Question:  My customer wants a Elberta Peach Tree but we don't have the correct amount of chill time, what do you suggest instead???? Leslie from Torrance CA

Answer:  Leslie,

You are right - Elberta Peaches, which is nearly every one's favorite, take about 800 hours of dormant season chilling below 45º F.  This prevents if from fruiting in mild winter areas like yours in Southern California.  Torrance is lucky to reach 200-300 hours chilling since you are so close to the moderating influence of the ocean (limits fruit but the weather and beaches give its own perks!).

My favorite Elberta-like peach for Southern California areas is the Santa Barbara Peach (about 300 hours chilling).  Actually, it is my favorite peach period.  In Visalia, it fruits around the 4th of July (another reason to celebrate the date).  Santa Barbara Peach possesses a beautiful cross between a sweet peach and a full flavored, acidic peach.  It is soft, dripping with sweetness like a white fleshed peach, but has yellow flesh full of bold peach flavor.  Its softness prevents it from being a commercial peach since it will not hold up to rigours of shipping.  Likewise, it also has a short shelf life similar to white peaches.  It is ideal picked fresh ripe off the tree.  If you like sweet and flavor combined, this is one to seriously consider.

Santa Barbara Peach

On given years you still may not make enough chilling hours at your location for the Santa Barbara Peach.  Other peaches that will fruit most years in your area are: Bonita (250 hours), Earligrande (250 hours), Early Amber (250 hours), Flordaprince (150 hours), Long Beach Peach (200 hours), Tropic Snow (White - 200 hours), Red Baron (Red flowering too, 250 hours) and Saturn (Pink flowering too, 250 hours).  You can see descriptions of these here: Peach Pages

Ron L.