The commercial success of a peach orchard depends largely on selecting cultivars which will perform reliably and meet market needs. Early, mid and late season cultivars can be utilized to extend or concentrate the season to match a specific market (see Table 1). For cold sites, hardy cultivars may be preferred to those of better quality which yield poorly under severe conditions. Cultivars with resistance to bacterial spot and that "hang" well (do not drop fruit as it matures) will minimize problems in production. These and other factors are discussed in Bulletin HO-57, Growing Peaches in Kentucky.

Table 1 . -- A "Peach Cultivar of the Week" Selection Table
Many local sales operations need a sequence of cultivars ripening throughout the season. Each cultivar as a rule can be harvested over a week to 10-day period. As an aid in selecting a cultivar sequence, a listing is given below of some of the leading cultivars, arranged in weekly groups. All have fruited in western Kentucky.
 

Weeks before or  after Redhaven	Yellow-Fleshed	White-Fleshed
5-6 weeks before	HARBINGER, CANDOR  Others: Correll
3-4 weeks before	GARNET BEAUTY, HARBELLE Others: Sunhaven, Sweethaven, Rubired, Golden Monarch	Early White Giant
2-3 weeks before	PEKIN*, SUNSHINE  Others: Prairie Dawn*
with Redhaven  about July 25	REDHAVEN, HARKEN Others: Comanche*, Golden Jubilee, Stark, Early Loring, Reliance*, Ranger, Late Sunhaven, Norman, Clayton	Raritan Rose
0-1 week after	VIVID, VELVET (plus 3rd pickings of Redhaven and Harken) Others: Harbrite, Topaz, Envoy, Cullinan, Newhaven, Jayhaven, Glohaven, Richhaven, Halehaven	Cumberland*  Nectar
1-2 weeks after	HARMONY. LORING (Harmony and Loring buds not hardy) Others: Ozark*, Veteran*, Winblo, Redkist (plus vigorous trees of 2-3 week varieties above)
3-4 weeks after	CRESTHAVEN, MADISON* Others: Early Elberta (Gleason), Sullivan	GEORGIA BELLE*
5-6 weeks after	REDSKIN, BISCOE* Plus late Cresthavens Others: Elberta
7-8 weeks after	RIO-OSO-GEM Others: Emery, Havis, Sweet Sue, Marhigh	White Hale Laterose
8 or more weeks after	Starks Encore

KEY: Cultivars in LARGE type and underlined are recommended.
Cultivars in LARGE type and not underlined are not fully recommended.
Cultivars in small type "others"--At the bottom of each bracket, other cultivars are listed that have proven to be dependable under certain conditions and are useful in many cases, with their various limitations.
*Hardy Cultivars--of special use in colder sites

Although many fruit and tree characteristics are presented in this report, the final cultivar selection should be determined by the grower. A grower may be influenced by soil type, local climate or marketing methods and prefer a cultivar that is not a general favorite. For example, one Kentucky grower is well pleased with "Collins" even though it is not very popular with other local orchardists. Growers should have test plots of two to four trees of new cultivars to help them judge the performance in their orchard.

1980 Commercial Orchard Survey
A questionnaire was mailed to representative peach growers in January 1980. The purpose of the survey was to identify commercially important cultivars and their strengths and weaknesses. Also identified were the cultivars that growers would like to replace. The results of the survey are summarized in Tables 2 and 3.

Table 2. -- Results of Commercial Peach Survey in Kentucky - January 1980

Cultivars (listed in descending order of occurrence as reported in the next column	Cultivar is significant part of production	Planted cultivar in last 5 years	Intend to plant cultivar in next 5 years
	Percentage of orchards reporting
Redhaven	60	40	20
Redskin	60	20	*
Harken	50	50	30
Harbelle	50	40	10
Cresthaven	40	20	20
Garnet Beauty	30	20	*
Harbinger	20	10	*
Sunbright	20	10	10
Rio Oso Gem	20	10	*
Velvet	20	10	*
Madison	20	10	*
Topaz	20	10	10
Loring	20	10	10
White Giant	10	*	*
Candor	10	20	*
Harmony	10	10	10
Ozark	10	*	10
Elberta	10	*	*
W. Giant	10	10	*
E. Sunhaven	10	*	*
Pekin	10	*	10
Sunhigh	10	*	*
Ambergem	10	*	*
Biscoe	10	30	20
White Hale	10	*	*
Vivid	*	10	*
Harbright	*	10	*
Stark E. Loring	*	*	20
Stark E. Glo	*	*	10

* Indicates less than 10%.
 

