Sweet Gem Orchard - Peaches

SPRING HAS SPRUNG! As the flower petals begin to fall we are beginning to see the results of many nights of frost control. The great news is even the Apricots didn't freeze, which is a great indicator for Cherries and Peaches!!! I hope you are looking forward to a great season of fruit? 2022 has two new orchard locations and a new fruit stand with more than 3000 new trees coming into production. Currently we are about 10 days behind our normal mid-June harvest start for Cherries, but new varieties of Chelan, Tieton, and Santina sweet Cherries are several weeks before the Classic Bing's. Share out our posts and make plans to get some great U-pick fruit this season June through September.

The trees have reached full bloom and the sea of white cherry flowers and pink peach blossoms are beautiful! The bees are working the flowers as "busy as bees". We've had some very cold nights with a few more on the way and have put our full frost control in place. The next few weeks will see if any damage has occurred. Keeping thinking warm thoughts!

The peach and cherry buds are just a week away from starting to bloom. Our new frost control wind machines are in place and the bees are in the orchard. The Apricots are in full bloom now and look beautiful. Think warm weather above freezing😀 for the next month.....

Spring is just around the corner and we have been pruning like fiends since November. Such great growth this year and my pruning team is almost done. We are preparing our dormant sprays to get those early bugs knocked down. For home gardeners a dormant oil spray is critical to getting trees clean and reducing pests without caustic chemicals later in the season. We're about three weeks from bloom when the ocean of white and pink burst to life. We are getting soil samples taken for April fertilizer application and preparing frost control measures to save a wonderful crop for 2022. Stay tuned for more "From the Orchard"

We are just 8 days out from our 2021 Pruning course and lunch on November 16th at noon. Trees have dropped leaves and 10 places are still available so reserve your spot at the link below. On the field pruning work we will need you to bring your tools as we discuss the best tools for pruning and care of tools. We (students under my supervision) will be pruning both young and old trees pruning Cherry, Apple, and Peach trees. See you soon. (https://emmettidaho.chambermaster.com/eventregistration/register/5790)

November 16th is the 2021 Pruning Class - Lunch & Learn . join me at Idaho Pizza for a one hour class room course at 12 pm and lunch as I teach fruit tree pruning basics from my 35 years of experience and 65,000 trees pruned. Class room course is $10. Then travel with me to the orchard for a two hour hands on course as we implement and apply what you have learned on actual trees. Bring your pruners saws, and warm close. Advanced class is $15. Both courses together are $25 and you can register on the Gem County Chamber of Commerce site at https://fb.me/e/M9UWMIEb .Hope to see you there.

As Fall sets in we prepare for the short, but fantastic show of color. After full leaf drop we start our pruning for the next 5 months that is critical to promoting great fruit.The long awaited PRUNING COURSE is coming November 16th at 1 pm. More info and sign up on this Monday. Space is limited so sign up soon.

Before we put everything to bed at 50% to 75% leaf drop on PEACHES we apply a simple application of copper fungicide with a good surfactant / spreader sticker to the limbs and trunk of the trees as the only time of year to correctly treat Peach leaf curl (taphrina deformens). Fall is the only time to treat trees and fully prevent infection next season.

With harvest season finished for 2021, I still like to stay in touch with customers who have a few trees of their own who ask for growing tips.

September is a critical time to start your trees into dormancy and with the shorter days and cooler temperatures i highly recommend getting water off your trees until spring as soon as possible. Our last day of watering was 9/17.

If your trees don't begin changing color absorbing the sugars into the root and truck system, a sudden cold snap could damage tissues, waste valuable energy for next year's crops and damage or kill trees. Our early peaches are now showing good color changes as they shut down for the year

Stay tuned for more info on my November Pruning coursefor the everyday orchardist and fall sprays for control of particular peach diseases......

Photos from Tyler's Rocky Point Orchard's post

CLOSED FOR SEASON! A huge thank you to everyone who made Gem Orchards a success this year. The last of our peaches sold out today! We are already planning great improvements for next season to deliver you the best fruit in the Treasure Valley.

LAST CALL!!! Our last peach for the season O'HENRY is firm ripe, sweet and big! These need a day or two on the counter for perfect softness, but they are sweet and ready for a home. These will be picked and available at the upper peach stand daily for the same U-Pick price of $1.45lb. When these are gone that's the end of peaches for 2021. If you would like quantity boxed amounts, order ahead and I'll have them in the cooler ready for you. See you soon.

After a great Saturday of picking peaches our U-pick Peaches are finished for the 2021season at our main orchard! A big thank you to all the people who came and picked this season.

We continue to have many peaches PICKED, ready for pick up. J.H. HALE peach and FANTASIA Nectarine will still be available at our stand picked and soon our last peach O'HENRY will be available as PICKED, and available. We are offering all Picked Peaches / Nectarines at our normal U-pick price of $1.45 lb. For quantity orders call ahead and we will have your pickup order ready.

GOLDEN DELICIOUS apples will start U-Pick on 9/11 and will be sold by the 2G bucket with our partners Seven Oakes Orchard for 20 to 30 days.

September 4-6 will be the last of the U-picking for SWEET DREAM peach that has been a favorite this season. ELBERTA peaches can be U-picked starting this weekend as well and will go fast.

J.H. HALE peaches, another classic canning, jamming and fresh eating peach is now available picked and we are running a special on them til we run out. Picked peaches are $1.65lb, but any quantity of 40lbs or more bought we will give you the upick price of $1.45lb. FANTASIA NECTARINES continue to be available and our special til they run out is with any purchase of peaches, nectarines will be 50% off up to an equal quantity. That means buy 20lb of peaches, and up to 20lbs of nectarines are $.83lb.

