“QUESTION IS, WILL THIS O' HENRY PEACH TREE GROW AND PRODUCE FRUIT IN MY AREA?”

First off, I love your enthusiasm – you’re definitely one of us! …and we were all there once. I remember my first two “Veteran peach trees,” they lasted around 4 years. Each year another main scaffold limb would ooze sap, it’s new growth would die and I’d remove ‘that limb.’ Between the two trees it took me around 4 years to finally replace them, with a fig and an apple tree.

Not to ‘give up,’ my Great-grandfather (on the same ‘farm’) grew peaches; a Red Heaven I’ve been told. So I special ordered a “Harken” peach, supposedly immune to peach leaf curl, their first nemesis. It likely lasted 3 years …as I watched the same series of diseases attack it, baring ‘leaf curl.’ ‘It’s’ now a magnificent Asian Persimmon tree!

One of my Uncles managed a large peach orchard on Sauvie Island (just north of Portland, with never-ending topsoil) and described a litany of sprays they’d apply about every two weeks… seemingly all year. There was also ‘some chemical’ that was about to be banned so the owner of the farm bought up pallets of it and said when they ran out of it, he’d stop growing peaches – “because it was the only thing that kept them alive.”

I never tried growing them again…

We’ve gone over this tale before, but we’ve also a bundle of new contributors here. Since it’s now been decades since I’ve tried to grow peaches, someone may have better, if not more recent information and suggestions. …But at the same ‘real nursery’ I’d bought my two Veterans from, the owner, already having sold to a Japanese electronics firm, said, “It should be illegal to sell peach trees in the Willamette Valley.” That’s why I snuck back to buy them when he wasn’t there… Maybe he was right?

You said: “Right now, it's been about 2 1/2 weeks since I've planted the peach tree.” …I’d say it’s likely ‘safe’ to carefully remove and quickly replant your peach tree… They’ll begin to form tiny white fibrous roots that easily break off when disturbed. It’s not likely a good Idea, but a good question. Maybe we’ll get some advice on that, too.

One HOS member has threatened for years to build a plastic roof over his peach tree, or something like that… He says the rain spreads the disease that adversely affects them – so figures if he keeps it dry it might survive

But, I’ve also got a couple of peach trees planted at a neighboring home that have been totally neglected. I think they are Veterans! A ‘Sister-in-law’ actually planted them (since moved) and I’ve been the only one to prune them. They get morning sun, which is the only reason I think they’ve survived; it must dry them early in the day. They’ll occasionally get leaf-curl, but not bad enough to have killed them. They’ve been in for around… 10 years, and are actively growing. Glad I thought of them! So now we’re totally confused

Let’s stay tuned for more advice on peaches in the Willamette Valley ~

Hey – check this out, an earlier discussion on peaches, about two years ago: viewtopic.php?p=2095

Skimming through my comments reminded me I’d tried a couple more peaches even earlier than the “Veterans,” …and due to their death, tried the Vets.

Don't worry about hardiness. That's the least of your problems. Peaches are really hardy. Disease is your problem. Plums are really a good fruit to grow around here. Most HOS'ers have them. Very few try peaches, apricots, or nectarines, despite the fact that they are all delicious. Those three hate wet Springs. Look outside. They won't pollinate right, they get diseases, you have to spray them like crazy. I may try someday. One idea I heard was that if you prune your peach tree like an espalier apple, you can cover it with a tarp in January and February, and you won't get peach leaf curl. Now you will still get bacterial diseases. You might try compost tea for that. You have to prune them like crazy, and they don't live long even in dry places like Yakima. I would try Avalon Pride or something else vigorous.
John S
PDX OR