Brown Rot Resistant Stone Fruit
Peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums that resist brown rot, the fungus that turns ripe fruit into fuzzy brown mush right before you pick it. It loves warm, wet weather at bloom and harvest. A resistant variety is the difference between a crop and a pile of rotten fruit in a rainy year.
More about brown rot
For peaches, Contender (zone 4) is the one we'd start with, and Redstar, Risingstar and Glohaven resist it too. Redstar and Risingstar also resist bacterial spot and bloom late. For nectarines, look at Hardired and Mericrest.
Zard apricot resists brown rot and shot hole and blooms very late for an apricot. La Crescent is the hybrid plum on the list, hardy to zone 3 and a late bloomer.
Pick up mummified fruit and thin crowded fruit so it dries out after rain, and brown rot has a lot less to work with. The peach and nectarine, apricot and plum disease resistance charts have the full ratings.
Questions we get
What peach trees resist brown rot?
Contender, Redstar, Risingstar and Glohaven. Contender is the hardiest at zone 4.
Is there a brown rot resistant apricot?
Zard. It resists brown rot and shot hole, and it's rated to zone 3b.
How do I keep brown rot down?
Plant resistant varieties, clean up mummified fruit and thin the crop so fruit isn't touching. Good airflow helps the fruit dry fast after rain.
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