Table 3. -- Evaluation of Peach Cultivars from 1980 Survey
Cultivars with insufficient information were dropped.
l = poor; 2 = fair; 3 = good; 4 = very good; 5 = excellent

Cultivar (approximate order of ripening)	# of Growers Evaluating	Winter Hardiness	Skin Color	Volume	Ease of Thinning	Quality after Storing	Shipping	Fruit Shape
Harbinger	3	4.3	4	3.5	2.5	4	2.5	3
Candor	4	3.6	4	3.6	3.3	2.5	3	4
Garnet Beauty	5	4	4.2	4	3.8	3	4	3.8
Harbelle	8	3.5	3.8	3.3	3.6	1.9	2.4	2.8
E. WhiteGiant	3	2	3.7	3	4.3	3	2	4.3
Pekin	2	5	4.5	.5	.5	.5
Redhaven	9	4.1	4.1	3.9	2.4	2.8	2.7	3.4
Vivid	1	5	5	5	3	1
Harken	8	4	4.4	3.5	3	2.1	2.1	2.9
Comanche	1	5	5	5	5
Stark E.Loring	1	3.5	5	3	5			5
Reliance	5	5	1.6	3.4	2.2	2	3	3
Ranger	3	3.8	3	2.3	2.3	2	2	3
Velvet	3	4.7	4.3	3	2.7	4	4	4
Topaz	1	4.3	5	5	4	5	5	5
Harbrite	2	4.7	3	.5	2	2.5	2	2.5
Harmony	7	2.4	4.3	3.2	3.8	3	3	3.6
Loring	5	2	4.4	3.6	3	3	3	3
Ozark	4	4.4	3	3.9	3.9	3	2.5	2
Cresthaven	6	3.6	4.3	3.7	3.5	3.5	3.5	3.4
Madison	6	4.8	3.5	3.2	2.5	6	2	2.5
Georgia Belle	6	4.7	2.5	3.7	3	2.7	2.4	2.
Red Skin	6	4.4	4	3.5	2.7	3.2	2.5	2.5
Biscoe	3	4.7	4.4	4.7	3	3	2.7	4
Elberta	5	3	2.5	4	4	3	3.6	3.2
Rio-Oso-Gem	4	3.5	3.4	3.5	4	3.4	3.4
Sunbrite	1	4	5	5	4			5
Nector	1	4	4	5	4		1	5
Collins	1	5	4					3
Early Sunhaven	1	5	5					5
Sunhigh	1	4	4
Glohaven	1	3	4
Envoy	1	4	5

¹No = less than 1/3 of growers surveyed wanted a replacement
? = 1/3 to 2/3 of growers surveyed wanted a replacement
Yes = more than 1/3 of growers surveyed wanted a replacement
 

Table 3. -- Evaluation of Peach Cultivars from 1980 Survey (continued)
Cultivars with insufficient information were dropped.
l = poor; 2 = fair; 3 = good; 4 = very good; 5 = excellent

