Thanks Scott, your response is reassuring... I'll try the Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide Concentrate now so I can have some form of defense for the time being prior to the fall arriving. If this is a good approach. I'm guessing this is a mild solution of the copper as the website mentions about applying this stuff in 7 to 10 day intervals for as long as needed. Although when I looked at the label it says to apply as a dormant spray in late fall during a period of dry weather... Leaves me wondering if this can be used right now during the beginning of summer as a proactive measure. Maybe if I dilute the dosage some it wouldn't be so harsh right now? The plant won't be fruiting this year so I'm not concerned about damaging any fruits right now. The few flowers that it had seemed to dry up and die before they even bloomed.. :( This is the pdf file for the label on the copper fungacide... http://www.bonide.com/lbonide/backlabels/l811.pdf In late fall I could do the Bordeaux fungicide. I believe the Bordeaux be considered a dormant copper spray.. I'm new to all this and really appreciate all the help and suggestions. Thanks for the information blaze... I really think that I was over watering these plants when I first picked them up here from my nursery. I was watering them almost every day and I think twice I sprayed the entire leaves thinking this would help the plant, until I learned that this can invite diseases... :\ I'm hesitant now and wondering if I should wait on any type of mild copper treatments until fall. Maybe this might clear up and get better....? I still have all my fruit trees in pots. I'm planning on growing the nectarine and cherry tree in pots for now. I picked up two huge 24 in pots. These pots are giant. I want to transplant these into them pots real soon here using mels mix. I'm planning on putting these all on a drip irrigation system which I'm currently working on. I actually purchased a whole house filter in which I'll be using for the irrigation to help filter or minimize any chlorine, etc.. Initially I thought this may have been brought on by some sort of deficiency or over watering as I was watering allot on every session... I read that sometimes this can cause nutrients to be washed away from what little soil is in the existing buckets. Doing the finger test wasn't working well for me as the top inch of the soil would feel dry almost daily and I would water about that often not realizing a few more inches below the soil was still moist. I finally purchased a moisture meter which made me realize my trees were not as dry as I was thinking. As a newbie to the outdoor garden I have lots to learn. It's sad to have purchased some fruit trees just to have them go sick in just a few weeks time... Hope I can recover them and learn from this lesson... Question.. When you water a plant, does it matter how long you water the plant at that given moment? Is it possible to water too much if the plants are draining well? The buckets do have their holes on the bottoms and seem to be draining well. Does it make a difference if I watered them for 5 minutes with the hose or 30 minutes with the hose besides my pocket book? As long as I don't water them again until they need watering again? And do these type of stone trees, when using a moisture meter (if anybody in here does) should the readings always be on moist, wet or allowed to go dry prior to watering again?.. If you or anybody else may be familiar with those moister meter levels. Richard S.

Plums do not have thorns, but do have fruiting spurs that may look like thorns. A true thorn will not have buds or leaves growing on them. A fruiting spur is short and can be pointed but will have leaves and tends to be where they put on their fruit. I would take a branch with the leaves to your local Agrilife extension service. They should be able to identify it or at least send off pictures to their experts to see what it actually is.

Almost any tree peony will stutter for the first couple of years until it becomes settled in place. Although one of my friends does some grafting for Cricket Hill I would suggest for your first tree peony try one of the most common Fen Dan Bai or Phoenix White. It grows quickly has a nice white flower with scent. The darker the flower the more quickly it will mature in warm temperatures. The dark red that I love I plant in shade or at least where the western sun does not hit them during the blooming season. For your reference there are only a few retail nurseries that grow tree peonies and ship. The older plants available are generally too heavy to ship with the shipping charges larger than the price of the plants. If you can take a driving trip you can pick up and not have the shipping charges. Tree Peony Garden if the one in PA has a reputation of having excellent plants. There are several nurseries on the net with the same name in other countries. Carol Adelman of Adelman Peony Gardens has started selling tree peonies. This is the first year but based on her normally peony plants they should be good. Understand will be bare root on own roots. Rick Rogers of Brothers Tree Peony is where I purchase some of my tree peonies. His are in pots. Mostly American types. Some still on grafts but many on own root. He will answer questions even if you do not purchase from him. He is also looking for 50+ year old tree peonies to graft from. He must be able to identify the tree peony. Father is Allen Rogers. Klehm's/Song Sparrow has tree peonies in the past only sent potted but are now doing some bare root after frost. Check this forum for others such as 4 Iris in California.

Gala Apple Tree I planted a Gala apple tree (bot from Mikes garden ctr.) about 6 ft tall in Sep 2008. In the spring of 2009 the tree came alive with lots of leaves and new branches. Had about 30-40 flowers but only 1 turned into apple about 1 inch diameter, and turned brown and rotted. It didn't make it. Then I read some where that Apple trees need another variety for pollination. I didn't have any plans to plant another Apple tree. Any way this year there have been lots of blooms and just looked today and there are about 30 of them that are little tiny green rounds.... I was so delighted that i could get see some fruits with out a pollinator. I did see some small tiny bugs in the leaves and sprayed them with 6-7 drops of palmolive kitchen liquid soap + plus water and sprayed about 2 weeks back. The critters disappeared and I again started seeing some after the rains but not a whole lot. When the sun comes I may spray again in another day or too. Does any one have experience growing apples.... what fertilizer to use, and any safe insecticide... and of course to prevent squirrels from getting to it. I never had any squirrels in my yard for 20 yrs and in the last 2/3 yrs, I see 2 or 3 roaming around my back yard and really worried about them messing with my apples and my veggie garden. Veggies I grow: Been growing veggies for the last 22 years. Long japanese egg plants, Okra, Cucumbers (regular American and another variety called Armenian Cucumber, bell peppers, Banana peppers, Italian beans and some asian gourd varieties. Never successful with Tomatoes except the first year. For the veg garden I just throw the Kitchen veg peel scraps etc. Any comments to improve my Apple tree yield / pest control or other comments very Welcome.