Update of a sick peach tree a year later

12 years ago

I had asked for help about a peach tree oozing gunk in the spring of last year and got a lot of help from the experts in this forum. It turn out to be borers and the severity of the borer damage lead to a lively discussion about whether that tree was still salvageable.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fruit/msg0312114813142.html

It has been more than a year, I am here to give an update about the tree.

Last spring,following the advices given here, I had cleaned up the gunk, impaled the larva, painted the trunk with white latex paint and put mothballs around the tree. I couldn't find the chemical, so no spraying of anything. For a few months after that, there were still more oozing, and I had found more larva under the tree bark. So, I kept cleaning the oozing, impaled the larva, touched up latex paint and added more mothball. I harvested ONE peach last year!

This is what the tree looked like on May 10 this year.

{{gwi:97457}}

This year, there is no oozing at all. I have painted the trunk with latex paint and put mothball around the tree again.

Now, the tree is full of little peaches (much bigger than the ones shown in the picture above). I have been thinning them out from time to time. There is a mild case of leave curl. I have to pick out a diseased leaf or two every few days. Other than that, the tree looks ok to my untrained eye.

Do you think this tree is out of woods?

I will post more updated pictures of the tree once I replace my broken camera. And once again, thank you all for your help!

Here is a link that might be useful: Peach tree problem

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Comments (5)

hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
12 years ago
Fabulous! Great sucess story! I would say your little peach is a peach! Keep painting the trunk every year, and watch for borers. Some areas of the country have more issues than others, and now you know this is an issue. PLC is easy to treat, follow the directions in your area for several sprayings with copper during the dormant season. Here in my neck of the woods (S. Calif. coastal area) we just remember the 3 holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine's Day. If we can sneak in a 4th late spray if we're having a particularly wet winter and early spring, even better (like this year and last). Even with a good spraying program for PLC, everyone across the country has had some issue with PLC. Just was our lot with the weather. Particularly bad out here on the West coast, but not a fatal issue for your tree like borers can be. Well done!!

Patty S.
franktank232
12 years ago
Keep an eye out for plum curculio. They seem to leave my peaches alone, but still will hit a few of them. I figure they do the thinning for me.

I see room in that yard for at least 30 more trees :)
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Sara_in_philly
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you Patty! I will remember to spray copper during dormant season. The borer damage was really bad, I am gld it pulled through.

franktank232: Wish my husband feel the way you do and be willing to dig 30 more holes:-)
DesiFern
12 years ago
I'm so glad your peach tree is doing well ... just last week I was googling peach tree problems and came across your older post, and I was wondering how your tree fared. This gives me hope in the hardiness of peach trees!

Hope it keeps on doing well,

Desi
Sara_in_philly
Original Author
12 years ago
Desi, I just saw your post today. My peach trees are doing really well, the damaged peach tree produced really good crop this year. The peaches tasted really good! I still has borer problems and will look for insecticide to spray in addition to the latex paint and moth ball. I will post some pictures of the fruiting tree later. I hope you can still see this.

Update of a sick peach tree a year later

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hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA

franktank232

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Update of a sick peach tree a year later

Comments (5)

hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA

franktank232

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