need advice on Preventive Maintenance for Peach trees

15 years ago

I have 3 healthy peach trees, 10-12 feet tall and approx 5-7 years old. One is a heavy producer.

I have never sprayed the trees. The only thing I've done is fertilize them, and mix compost and dry chicken manure to the soil.

Should I be doing some type of preventive maintenace so they don't get borers or leaf curl? Should I spray? Should I apply systemic solution to the ground?

Where do the borers come from?

Thank you.

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Comments (8)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
15 years ago
snooper:

Leaf curl is unlikely in AZ. And if you haven't had it yet, don't think you will. Borers are another issue. Don't use systemic unless you want it in the fruit. Spraying the trunk of the tree during summer worked for me when I was in a borer area. We don't seem to have them in SW Texas.

Another thing you might want to do is paint the trunk with white latex paint. If you are in the warmer areas of AZ that might not be necessary.

The Fruitnut
snooper
Original Author
15 years ago
Which spray do you prefer to use? Do you recommend spraying when the temp is above 100 degrees (it was 116 yesterday). Do I just spray the main trunk or do I spray all the branches?

Thank you.
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bamabutterfly, yes, when the leaves fall off is the time when insects lay microscopic eggs in the tree bark for next season. Your 1st dormant spray gets the eggs before they harden off. Prune your peach tree in late winter to allow light and air into the center of the tree. Make your second dormant spray at bud swell to get any eggs that might be emerging. These dormant sprays control peach leaf curl, brown rot, canker and many insect pests. Make a fruit tree spray application before bloom and right after. Thin your peaches 6-8" apart and install footies.
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I only spray with Micro-Cop (linked below, but sold at most nurseries and I think at Lowe's) because lime sulfur will damage apricots and my apricots are intermingled with my peaches. It comes in a package with "Stay-Stuck" to mix in with the concoction, so it will stick better to the branches. It is offered on organic websites, so it isn't very toxic, but be sure not to breathe it in when mixing or spraying. The mixing instructions are on the package. Be careful--the green color stains, and your sprayer will be forever green! Your spray schedule is about right-on. I have had my early peaches start to break in January before, but if you get the first 2, it shouldn't be such a big deal if you miss January. Spraying after blooms break and especially after fruit forms does nothing to prevent the curl (they get infected breaking out--once infected, it's too late.) Another problem are peaches that won't drop their leaves. Here it is the middle of November, and I still have some varieties with green leaves going strong. Obviously unless I strip their leaves off, a Thanksgiving spray is not happening! I have never used dormant oil, but I think you need to wait 2 weeks in between dormant oil sprays for bugs and sprays for curl. Hope this helps! Carla in Sac Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.groworganic.com/microcop-sta-stuk-m-twin-pack-8-oz-of-each.html
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Never spray any fruit tree with anything when in full bloom!! That's when all the pollinators are present and most active and spraying then with anything other than water can kill them. Copper is a fungicide - it won't kill whatever insect pests may be bothering your trees. And if used to control leaf curl, timing is critical. Spray in fall after leaf drop to eliminate overwintering spores and again in late winter or early spring before bud break. Do not spray on foliage...once showing signs of infection, a fungicide will not help. The worms you have been seeing do sound like the larvae of plum curculio. And there are various ways of approaching control of this pest problem as well. Clean up and disposal of any fallen fruit, a light cultivation of the soil around the trees in early spring to dislodge and expose overwintering larvae and shaking or jarring the tree when the adults are present. Spraying is a fall-back option but needs to be undertaken at the appropriate time. Control of fruit tree pests and diseases is very specific as to the problem so it is best to read up on the problems before attempting a broad spectrum, spray-for-everything approach that is unlikely to be effective and may actually be harmful. Most of the extension services (.edu websites) will have online publications addressing these issues and the best time to treat. And the Missouri Botanical Garden website (MOBOT) has excellent and accurate information as well.
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fruitgirl
15 years ago
If you haven't had any problems yet, I really doubt you'll get any. I'm not against spraying if there is a problem to prevent, but it appears you have nothing to worry about.
snooper
Original Author
15 years ago
I guess I'm just afraid that those borers are going to come in the middle of the night like bandits and attack my peach trees. From what I have read from the others, they can be fatal to the trees.
jellyman
15 years ago
Snooper:

If I were a borer, I would never go where it gets to 116 degrees. Don't worry.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
afss
15 years ago
What does painting the bottom of the trunks do? It it worthwhile as a preventative messure?
tomatozilla
15 years ago
In roasting places you paint trunks of transplants and young trees with 50/50 white latex and water to prevent sunburn, stress and delay in adjusting at best and borer invasion and/or death at worst. I did not do this when moving a large spiney bottle from a less sunny to most sunny location in my yard, instead wrapping it with burlap. The tree's trunk was immediately sunburned and promptly attracted a borer, I saw the ooze running out the worst sunburned spot on the base for some time. If you research it you'll learn borers are attracted to stressed trees. The spiney bottle was so large and vigorous it suffocated the borer years ago. I just rescued a Fuji from a paintless grower - it's about 2" at widest spot in graft, has several dead borer tunnels at graft and has lost about half of its vital wood on the sunny side of the graft. It has character and spunk! If this hasn't happened to your AZ peaches yet and you aren't moving them or removing shade on their trunks I wouldn't be worried about it. It is my understanding that in cold zones trunk painting prevents the tree from wakening from dormancy on a nice day which can result in damage to the tree when rotten weather returns.
snooper
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks everyone.

It's only going up to 110 degrees today; 92 right now but it's a dry heat LOL. Now if I could only keep the darn birds from eating my peaches, but that's another subject.

Thanks again.

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need advice on Preventive Maintenance for Peach trees

Comments (8)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX

snooper
Original Author

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need advice on Preventive Maintenance for Peach trees

Comments (8)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX

snooperOriginal Author

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fruitgirl

snooperOriginal Author

jellyman

afss

tomatozilla

snooperOriginal Author

COMPANY

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GET HELP

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snooper
Original Author

snooper
Original Author

snooper
Original Author