tall clover farm

Indian Free Peach Harvest: One for Each Hand   In a month where plump pumpkins take center stage, green tomatoes consume counter space faster than we consume them, and wet leaves hitch a ride on unsuspecting soles, I awaited the finale of one of summer’s finest players, my Indian Free peach tree.   Between spring rains, high winds, lowly squirrels, [...]

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White-flesh Charlotte peach, this year’s star performer Greetings fellow peach aficionados. Unfortunately, 2009 was not a bumper year for peaches here at tall clover farm  (a pronouncement duly noted by the case of Yakima peaches resting at my feet). Our unusually hot, dry summer would have ushered in a nice crop if only spring felt obliged to share the same temperament. [...]

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Peach preserve that looks more like raspberry jam.  While the garnet color of my Indian Free peaches still fascinates me, it’s their flavor that leaves my tastebuds at odds. There’s the lingering aftertaste of peach, but only after the tastebuds take a one-two punch of cherry and blackberry, respectively. It’s crazy; but more importantly it’s delicious. To prolong this gift [...]

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Eye of prize: for me, peaches; for Boz, a cheeky little squirrel Here’s a peach that pushes the envelope on being a peach. 1. Thrives in cool clime of of coastal Pacific Northwest 2. Scoffs at peach leaf curl. (Ha! take that  Taphrina deformans!) 3. Sports a thick fuzzy Mahogany brown skin 4. Enjoys freestone status and very firm [...]

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Mt homegrown peaches: mystery peach on the left, apricot-size Oregon Curl Free to the right.    Indian Free Peach; most unusual and very late season Growing peach trees organically can be a real challenge in the Pacific Northwest, but with the renewed interest and recent introduction of varieties that are resistant to the dreaded peach leaf curl, the [...]

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 It took four days for this peach to ripen, note the dripping juice. A Ripe Peach Is Worth the Wait I love peaches too much to eat them as the rock hard flavorless orbs we’ve come to expect from the local grocer.  It’s worth every penny to buy from local growers or grow peaches yourself as it [...]

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 My Avalon Pride peach tree takes root and sprouts some shoots one year after planting. I wanted to add some peach trees to my orchard and thanks to One Green World nursery and UPS, three peach leaf curl resistant varieties showed up on my doorstep in no time at all. I chose Avalon Pride Peach, Oregon [...]

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  Let me just say peach trees are worth the effort, and in the Pacific Northwest that’s some effort. Our rainy cool climate tricks the peach into blooming early–early enough that no bee worth his knees is going to be foraging for pollen or nectar. Even the heavy hitter pollinator of the hood, the orchard mason bee, [...]

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