Mike: Please indicate where you are located when asking a question of this nature. Insects, diseases, and growing conditions vary by location, and having this information will assist anyone trying to help you out. In most locations, growing peaches without the use of chemical sprays is not possible. Sprays can be used on peaches and still produce healthy and non-toxic fruit. The "stings" on your peaches are probably visits from either the plum curculio, the oriental fruit moth, or both. I have both here in Northern Virginia. Sprays on peaches should begin right at shuck split, and should be more frequent early in the season while the skins of the fruit are most tender and attractive to egg-laying insects. I use Imidan and/or Permethrin, and begin by spraying at intervals as short as 5-6 days apart, depending on weather. As the fruits grow, I spray less frequently, and in the final month before ripening I have not found it necessary to spray at all. Spraying Sevin is not the way to thin peaches. Even if it worked (which it does on apples), it would be non-selective and with peaches you want the thinning to be highly selective. So do it with your fingers, and start as soon as you can choose the fastest-growing undamaged peaches to leave behind. As the fruits grow, with some developing insect damage and others growing fast and undamaged, return to the tree to thin again. It may be necessary to repeat this procedure as many as 3-4 times until you have left the number of peaches your tree can reasonably support, and all are perfect and growing quickly. If your fruit develops fungal problems such as mildew or scab, add a fungicide to your spray mix. I would suggest you do this at the outset in most locations. Keep your tree pruned to an open center, and do not allow heavy top growth to shade the developing peaches. Peaches require direct sunlight to grow and develop. I often prune my peach trees twice during the growing season to let in the sunlight and improve air circulation. There is always more to learn about growing peaches, and I have by no means covered it all, but if you follow the above suggestions you should see at least some improvement in your peach production. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

If bought at a store, the rate of failure will be greater, especially if they were stored inside. Bare root trees bought through the mail have a much higher success rate. If I had a 50% failure rate from a place I bought the trees I would never buy there again. Bare root trees do grow better than container trees long term. Container trees tend to be root bound and do not grow as well. Potted berry plants also seem to suffer more than bare rooted. I have much better first year growth on bare rooted berry plants than ones grown in pots. The main thing is to plant the trees or bushes as soon as they arrive. If they are sitting in a plastic bag for a couple of weeks the death loss goes way up.

We really do need to see photos to determine what is going on, otherwise we are just guessing and you then may be following advice that is not appropriate or could even prove harmful. FWIW, horticultural oil is NOT a suggested treatment for borers.......if that is what you have. Because the larvae tunnels (bores) into the wood of the tree, any sort of topical approach has to be carefully considered and timed to have any effect. The bugs are not inside the bark....they are inside the tree and it often requires a systemic (seldom recommended for edibles) to ensure effective control. And the appearance of sap - aka gummosis - can arise from a multitude of conditions, not all of them serious or requiring treatment. Photos, please!!

This person has sold Indian freestone peach seeds in the past. https://www.facebook.com/ericka.dana/about?lst=1502544394%3A520891648%3A1590469032 Also, here is her website that looks very dated, with an email address, and phone #: http://catnipfarm.com/sign_page/sign_page.htm I grew two trees from seed I acquired from her about 4-5 years ago.