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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The Chilton Research and Extension Center has reported that chill hours for the 2020 peach crop are accumulating at “a sufficient rate.”

“As of Dec. 16, 2019, 432 and 506 chill hours have been accumulated for Central and North AL, respectively,” fruit specialist Edgar Vinson stated in a report. “This represents approximately half of total chill hours needed for most peach varieties in cultivation in these two major peach producing regions of the state. Last year, total chill hours accumulated in Chilton County was 1,049 and 1,188 in Madison County.”

Vinson said local trees will continue to accumulate chill hours until Feb. 15.

Chill hours occur when the temperature falls below a certain point. Different varieties of peaches need different amounts of chill hours to reach optimal growth.

According to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, “During the fall and winter, deciduous fruit plants enter a dormant period that is generally referred to as the plants’ rest period. Plants enter the rest period in the fall as air temperatures begin to drop below 50 degrees F, leaf fall occurs, daylight decreases, and visible growth ceases.”

Various stages of dormancy mark development of the future peach buds.

If a tree does not get enough chill hours, the number of peaches that develop will decrease. Some varieties require as many as 800 chill hours, but many varieties require fewer chill hours for optimal yield. To ensure there will be enough peaches to last through the season, peach growers have several varieties in their orchards, each needing a different length of chill hours.

Popular Chilton County peach varieties include Flavorich, Rubyprince, Harvester, Fireprince, Bounty, Loring, Sunprince and O’Henry.