Bob:

Probably a peach because it's self fruitful, chill appropriate with correct cultivar, fairly disease resistant, and productive. I'd choose a mid to late season cultivar for improved eating quality. Something like Redglobe, Redskin, or Red Barron.

Red Barron would be beautiful during bloom if that means anything.

This post was edited by fruitnut on Thu, Dec 4, 14 at 9:16

I'll chime in and recommend Mid Pride peach over the others for its flavor.

Bob. Let me tell ya here in Dallas I have grown Galaxy Peach, Santa Rosa Plum, Honey Blaze Nectarine and Honey Royal Nectarine. All have done great and yes I grow all of them in containers. I think Honey Blaze may be one of the best pieces of fruit I have ever grown. Early bearing, prolific, great flavor and beautiful also. Hadn't had to spray all that much as I thought. Anyway just wanted to throw my two cents in since I know we grow in the same area. By the way all my container trees are on drip irrigation and I grow the damn things inside of chicken wire cages so the squirrels don't eat them all. It is honestly the only way I can ever harvest the fruit! Looks ridiculous but it has worked out to be a pretty good system.

Scape

I'm going to start growing some in pots.What's your fertilizer?Thanks,Brady

Hi Scape, thanks! How tall are your trees? 15 gallon pots? Sounds like a good system for squirrelly areas

Honey Blaze and Honey Royale are my two best fruits. If you can grow them they are better than the peaches. I would have mentioned them but wasn't ask and was afraid they might be highly rot prone.

Looks like I can buy Honey Kist from peaceful valley; but ACN isnt offering this series anymore. Where can I buy Honey Blaze & Honey Royale?

Thanks,

Honey Kist is nearly equal to Honey Blaze. I grew both on the same tree for about 5 yrs. I don't grow it anymore because it wasn't quite as good. They mature about the same time and honestly if handed one piece of fruit couldn't tell you which it was.

If you are open to nectarines Arctic Star, Arctic Jay, Arctic Rose, and Spice Zee nectaplum are widely available and very good. Arctic Jay gets 4 inch size fruit planted in ground for me but will be more like 3 inches in a pot. All fruits are smaller in pots in my experience. Quality in pots is more variable but can be as good or better than in ground.

Have you considered aquaponics? It's similar to hydroponics (see this link if you are not familiar with growing fruit using this method http://hydroponicstrawberries.org/). You would get an additional benefit of fish to eat by using water you will need anyway.

Here is a link that might be useful: aquaponics

Aquaponics could also be combined with a rain harvesting system using a method similar to this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lgrhViqsQw

Here is a link that might be useful: aquaponics video

Once I move and establish nectarines that do well here, I want to try some of these others for fun. Thanks for this discussion.

My trees are about 8 feet because thats how tall the cages are. When branches grow through it I cut em that simple. I was very suprised but I hadnt had much rot. One year I did have a little rot on some of the fruit I waited too late to ripen. I also had rot on the later picked peaches also. I did not spray for rot at all. Bummer about Honey Blaze and Honey Royale. I wonder if you could contact Dave Wilson and see if they know if anyone else is growing them. ACN is were I got mine. Santa Rosa plum was very easy and also really good. Small probably from being grown in the pots but very good.

Scape