Peach Harvester

Prunus persica ‘Harvester’

Characteristics

Culture

Harvester is a semi-dwarf peach tree with a heavy crop of medium-sized, freestone peaches. Ripens late June. It is very popular with commercial growers, but homeowners love this variety as well because it is self-pollinating, meaning you don’t need a large plot to grow peaches right in your backyard. All peach trees require annual pruning to remain strong, healthy, and produce bountiful harvests. Such pruning will also keep the tree at a workable height for harvesting, pruning, and pest control. Unpruned peach trees will stop producing. Peach trees take well to espalier and can be nicely fan-trained against a wall.

Noteworthy Characteristics

The Harvester peach tree not only gives you excellent peaches, but also beautiful blooms of very fragrant flowers with pink and white blossoms. The peaches are 2-3” in diameter. They are a mix of yellow-reddish color on its fuzzy skin with yellow, juicy flesh on the inside. The Harvester peach tree is one of the highest yielding peach trees available. Self-pollinating, this peach tree forms a rounded crown with upwardly reaching branches clothe in lanceolate, dark green, deciduous leaves. The foliage provides a deep yellow fall display.

Problems

For help with disease issues and pests, click on the links below.

• Farming Texas fruit and nut production: peaches
• Homeowner’s guide to pests for peaches, plums, and pecans

 

Uses

Produces freestone fruit with firm flesh and great flavor – excellent for fresh eating, cooking, baking, freezing, and canning.  The fruit is attractive to birds and squirrels.