Lots of Peaches

The peach trees are in full bloom now. You can hear the bees working them long before you even get to the trees. I often wonder where all the bees come from. There are simply hundreds of them.We use hardly any sprays on the Holler. Only as a last resort and there is pretty well always something blooming so we always seem to have more than our share of bees. I often wonder if maybe there aren't hives somewhere around. 

I have July Elberta Peach Trees from Stark Nurseries. I also have several trees of wild peaches. I got these seeds years ago from a Seed Savers Exchange member. He called them Indian Peaches. They are simply wonderful. They are a small white fleshed peach that I am told grows wild in the Smoky Mountains. I started these from seeds sent through the mail. Even the neighbors come asking for these peaches. They taste a little different than a tame peach but simply wonderful and sweet. I make both pies and jams with them. We have never had to spray these trees even once for anything. They hardly ever get winter kill ( zone 5A) occasionally they have had wind damage but we are right on the edge of tornado alley so that is expected. On the downside they are smaller than a domestic peach and they are not freestone. You can't have everything though : )   

If we are lucky! And we don't get a late cold snap before the fruit sets, and plenty of rain and not too much wind to blow the young fruit off. We'll have plenty of peaches for August !!

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter