I just got my first fruit tree, combo asian pear, and I am going to put a ceramic owl on my shed, near my pear tree, to keep the doves and other birds away. I have bird attracting trees, and a dozen nests in my yard, so I want to make sure they are eating bugs, and not my fruit. On my yard, we had a peach tree a long time ago, that no one took care of. It was basically invaded by ear wigs, and so we only got to eat a few each year! Ever since my yard has always had ear wigs up till last season. I took out a foot of bark 2-3 inches deep from my willow, cause earwigs were burrowed up in it like crazy.. I just used sevin spray on it from Lowes that hooks up to the hose. I rinsed the tree after to make sure they all fell out, and to keep the spray off my tree. It was a good method. I got them good, but I had to really get up in there to get the nursery of earwigs. Obviously they say you "can" use this Sevin Stuff on vegetables and fruit trees, but I don't think I want to go that route. I did use it on my vegetable garden 2 times last summer when I was spraying my trees, but I did it only on vegetables that you didn't eat the outer layer, like pumpkins and watermelon. Not that any of them needed it. --------------------------------- I am also researching more organic ways to spray a fruit tree. I have used other methods for other types of edible plants, like planting certain types of herbs or plants around things to keep bugs out. Like my pepper plants really kept bugs out of my bed, I swear I didn't have 1 invader in my garden outside my lettuce crops. And I think my catnip and bay leaf plants in my willow tree bed helped out a lot after the sevin sprayings. I also have very little of new bugs, because my "bird" attracting trees, are filled with bug eating birds. Birds are your best friends. It is about containment of the bug populations and getting less of them each season. No way to keep "all" bugs out of yard over night, or for good. I also wanted to note, that I have found simple methods in other parts of yard/house. Like putting ammonium sulfate all over my grass instead of fertilizer, cause I have kitties, and a dozen kids who live in circle in front of my house. I have also used salt to help kill stumps, cause kids love to play on the one in my front yard, so no stump killer. I have also used viniger based cleaning solution for all sorts of things. It keeps away bacteria and organisms, big or small. If you didn't know, you can clean your fruit off with viniger rather than water to get bacteria off. I bet there is a vegetable oil and viniger mix that would work for a spray, that keeps fruit natural and bug resistant. I am looking to find something like that, some house hold item that can used that isn't poison or dangerous to cats, kids or the fruit itself. If I find something I will let you, cause I am also a first timer fruit tree planter/owner. I would suggest, a "scarecrow" by the tree, and maybe some plants or herbs around the tree. Bay leafs have multiple uses. Birds and bees are what I attract to my yard, which can be flowers, trees, etc. A little flower can help out a lot more than you would think.

Have you seen any stink bugs? They feed on green fruit, causing damage and increasing the risk of brown rot (WVU Kearneysville). There aren't any pesticides for home use for stink bugs. They're very slow moving, however... I've only found a few, and I picked them up and flushed them down the toilet. Someone last year in this forum described a DIY stinkbug trap... wish I had bookmarked that. Most people recommend that you identify your particular pest so you can choose an appropriate spray. If you post pictures here, someone with more experience may be able to help. Once you've identified your problems, you may find the Virginia Tech spray guide helpful: Virginia Tech Home Fruit Sprays. You probably won't need all the sprays they list, that's why it's so important to figure out which problems you are having. Good luck!

I have 3 peach trees. Contender which came grafted from a nursery, and two Indian Freestone peach trees. All 3 of my trees, I think are in their 4th year, this year. I had one peach last year -- just one on Contender. Here is a photo of one of the Indian Freestone trees from April 20. I grew the Indian Freestone trees from pits. By reputation they reproduce reliably, by seed. There is supposed to be enough genetic diversity that 2 such trees planted from seed near each other will cross-pollinate . . . Indian Free is one of the few peaches that requires a pollinator. The next one is Contender. The tree is more substantial as it was already grafted tree from a nursery planted in same year, but its flowers are not nearly as pretty. The fruit is good, though. I didn't see any honeybees this year. I see some fruit on the trees today less than the size of a pea, but some of the Indian Freestone buds are just dropping. I expect to get some fruit, just not nearly as many are setting as there were flowers. Less culling, but I'd rather cull fruit that are too plentiful than have sparse fruit.

I was spraying to prevent PLC which is supposed to be more common in our area and something you can't really treat within the season if it pops up. It seems a lot of people spray as a preventive or to get a head start on control of common pests, but perhaps I misunderstood. As I said before I am a newbie with peaches. I grow citrus and have figured that out for the most part but peaches and apples I haven't gathered enough info/experience with. To my inexperienced eye my tree had no issue last year,other than my puppy deciding the trunk was a chew toy but it still pulled through. It produced two large bland peaches (after thinning) and I attribute that to the age of the tree. But while reading through this forum I see many people make reference to spraying their trees after fruit set every few weeks until harvest. I've seen some reasons being insect/brown rot control and others common peach maintenance but I don't know for sure. I used to be a take it as it comes gardener but I have spent too much time and money on plants that end up dying over the years to do that again if I can help it. So if anyone has any suggestions on what I can spray preventatively or common Peach pest/disease in the PNW I should be on watch for I would greatly appreciate it!