Remember to bring any boxes back any of our boxes and we will give you a peach for any of our flats returned in good condition. O'HENRY peaches are our final peach in the next week to 10 days.

As Peach season slowly begins to wind down another classic canning peach, J.H. HALE is picked and ready.

Originated in Connecticut in 1912. J.H. Hale peach is still considered one of the best yellow-fleshed freestone peaches. Exceptionally large, round and uniform with smooth, almost fuzzless skin. J.H. Hale peach tree has a firm, fine-grained flesh free from stringiness, great flavor. Great for canning and baking I have a few picked and ready to go home with you.

It was a great weekend for picking tree ripened fruit this weekend. We are rapidly nearing the end of Peach and Nectarine season. This will be the last week for SWEET DREAM peach and GLOWING STAR peaches for the year so get them while they last. ELBERTA, HALE, and O'HENRY peaches are next but not quite ready. FANTASIA Nectarine is in full swing and this tangy fruit has sized and sweetened and a bunch are available to be picked up.

I'm catching up on fall orchard work so if your headed this way for picking appointments are appreciated but not required. Hope to see you soon.

Going to be a great weekend for fresh peaches and nectarines! We have two varieties of peaches ready, SWEET DREAM and GLOWING STAR. Glowing Star is tree-ripened and ready to eat, Sweet Dream continues to be firm but ripe on the trees.

Also our first nectarine FANTASIA, is available picked for a limited time. We will have lots of fruit for this weekend, but the last couple varieties of peaches will be going fast before apple season starts. If you haven't made plans to come pick do it soon.

After a busy weekend of picking we still have so many SWEET DREAM peaches still on the trees and are just turning from firm ripe to perfection and will be available all through the weekend. Our Nectarine "Fantasia" will be picked and available for pickup Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Hale and Elberta Peaches are showing color and should be ready in the next 7 to 10 days.

We are still taking orders for Sweet Dream Peaches and Glowing Star, another freestone giant will be available as well. Help us with boxes by bring our boxes back and we'll swap you a delicious peach for each one you return.

We are out of our Flat Peach Boxes. Help us reuse these, bring yours back on your next visit! Thanks.

Beautiful Saturday morning today. The weather is cool, a light rain settled the dust and the SWEET DREAM peaches are ready for U-pick or picked!!! Hope you can make it out.

Sweet Dream Peach continues to surprise with size and taste. We have picked peaches ready daily and we will have these gentle giant peaches ready for picking starting Saturday 8/21 and the following week. Each season i take a picture of my daughter with a peach as its her nickname around here "Peach". Both this year are looking great.

Two more peaches RED HAVEN & SIERRA RICH are picked out as of 8/14. FROST peach, our giant yellow fresh eating / dessert peach should be available until Mid-Week.

Our next peach SWEET DREAM, ready in the next 5 to 7 days, is highly colored and very firm with excellent dessert qualities. The fruit is large, freestone, of exceptional quality and considered one of the best varieties for canning, baking or freezing even rivaling ELBERTA for flavor and easy of canning.

We are taking pre-orders now for this Giant Peach, if you want them picked. If you are part of a co-op or canning group we can pick and deliver quantities of 50 flats (17 lbs each) or more in the Treasure Valley area to help you meet your food preservation goals.

After Sweet Dream limited quantities of GLOWING STAR, GLORIA, ELBERTA, O'HENRY peaches and FANTASIA Nectarine will finish out our fruit season for 2021.

We have some awesome tree ripe peaches ready for this Friday - Sunday that need a good home. Our FROST PEACH is tree ripe and we are offering a special pricing this weekend of $1.25 lb for U-Pick and $1.50 lb picked for this tender Giant. Our SIERRA RICH Peach is still ready to pick at $1.45lb U-Pick and $1.65 Picked and should be ready through next week. Both are freestone.

Our next Peaches ready will be SWEET DREAM, GLORIA, GLOWING STAR AND ELBERTA. We will also have limited quantity of picked Nectarines and late O'HENRY'S available soon......stay tuned

Tomorrow will definitely see the last of the RED HAVEN Peaches gone for 2021. The great news is SIERRA RICH and FROST are ready!!!!

The FROST is one of my hidden secret peaches that you will never find anywhere but fresh off the tree. This giant yellow peach is sweet and the skin literally can be slid off by hand. Due to the tender smooth flesh keep this one refrigerated and eat these right away. FROST is NOT a canning peach, but is exceptional in all other ways. One of my most cold hardy peaches come get some soon.

Beautiful cool morning for peach picking. Sierra Rich is now ready and is a freestone, canner, eater with a strong tangy flavor. Large size and excellent all around peach. We are running a special for the next week. $1.80lb for a first box (17lbs)and your second box is 20% off at $1.45lb for U-Pick peaches. Any quantity over 100lbs is all $1.45 lb. If you want picked peaches give us a call ahead and add .25 per lb to the above U-Pick cost.

Beautiful morning for RED HAVEN Peach picking, hope to see you soon. Fruit is ripe and ready!

Canning and Jamming season is upon us and the FREESTONE peaches are ready this week! Our stand will be open Wednesday- Saturday 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday 10 to 5 for RED HAVEN and FROST peaches. Our canner special pricing is in place!!

All U-pick Peaches are now $1.80lb, if you pick over 100 lbs (2 bushels) we offer a 20% discount so $1.45lb. If you prefer them picked they are. $.25lb added to our price. Please let us know your orders in advance so we can have them ready for you. After Red Haven is Sierra Rich, Sweet Dream and Gloria Peaches.

Blackberries are still ripe and ready for pickers. See you soon.