Trim Healthy Indulgence (e-Book: PDF version)

e-Book PDF Version: If you dream of indulgent baking flowing from your kitchen, this book is your guide. It contains over 50 gluten and sugar-free recipes (including some dairy-free options) to celebrate life’s most memorable moments. Every delicious and healthful creation has step-by-step, full-color instructional photos to hold your hand as you create your own sweet artistry. Your cakes, cookies, tarts, and other baked goods will begin to look as beautiful as they taste. Whether you’re an adept baker who wants to bake more healthfully or just a beginner, Esther’s recipes will bring your healthy baked creations to life!

Planting & Care

At a Glance – 3-in-1 Combination Peach Tree

Sun: 1/2 day to full day of sun
Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile soil
Water: Keep evenly moist during establishment
Rootstock: Semi-dwarf (Lovell)
Size: 12–15 ft at maturity
Pollination: Self-fertile
Harvest: July–September
Hardiness: USDA Zone 5–9

Planting & Care – 3-in-1 Combination Peach Tree

Site Selection

Choose a location with excellent sunlight to ensure full sweetness and color.
Good airflow reduces fungal pressure, especially in humid or coastal climates.

Soil Preparation

Prefers well-drained loam or sandy loam; avoid clay-heavy or waterlogged soil.
Add compost to improve drainage and fertility.
Ideal soil pH: 6.0–7.0.

Planting Instructions

Plant at the same depth as in the nursery pot.
Water deeply and mulch with 2–3 inches of organic matter.
Keep mulch a few inches away from the trunk.

Watering & Fertilizing

Maintain consistent moisture during the first 1–2 years.
Deep water 1–2 times per week in heat or drought.
Peaches are medium feeders—use a balanced organic fertilizer in early spring if growth appears weak.
Avoid overfertilization, which reduces fruit quality and increases disease risk.

Pruning & Graft Management

Prune more vigorously growing grafts to maintain balance across the tree.
Encourage an open center to improve light penetration.
Thin fruit clusters to improve size and prevent limb damage.

Harvest & Use

Frost offers classic peach flavor with strong leaf curl resistance.
Salish Summer (Q-1-8) produces juicy, richly flavored fruit well-suited to cooler climates.
Indian Free provides brilliant red flesh and outstanding complexity.
Muir delivers exceptionally sweet, aromatic fruit.

General Tips

Combination peach trees thrive when graft vigor is balanced yearly through pruning.
Renew mulch annually and water consistently for best fruit quality.
Leaf curl–resistant varieties reduce the need for sprays in many climates.