Cultivar (approximate order of ripening)	Ability to size heavy crop	Hangs well	Fruit Quality	General sales quality	Easy tree to grow	# of Pickings to Harvest	Flavor	Replacement needed1
Harbinger	1.3	4	3	2.5	4	3	3	Yes
Candor	3	4.2	3.6	3.6	4	4	3	No
Garnet Beauty	3	4.2	4.3	4	4.2	2.3	3	No
Harbelle	3.8	4.4	3.6	2.4	2.5	1.5	3.3	?
E. White Giant	5	2	4	3	4.7	2.3	4.3	Yes
Pekin	2	5	2.5				2	?
Redhaven	3.6	4.8	4.6	3.9	2.1	2.1	4.2	No
Vivid	4	5	5					No
Harken	3.3	4.3	4.1	2.6	2.1	1.4	3.5	No
Comanche	5	5	5	5	4	4	5	Yes
Stark E.Loring	5	5	5					No
Reliance	2.8	1.8	1.6	1.2	1	1.2	1.4	?
Ranger	3.3	3	3	4.5	6	4.5	3.9	Yes
Velvet	4	4.3	5	4	3.9	3	3.9	No
Topaz	5	5	4					No
Harbrite	4	5	2				2.5	No
Harmony	3.9	4	4.3	3.6	2.5	2.6	4	No
Loring	4	4.8	4	3	3	2	4	?
Ozark	4.3	4	4.3	2.5	.5	1.8	2.6	No
Cresthaven	3.9	3.9	4.7	3	2.5	2.5	4.7	?
Madison	3.7	3.7	4.2	2.5	2.5	1.2	4.5	No
Georgia Belle	3.5	2.2	3	2	2.9	1.9	3.7	No
Red Skin	3.4	4.2	4.4	3.5	2.5	2	3.7	No
Biscoe	4	3.7	4.7	2.8	2.8	3	2.5	No
Elberta	3.2	2.6	2.6	2.8	3.4	2.6	2.9	Yes
Rio-Oso-Gem	3.5	3.5	3.5	3.5	1.8	2.9	3.4	Yes
Sunbrite	5	5	5	5	4		5	No
Nector	5	4	4	4	4		5	No
Collins	3	4	4				4	No
Early Sunhaven	4	4	5	5	5		5	No
Sunhigh	5	4	5	4			4	No
Glohaven		4	4				4	No
Envoy	5	4	4	4			4	No

¹No = less than 1/3 of growers surveyed wanted a replacement
? = 1/3 to 2/3 of growers surveyed wanted a replacement
Yes = more than 1/3 of growers surveyed wanted a replacement

Cultivar Characteristics from U.K. Research & Education Center
Table 4 contains the cultivar characteristics based on the averages of 1979 and 1980 data collected at the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center at Princeton. The 1979 season followed a normal winter and was the wettest season on record. The crop was productive, but brown rot was a problem. The 1980 season followed a mild winter with a cool spring and a hot, dry summer. Fruit size was reduced slightly at Princeton and was more pronounced in the late season cultivars. No unusual pest problems were observed in 1980 with the incidence of brown rot being less than normal.
Observations obtained from growers and University of Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station personnel are also included in Table 4 where appropriate.

Aids in Identifying Peach Cultivars
Too often growers discover a cultivar mistake when a new planting comes into bearing. By carefully examining leaf glands and blossom types, some nursery and planting errors can be discovered soon after planting. Many introductory cultivar descriptions and some nursery catalogs now give blossom type and leaf gland type for each cultivar. Season of ripening. color of flesh and whether freestone or clingstone are also usually described.
Leaf Color -- Leaf color indicates whether a tree is a yellow-fleshed or a white-fleshed cultivar. The yellow-fleshed cultivars have yellowish green leaves with a yellowish tinge to the leaf midrib on the lower surface, whereas the white-fleshed peaches have whitish green leaves with whitish leaf midribs. These differences in leaf color can be seen from several yards away.
Leaf Gland Types --The small peach leaf glands are on the base of the leaf blades and just below on the top part of the leaf stem. However, a few cultivars have no glands (eglandular) and on these the leaf margins are more deeply indented (serrated). The leaf glands are round (globose) on some cultivars, such as Reliance, Harken, Loring and others, while they are kidney shaped (reniform) on such cultivars as Redskin, Redhaven. Elberta and others. A magnifying glass is often needed to see these clearly (Figure 1).
Blossom Types -- Some cultivars such as Redhaven, Biscoe and Elberta have small red (non-showy) blossoms. Others such as Loring, Redskin and Rio Oso Gem have large pink {showy) blossoms. Though seldom seen now in Kentucky, some peach cultivars have white blossoms.
In this publication, the leaf gland type and blossom type are given for many cultivars to help the producer in determining cultivar identity. When detected early, some cultivar mistakes can be corrected by top budding the trees to the correct cultivar or by tree removal and replanting. Top budding suggestions are available from your Extension Fruit Specialist.

