Contender has been known as “the Northern Peach” for the last three decades, and they have been successfully planted in Garrett County for close to that long as well. It ripens mid-July to mid-August.
The peaches are medium to large with sweet, yellow flesh. Interestingly, Contender peach slices do not brown quickly when exposed to air, so they look nice on a platter. (Think of all those covered dish dinners where you could take sliced peaches!) It is freestone and excellent for fresh eating, canning, and baking.
Like the other two varieties we are offering, Contender needs 1000 chill hours to fruit. Therefore, you should not plant this peach in a warm climate.
Contender received the 2014 American Society for Horticultural Science Outstanding Fruit Cultivar award. It was originally developed through a breeding program started in 1951, focused toward creating a variety that would be resistant to bacterial spot and fruit between the other two main cultivars, Loring and Elberta. Contender was born out of that program in 1988 and has since gained world-wide respect for its consistency and productivity to both fresh and commercial markets. It is the standard peach in northern areas. It is somewhat resistant to Bacterial Spot.
Peach trees do need full sun and well-drained soil. Additionally, you should prune peach trees yearly, keeping 1′ to 3′ new growth. Contender is self-pollinating but the fruits will be more abundant and bigger if you use another variety of peach to pollinate. Both Veteran and Raritan Rose will pollinate it.
Contender pits are more toxic than some peach pits. DO NOT crush and eat them or use them for medicinal purposes. Â
