Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Red Baron Peach
Red Baron Peach is grown for two things, showy double red blossoms in late winter and large, juicy yellow freestone peaches with rich flavor. It is a low-chill peach needing about 250 to 300 chill hours, and it is self-fruitful, so one tree sets fruit. It ripens in midsummer, later than the earliest Valley peaches.
Best for: a flowering and fruiting tree in one, showy late-winter color, a single self-fruitful peach, and bees in bloom season.
In late winter the branches fill with showy double red blossoms, fuller than a typical peach flower. The same tree then bears large, juicy yellow freestone peaches.
The fruit is large, firm and juicy, with rich flavor, and the flesh pulls away from the pit. Thin the small fruit to about 4 to 8 inches apart for the best size.
It needs about 250 to 300 chill hours, and most of the Valley gets about 300 to 400. It is self-fruitful, so one tree is enough.
It ripens in midsummer, later than the early low-desert peaches, when heat can sunburn fruit. Paint the trunk white, and cover ripening fruit from birds.
- Row of fruit trees15 ft apart
- Open planting15-20 ft apart
Water new trees often while they root in. Once established, soak the root zone at least 18 inches deep, and up to about 3 feet, about every 1 to 2 weeks while the tree is growing. In winter, water about once a month.
Peaches fruit on the growth made the year before, so prune them harder than other fruit trees. Prune in January while the tree is dormant, before the buds break.
Soon after fruit set, thin the small fruit so they sit about 4 to 8 inches apart. The fruit left on the tree grows larger and better.
Feed in early spring as the tree wakes up, again in May before the heat, and again in September.
Paint the trunk with white tree paint to prevent sunburn. Birds find ripe fruit first, so cover the tree with bird netting or bag the fruit before it ripens.
Drops its leaves in winter and leafs out again in spring.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Will it fruit in the Valley?
Yes, it is a low-chill variety needing about 250 to 300 chill hours, and most of the Valley gets about 300 to 400 a year. Pick low-chill varieties like this one for a reliable crop.
What do the flowers look like?
Showy double red blossoms cover the branches in late winter, fuller and darker than most peach flowers. Plant it where you can see it from the house in bloom season.
When does Red Baron ripen?
It ripens in midsummer, several weeks after early peaches like Desert Gold. Watch the fruit closely in the heat and pick as it softens.
Do I need two trees for fruit?
No. It is self-fruitful, so a single tree sets fruit on its own, which makes it a good pick for a small yard.
Is Red Baron a freestone peach?
Yes. It bears large yellow freestone peaches, so the flesh comes away from the pit.
How do I get bigger peaches?
Thin the fruit soon after it sets, leaving about 4 to 8 inches between peaches. The fruit left on the tree grows larger.
When should I prune it?
Prune in January, before the buds break. Peaches fruit on last year's growth, so prune them harder than other fruit trees.
How often should I water it?
Water new trees often while they root in. Once established, soak it deep, at least 18 inches, about every 1 to 2 weeks while it is growing and about once a month in winter.
When should I fertilize?
Feed in early spring as it leafs out, again in May, and again in September.
Does the trunk need protection from sun?
Yes. Paint the trunk with white tree paint to prevent sunburn in the Valley.
How do I keep birds off the fruit?
Birds find ripe fruit before you do. Cover the tree with bird netting, or slip bags over the fruit before it ripens.
What is killing the bark at the base of my tree?
It can be peach tree borer. The larvae tunnel under the bark at or below the soil line and can kill a young tree. Check the base of the trunk and treat it early.
Red Baron Peach for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Red Baron Peach is a low-chill, self-fruitful peach with showy double red flowers and large yellow freestone fruit. Below is what to expect, including chill hours, bloom, ripening, planting, watering, pruning, thinning, sunburn, birds and borers.
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Red Baron peach in Phoenix
Red Baron needs about 250 to 300 chill hours, and most of the Valley gets about 300 to 400. It is self-fruitful, with showy double red blossoms and large yellow freestone fruit.
Red Baron peach flowers
Showy double red blossoms open in late winter, fuller and darker than typical peach flowers. Bees visit them while they bloom.
When is Red Baron peach ripe?
It ripens in midsummer, later than the earliest Valley peaches. Paint the trunk white and protect the fruit from birds as it ripens.
Pruning and thinning Red Baron
Prune in January while dormant. After fruit set, thin the small peaches to about 4 to 8 inches apart.
Watering a peach tree in the Valley
Soak the root zone at least 18 inches deep, about every 1 to 2 weeks while growing, and about once a month in winter.
When to plant a peach tree in Arizona
Plant bare-root trees in January or early February and container trees in fall or spring, and avoid planting in summer.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.