Hey, I’m Desmond Layne, Peach Specialist at Clemson University. Welcome to the Clemson Tiger Peach Network.
Today is June 16, 2011 and we’re in our second season of “Everything About Peaches”. The series this summer is called “Peach Picks for South Carolina”. Every week throughout the entire growing season we are going to feature different cultivars that perform extremely well here in “The Tastier Peach” state.
We are here at my variety test block at James Cooley’s Farm in Chesnee, SC. Last time we featured a cultivar called Carored. This week, Rubyprince!
In our Clemson University research trials over the last 5 years, the performance of Rubyprince has been excellent. Rubyprince was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture in Byron, Georgia. The breeder was Dr. Dick Okie. It was released to the public in 1997 and because it is not patented, it is freely available to propagate. Typically, Rubyprince is harvested in early to mid-June depending on where you are located in the state.
For an early season peach, Rubyprince has very good size. It averages between 2 3/4 and 3 inches in diameter. It has a very nice uniform, round shape and an excellent red overcolor (or blush). When you cut through the skin into the flesh you can see that it’s a yellow-flesh type. It melts in your mouth, and like most of our early season cultivars, it’s clingstone.
One of the things that I love about the early peach season in South Carolina is that every week, the peaches get better! Last time we looked at Carored and it did not disappoint me. But what about this week? Let’s see how Rubyprince tastes… “Mmmm. Now that is an excellent peach!” Look — the juice is dripping already! That’s what you’re looking for!
Why don’t you join us next week when we’ll feature another “Peach Pick for South Carolina”. You know, being a peach specialist … it’s a rough job, but somebody’s got to do it!