Table 4. -- "Cultivar of the Week": Descriptive Characteristics

Cultivars approx. order of ripening	Ripe Date, Princeton,  KY - 2 yr. avg.	Approx. Days Before or After Redhaven	Blossom Type	Gland  Type R-round K-kidney N-none	Stone  ½ -semi C -cling F -free S -split	Exterior Color
YELLOW FLESH
1.Harbinger	6/19	-36	large pink	R	½ C	80% bright red or yellow
2.Correll		-23
3.Sweethaven		-15			½ F	fancy red on yellow
4.Harbelle	7/7	-12	small salmon	R	F	60% bright red over yellow
5.Prairie Dawn	7/12	-11	small red	K	½ C	red over yellow
6. Candor	7/5	-10	small red	K	½ F	75% red over rich yellow
7. Garnet Beauty		-10	small		½ F
8. Sunhaven		-10	small red	R	F	looks like Redhaven
9. Pekin	7/15	-10	small red	K	½ C	80% red over light yellow
10. Rubired	7/16	-9
11. Harken	7/19	-6	small red	R	F	bright red over yellow
12. Starks Early Loring	7/20	-5			F	more red than Loring
13. Velvet	7/28	-5	large pink	K	F	highly colored
14. Late sunhaven		-3		Lg K	F	reddish
15. Harbrite	7/24	-1	small red	R	F	bright red on yellow
16. Sunshine	7/25	0	medium	K	F	red over yellow
17. Redhaven	7/25	0	small	K	F	yellow overlaid, red to deep red, attractive
18. Norman		0	showy, large	K	F	dark red over medium yellow
19. Envoy		0	large pink	K	F	red stripe and blush over yellow
20. Comanche	7/25	0	large pink	K	½ F	75% red on yellow
21. Topaz	7/26	+1			F	bright yellow skin beneath dark red blush
22. Clayton		+3
23. Newhaven		+5				looks like Redhaven
24. Reliance	7/30	+5	small red	R	F	dull red over yellow
25. Ozark	7/31	+6	large pink	K	F	fully red
26.Golden Jubilee		+8	small red	K	F	mottled bright red over 1/3 of yellow skin
27. Ranger		+8	med	K	F	red over greenish yellow
28. Jim Wilson		+10			F	med red mottled blush over most of yellow skin
29. Vivid		+10			100% F	bright red and yellow
30. Harmony	8/5	+11	small pink	K	F	dull orange with a dark red cheek
31. Halehaven		+14	med	R	F	dark red
32. Glohaven	8/8	+14	deep pink	K	F	red over deep yellow
33. Loring	8/8	+14	large pink	R	F	bright red over yellow
34. Redkist		+15				75% red on gold
35. Jayhaven		+17			F	red blush on yellow
36. Veteran		+18	non-show	K	½ F	yellow,with a red splash
37. Winblo		+20
38. Madison	8/16	+21	small red	K	F	red blush on bright yellow
39. Cullinan		+24				bright yellow with fine red blush
40. Early Elberta	8/16	+26			F	attractive
41. Biscoe	8/28	+30	small red	K	F	50% red on bright yellow
42. Cresthaven	8/28	+34	small red	K	F	bright red on yellow
43. Redskin	8/28	+34	large pink	K	F	deep red
44. Elberta	8/28	+34	small red	K	F	red blush on dull yellow
45. Havis		+35			F	80% red on yellow
46. Rio-Oso-Gem	9/5	+35	large pink	K	F	brilliant red
47. Marhigh		+36			F	good red color
48. Sweet Sue		+37
49. Emery		+40	large	K	F	50% red blush over dull yellow
50.Starks Encore		+50			F	red with a bright greenish ground color
WHITE FLESH
1. Early White Giant		-19	small red	K	½ F
2. Raritan Rose		0	small	K	F	attractive red
3. Eden						60% red on creamy white
4. Cumberland		+7	large light pink	K	½ F	dull red over greenish ground color
5. Nectar	8/4	+10	small med pink	K	F	pink to red blush
6. Georgia Belle	8/22	+32	small red	K	F	pale
7. White Hale		+32	red non-show	K	F	red over greenish white
8. Laterose		+40	med	K	F	attractive blush
NECTARINES
1. Fantasia		+7	large	R	F	bright yellow with 1/3 -2/3 covered with bright red blush
2. Lexington		+19	showy	R	F	deep yellow overlaid with medium red

