Contender Peach Tree

Contender peach trees are celebrated for their resilience and outstanding fruit quality, making them a top choice for northern growers and regions with colder winters. This freestone variety produces large, firm peaches with golden skin and a rosy red blush. The fruit is sweet, juicy, and aromatic, perfect for fresh eating, baking, or canning. Requiring moderate to high chill hours, Contender thrives in sunny, well-draining soil and stands out for its ability to withstand late frosts. Self-fruitful and vigorous, it delivers reliable harvests even in challenging climates. Whether you’re growing it in a home orchard or a small farm, Contender peaches bring bold flavor and cold-hardiness together, making them a standout variety for those who appreciate quality and reliability.

Semi-dwarf on Citation rootstock.

• Zones: 5-9
• Chill hours: 800-1055
• Bloom Time:¬†
• Harvest: August - September
• Looks:¬†Classic peach color
• Personality: Extra juicy sweet traditional peach flavor
• Facts of note: Contender has become one of the most popular yellow fleshed cold-hardy peach varieties sold today. With the rare distinction of appealing to both the Backyard grower and the commercial farmer, Contenders high dependable production and great disease resistance have fast become the standard for cold hardy peach selections But this late blooming variety also packs a powerful flavor punch. This may be the idea around the name Contender. Melting flesh and extra juicy sweet traditional peach flavor make this a winner from firm ripe to juice running down your arm fully tree ripe. A fast vigorous growing tree, be prepared to prune the Contender to keep it at a reasonable height. This is a mid to early late season ripening variety The result of a cross done originally by Cornell in 1974, it was trailed and finally released by North Carolina State University in 1989. Low care and high yield were cited along with outstanding flavor upon its release.
• Pollination: Self-fruitful.

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