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Fruit & Orchards

Peach tree help needed

14 years ago

I have a four year old peach tree. The tree looks great but the fruit develops a clear ooze and doesn't mature. I've looked on the web for what disease could be giving me trouble but haven't found anything with the ooze. I also can't seem to control japanese beetles. I use a multi-purpose fruit tree but it doesn't seem to help.

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Comments (3)

franktank232
14 years ago
A clear ooze? Does the fruit drop from the tree? Your looking at a bug that is laying eggs in your fruit and the larvae is feeding on the insides. Could be Plum Curculio. Do you spray early in the season?

Japanese Beetles are a pain. Your best bet is treating your lawn to kill the grubs this fall. You can try Milky Spore (google it) or a grub killer. You kill the grubs, you at least eliminate what is coming from your yard. Most sprays that kill JB's also kill everything else (good bugs). SO spray with caution.
olpea
14 years ago
Rtaz,

You don't say what part of Illinios you're from, and IL is kind of a longish state with lots of different climates. Franks mention of Plum Curculio (PC) may have merit if you're in the northern part of the state. If you're in southern IL, it's getting too late in the year for the PC larva. Egg laying for PC stopped a long time ago in my zone, and lava are probably already pupating in the soil. Generally, pectin ooze from peaches means Oriental Fruit moth.

It's frequently discussed on this forum that multi-purpose fruit tree sprays are generally pretty worthless. Obtain some Triacizide Once and Done Insect Killer. Get the concentrate, not the granules. It comes in quart sized containers for around 10 bucks. One quart of concentrate will make many gallons of spray mix. It can be obtained at Walmart. If used somewhat routinely, after petal fall, I think you'll have better luck, than with what you're using now.
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Hman is correct. Malathion is weak and breaks down fast, hence it's short PHI. I think Rutgers lists it in its homeowner recs because it's one of the handful of insecticides available to homeowners treating stone fruits. In my view this has been a legit. gripe for non-commercial growers. That is, they have such few tools available to try to grown their own fruit. Sometimes some pretty poor choices. It's a rip. According to the link from Cornell below, Malathion has a half life of 1.5 days in full sunlight. This matches my experience. I once bought a bottle of it and found it worthless. As I recall the bottle is something like 50% a.i. I've no reason to spray it and haven't touched the bottle for several years. Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell Malathion - environmental fate
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rtaz
Original Author
14 years ago
I'm in northern IL (a suburb of Chicago). I first noticed this year's ooze a few weeks ago. Next year I'll start spraying earlier. Any thoughts on a fall treatment?

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