Cresthaven Peach
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Cresthaven peach pollination: self-fertile Group 4 status, provisional chilling and a donor role for sterile peaches.
Cresthaven is Self-Fertile (Sets Fruit Alone)
Reliable, cold-tolerant bloom. Universal donor.
- Ploidy / Pollen
- Diploid · Fertile Pollen
- Required Companions
- 0 (Self-Fertile)
- Bloom Group
- Group 4 (Late-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Late Season
- Chill Estimate
- ~850 h below 7.2°C Provisional; verify locallySource: Pomologist review, 2026-07-24 (~800-900 h)
Flowering Period & Overlap Window
Peaches and nectarines are the same species and can share pollen when bloom overlaps. Most cultivars set fruit with their own pollen, so a partner is not normally required. Pollen-sterile exceptions such as J.H. Hale and Indian Free need a fertile peach or nectarine flowering at the same time.
Cresthaven flowers within the peach Group 3–5 overlap window. Only pollen-sterile cultivars require a separate fertile peach or nectarine donor.
Compatible Pollination Partners (25)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating, Freezing | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid-Late | Canning, Preserves | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating, Shipping | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
Bounty | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross |
Dixieland | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid-Late | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Early-Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
Earliglo | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Early Redhaven | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Canning, Freezing | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
Harken | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross | |
Polly (White Peach) | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (2)
These cultivars cannot serve as pollinizers for Cresthaven because their pollen is sterile, flowering does not overlap, or a documented close relationship excludes the pairing.
Indian Free produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
J.H. Hale produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Grower Commentary: Cresthaven and Cold-Season Planning
Cresthaven is self-fertile and produces viable pollen. Its catalog Group 4 bloom can serve a pollen-sterile peach where the flowering windows overlap, and the pomology source names it as one option for J.H. Hale. A donor row is useful only while both trees have receptive flowers; record bloom dates rather than assuming a broadly similar spring season is enough. Cresthaven itself does not need a donor.
The structured chill figure is a provisional 850 hours below 7.2°C. Its source also notes comparatively cold-tolerant bloom, yet that does not mean open flowers withstand every frost. Check local chill accumulation and the pattern of late cold nights separately. Once fruit sets, thin crowded shoots while small so late-season fruit can size and branches do not carry more weight than their framework permits.
Cresthaven is often directed to canning or storage outlets, which makes maturity checks and scheduled harvest labour important. Prune for new one-year fruiting wood and keep light reaching the interior. Select a peach-compatible rootstock for the soil: Lovell, Bailey or a site-specific modern stock may be appropriate, while St Julien, Wavit and Myrobalan are incompatible plum options. Confirm replant or nematode constraints before choosing from otherwise suitable peach stocks.
Key Orchard Considerations for Cresthaven
Self-fertile Group 4 Cresthaven can pollinate J.H. Hale only where their bloom actually overlaps.
A provisional 850-hour chill estimate and spring frost exposure are separate siting questions.
Use a peach-compatible stock selected for soil and replant pressure; avoid St Julien and Myrobalan.
Take Cresthaven from Planning to Planting
Use Kropigo's free browser tools to model your block density, tree counts, and pollinizer rows, then maintain permanent orchard records row by row.
Pollination Checker
Check Cresthaven against supported cultivars with compatible flowering and pollination data.
Commercial Block Planner
Calculate high-density tree spacing, row geometry, and establishment costs.
Block Record Keeping
Track pruning, chemical thinning, and harvest tallies block by block from the orchard.