Table 4. -- "Cultivar of the Week": Descriptive Characteristics (continued)

Cultivars  approx. order of ripening	Firmness	Fruit Size	Yield	Hardiness	Bacterial Spot Resistance	Hang	Comments
			(-Poor+)      (-Fair+)      (-Good+)
YELLOW FLESH
1. Harbinger	firm	med	F	G-		G	good early quality, needs early heavy thinning, few split pits
2. Correll		med			G		flesh slow to brown
3. Sweethaven	med	sm-med	G	F+	F+	F	good flavor
4. Harbelle	med	2 3/4"	F	G	G	G	short pubescence, high quality, firmer than Sunhaven. compact tree
5. Prairie Dawn	soft	med-lg	G	F	G	F	good fresh market appearance, dependable producer, drops when ripe
6. Candor	very firm	med	G	F	F	G	good flavor, quality, non-browning, early thinning needed
7. Garnet Beauty	firm	med-lg	G	G	P	G+	red streaks in flesh, melting, fruit can color in shade, resembles Redhaven, excellent flavor
8. Sunhaven	soft	lg	G	F		G+	slow browning, high quality, softens too fast for shipping, best suited to local market
9. Pekin		med-lg	G	G	G+	G	resists browning, needs thinning, high quality, semi-cling unless full ripe
10. Rubired		2½"	F		G+
11. Harken	firm	lg	G	G-	G+	G	over nitrating will cause poor color, soft fruit, will self thin so do not thin early
12. Starks Early Loring		med-lg
13. Velvet		med-lg	G	F+	F	G	flavorful, very attractive, non-browning, fresh or canning
14. Late Sunhaven	med	med	G	M		M
15. Harbrite	firm	2 ½"	G	G+	G+	G	fine quality, smooth appearance
16. Sunshine	firm	lg	G	G+	G	G	tough skin, crisp melting flesh, freezing, fresh, canning
17. Redhaven	very firm	med	G	F+	G	G	considered the standard early season peach, needs thinning, volume producer, long picking season
18. Norman	very firm	med-lg	G		G-		melting flesh, resists browning
19. Envoy	almost firm	sm-med		F			weak crotch angles, good quality, great canning peach, ripens evenly, two pickings
20. Comanche	firm	med-lg	G	G	G-	G	easier to thin & grow than Redhaven but not as good quality
21. Topaz	firm	lg-x-lg	G	G			juicy, good flavor & quality, ripens evenly for once over harvest
22. Clayton	firm	med			G		excellent crop record, slow browning
23. Newhaven		med		G-	F+		reliable cropper, similar to Redhaven but more hardy
24. Reliance	med firm	med	G	G++		F-P	from New Hampshire, prominent suture, blooms late, needs heavy early thinning
25. Ozark	firm	med-lg	G	G+	G	F	loses green slowly, high quality, ships well, drops when ripe, needs heavy thinning
26. Golden Jubilee		med-lg		G+	F	F-P	old stand-by, popular for home plantings, drops when ripe, fair quality
27. Ranger	med firm	med-lg	G	G	G+		not a good shipper, red flesh at pit, good flavor
28. Jim Wilson	very firm		G		G+		excellent shipper, fruit ripens evenly, sweet, juicy, non-browning
29. Vivid		med-lg	G	G			may replace Velvet
30. Harmony		med-lg	G	F+	P	G	best for local trade, high quality, green groundcolor changes too slowly for shipping
31. Halehaven	firm	med-lg	G	G	G	F	good for quick freezing, resistant to several diseases, red near pit, firm, melting, high quality
32. Glohaven	firm	lg	G	F	F	G	tough skin, flesh clear yellow, very little red in pit, ships, cans & freezes
33. Loring	firm	lg	G+	P	G	G	needs superior site, fine quality fresh or splendid for shipping, blooms early, a beautiful peach
34. Redkist		med		G	G		between mid-late season cultivars
35. Jayhaven		med			F+		more hardy than glohaven
