Contender Peach Tree

Introduced in 1988, Contender Peach Tree quickly became a favorite among northern gardeners. The tree exhibits excellent cold hardiness and tolerance to late-spring frosts. Its fruits are wonderful too. Contender consistently produces high yields of medium-to-large freestone fruits. Blushed with red skins, the fruits have a marvelously melting, sweet and juicy yellow flesh. They’re excellent for eating fresh as well as making into jams, baking into pies and desserts as well as canning. Requires 1,000 chill hours. Fruits ripen in mid August. Give new trees two gallons of water per week. This equals one inch of rainfall. Once peach trees mature, they can go a week and a half with this same amount of water. Keep the soil evenly moist, but make sure it’s never sopping wet. Fertilize in early spring with a slow-release fertilizer. Choose a fertilizer high in phosphorus and low in nitrogen for best results. Prune trees annually to increase fruit production. Peaches bear fruit on second-year wood, meaning proper pruning this year affects your crop yield next year. Control pests and prevent