Tips

Picked When Ripe

Here are the usual picking dates and a description of each variety of fruit from our orchards. Fruits are listed in order of ripening in Palisade, Colorado:

Cherries (sweet): June 15 to July 15

• Bing, a large, dark purple, tangy sweet cherry
• Rainier, a cross between Bing & Royal Anne, a delicate flavor
• Lapins, a late cherry that resembles a Bing

Apricots: July 4 to July 31

• Riland, a medium, sweet, round & red coloring
• Perfection, a large, oval shaped apricot, orange color & sweet
• Goldrich, a large, oval shaped apricot that must be fully ripe
• Rival, a medium sized, oval shaped apricot with a blush of red

Peaches: July 1 to September 20

Listed in order of ripening. SC=semi-cling, F= freestone:

• PF #1, (SC) 20 days before Redhaven, 90% red, sweet
• Early Redhaven (SC)14 days before Redhaven 90% red, sweet
• Rising Star (SC) beautiful early season peach 80% red, sweet
• 
  Redhaven (F) First freestone peach. 90% red coloring, good flavor.
• Blazing Star (F) 5 days after Redhaven, 90% red coloring, sweet
• Roza (F) 75% red, large, sweet peach, good canner or freezer
• Redglobe (F) Excellent canning & freezing peach
• 
  Suncrest (F) Large, round peach, 2/3 red blush, good texture & flavor
• Cresthaven (F) Medium large, juicy but firm flesh
• Angelus (F) Large, firm peach, replaces standard elberta
• 
  O’Henry (F) Best of the late peaches, flesh yello streaked with red.

Nectarines: Aug. 20 – Aug. 30

• Red Gold (F) very large nectarine, yellow flesh with red around pit