I've got about eight of those. I like all I've tried except Flavor Delight aprium. It ripens with Tomcot and Robada both of which are better eating but not low chill.

Spice Zee was OK last year but not the most important fruit introduction in the last 20 years as Tom states. Maybe it will be better this year. I've got a crop set both in the greenhouse and out.

Arctic Star would rate near the top on his list for me. But all the nectarines and peaches are harder to reach perfection than pluot for my conditions.

I have eight from Tom's list. I planted them last year and pinched all the blooms so this year will be the first fruit I will have from these trees. I lost one of the cherries last year and the replacement did not flower so no cherries till next year.

Dorsett Golden
Fuji
Pink Lady
Minnie Royal
Royal Lee
Snow Queen
Red Baron
Burgundy

Me, too. Here's my line up. They are waiting to go in the ground down in my lower part of my yard. I'm making a "pick & walk" orchard, where I'll have my fruit trees in planting beds on either side of a paver walkway, so you'll be walking through an arbor and gate, and then down the path between two rows of fruit trees:

Minnie Royal Cherry
Royal Lee Cherry(these are both VERY healthy, and getting very big, I'm probably going to have to top at least one, they apparently REALLY like living in Vista!)
Fuji Apple
Pink Lady Apple
Dorsett Golden
Cot-N-Candy Aprium
Flavor King Pluot
Spice Zee Necta-Plum
Burgundy Plum
Snow Queen Nectarine

Also have a Belnheim apricot, an Anna, and a Red Fuji to go down in my little orchard as well. And, if I have room, I might try to pick up a peach that produces at some different time than what I've already got, so I can spread out my stone fruit harvest.

Patty S.

I found Tom's revised list to be smack spot on for what produces best in my backyard in Burbank, CA. I have 17 of his 21 which I accumulated by trial and error before he revised his list. I was so pleasantly surprised that his list so closely matched what I have now growing after years of vetting.

Snow Queen nectarine is absolutely wonderful. Sweet, juicy, amazing flavor. It's been around many years and is considered a tried and true old-timer. That's why there's no patent. It has proven itself over the decades in So. Calif. and probably elsewhere.

I haven't tried Arctic Star nectarine because I think it is right on the borderline of getting enough chill in my area. But the ultimate proof of the pudding is in the actual growing of it and seeing how it does in one's own area. I am currently more than full up. When and if new space becomes available, I'll try Arctic Star nectarine.

Spice-Zee nectaplum is also wonderful for me. Grows like gangbusters, sets fruit which are wonderful - sweet & juicy. Fabulous white nectarine flavor predominates. Beautiful color foliage very nice to look at as well.

Splash pluot fruit was too small for me. Although it grew well and set fruit like grapes. I took mine out.

Emerald Drop fruit was also too small for me. It did not grow as vigorously as Splash and it did not set fruit as prolifically as Splash did. I took mine out.

Juniorpilot, so good to hear about Snow Queen and Spice-Zee! They both sounded so good, and I really wanted to try some of these fancy interspecifics. I really want to find a delicious late peach for my area (250 or so chill hours, maybe). I'm thinking Donut (not so late), Sweet Bagel or August Pride. Two are on Tom's list, so hoping they will work for me, and are sweet and delicious.

Patty S.

Patty,

I have a buddy in Monrovia, CA who says August Pride is hands-down the best of the "Pride" series and the best of the peach varieties that he grows. He doesn't have Sweet Bagel so neither of us can make a call on that one.

I planted my AP in Jan 2010 so it isn't old enough yet for me to make any judgments on it.

Tony

I think when I emailed Tom he said the same thing. So, I think I'll try Donut and August Pride. That would give me 2 maybe even 3 months of peaches, then. I'm not a stone fruit fanatic like my hubby is. I had put in lots and lots of citrus and 7 varieties of avocados, and he asked, "where's my peaches, plums and necatarines? And can't we squeeze in an apricot, they're my favorite!" Sigh. So, the compromise was I got to pick all the varieties. I'm not a tart fruit lover (hate that wincing effect when you bite into something tart), so everything I picked is pretty darned sweet!!

Patty S.

The "pick and walk" sounds like a winning idea. It will not only be beautiful when in bloom, but will be a cool place to get out of the Summer heat. I would really like to see a picture when you have a chance.

Arctic Star is amazing. They are good in the crunchy state and incredible in the soft, melting, sweet as candy phase as well. Also very prolific. And a dead-ripe Double Delight is pretty special too.

As soon as we get all the trees in, and this area landscaped, I'll share some photos of this new area, along with my two other fruit tree areas. I just realized I'm going to have to pick up one more stone fruit, since I have a Flavor King Pluot, but no pollenizer! So, looks like I'll be picking up either a Flavor Supreme Pluot (first choice), or a Santa Rosa Plum.

Patty S.