36. Veteran	soft	med-lg	G+	G+			melting, good quality flesh, short pubescence
37. Winblo	firm		G	G-	G		attractive
38. Madison	very firm	med-lg		G+		F-P	good for Kentucky, drops when ripe and has tender skin
39. Cullinan		lg	G		F		good quality
40. Early Elberta	firm	med	G	G	G	F	called by many similar names, high quality, resembles Elberta & has better flavor, 10 days earlier
41. Biscoe	firm	lg	G+	G+	G+	G	pleasing flavor, flesh deep yellow to orange, needs thinning, may replace Redskin
42. Cresthaven	firm	med	G	F+	F	G	harvest extends to 'Redskin' season, needs thinning, non-browning, good fresh, canned or frozen
43. Redskin	firm	lg	G+	F		G	very pretty, good shipper, has replaced Elberta, blooms early, but long time
44. Elberta		lg	G	G	G	P	tough skin, coarse flesh, browns badly, ships long distance
45. Havis	firm	lg	G	G	G		may resist brown rot
46. Rio-Oso-Gem	firm	lg	G	G	P	G	medium quality, not suggested for general planting
47. Marhigh	very firm	lg	G	G	G	G	resembles Redskin
48. Sweet Sue	very firm	lg	G	G	G	G	ripens uniformly, stores well, good flavor, resembles Rio-Oso-Gem but has smoother suture
49. Emery	stays firm	med	G	F	G	G	melting, fine flesh, good flavor
50. Starks Encore	firm	lg	G		G		flavor mild, sub-acid, med pubescence
WHITE FLESH
1. Early White Giant		lg					heavy, early thinning, good quality flesh
2. Raritan Rose	soft	med-lg	G	G	G		fine texture, ridged along suture, melting, watery
3. Eden	firm	lg	G	F+			thick, juicy flesh, sweet rich flavor
4. Cumberland	soft	med-lg	F	G	G	G	fuzzy, not attractive, white, pointed apex, oval shape
5. Nectar	soft	med-lg		F		P	juicy, melting, sweet, aromatic, some split pits, excellent for local trade and U-pick, susceptible to brown rot
6. Georgia Belle	soft	med	G	G+favorite		P	favorite white peach, aromatic, bruises easily, good quality, melting flesh, local use
7. White Hale	firm	lg	G+				red near pit, juicy, melting, fairly attractive
8. Laterose	firm	med-lg	G	G+			susceptible to brown rot, home canning & freezing, red near pit, fine texture, nice blush
NECTARINES
1. Fantasia	firm	lg					for trial, good quality, smooth texture
2. Lexington	med	med					texture medium, good quality, considerable ability to escape brown rot

Growers are welcome to observe the cultivar trial at the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center located on Highway 91, Princeton, Kentucky.
Additional cultivars fruiting at Princeton as of 1981: Goldgem, Jersey Queen, Troy, Trigem, Stoner, Tyler, Marqueen. Sentinel, Golden Monarch, Rubired and Harrison.
New cultivars planted at Princeton in 1981: Princess Anne, Sweet Haven. Stark's Earliglo, New Haven, Vivid, Jim Wilson, Jay Haven, Redkist, Marqueen, Marsun, Sweet Sue, Francesco and Tiger (nectarines).
This bulletin has presented the observations of U.K. extension and research horticulturists, producers and enthusiasts concerning many peach cultivars and their performances in Kentucky. It is intended to serve as a useful tool in choosing cultivars for the new orchard. Valuable information may also be obtained from other growers, nursery catalogs and journals containing new cultivar release descriptions.

NOTE: We acknowledge helpful suggestions from W. D. Armstrong, Charles Beyer, Hal Goodley, George and Frank Street, William Jackson, Jim and Ed Fegenbush and others.