also gathers a lot of heat throughout the summer to ripen his peaches. Because of our very unpredictable spring when temperatures can be warm and cold, there is always the possibility of his peach trees leafing out and blossoming in early April. To prevent his trees and flowers from freezing to death during those freezing snaps between April to June, he had heaters installed. I believe there were ocassions where he had to turn on the heaters. So in a way he cannot call his system high tunnel technically. Peace Thean PS. He has a lot of problems with spider mites in summer.
Thean: Is the high tunel the same as the "Hoophouse" which is also described as you described the high tunnel. I heard about the hoophouse and that adding a second layer of polyethylene (with air in betwen the two layers) can raise the inside by one additional hardiness zone (say from Zone 4 to Zone 5). Three or four layered high tunnel and the Edmonton fruit trees will feel like being in Niagra Peninsula. I don't have personal experience in such structures but I feel that these may be useful in early spring to give an early start, and in fall to provide extra time for harvest or reaching maturity.
Howdy Ottawa-zone5, Yes, hoophouse and high tunnel have the same concept. I believe the only difference is high tunnel tends to be higher, wider and longer. You are correct in that double layered shell with a layer of air in between is better. The grower in DeWinton uses single layer. I think that's why he has heaters installed in case he needs to use them in spring. He also grow sweet cherries, Japanese plums and figs. High tunnel is gaining popularity in the northern parts of the states with fairly similar climate as ours. It is also popular in southern Saskatchewan where farmers are growing cantaloupes and melons that they cannot grow under ambient condition. Some growers in Quebec are also growing strawberries under high tunnels to get earlier production. Cherry growers in BC and elsewhere put up high tunnel when cherries are ripening to cut off excess moisture to prevent fruit cracking. Peace Thean
Hi: Reliance is a pretty hardy peach and will survive -20F to -25f. It's a good peache but not the greatest quality. Growing peaches in Edmonton will be pretty difficult you will either have to grow it under glass ie the southside of your house or you could try a potted peach -Greenland Garden center had some last year they'll run you about 65-70 bucks. Any of the really hardy peaches will not survive our climate. There is a grower in Minnesota who has some hardy peaches from Siberia but they are not available here and the fruit quality is questionable. Some of the peaches from Harrow are quite hardy eg. Harrow Diamond is one to look at. Try Bylands Nursery for a source. The tree bud nursery at the Summerland Research Station may have it there as well. There was a grower who had several trees of Reliance in Winfield, BC but it wasn't that great. I think Harrow Diamond might be a better choice. Kim Maser Canadian Sources Consultant NAFEX www.nafex.org
