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Fruit & Orchards

Peach Root Rot? How do i cure?

12 years ago

Hi All!

I was digging around my trees today to aerate the area. I noticed that my peach tree might have a case of Root Rot or a fungus. I dont know what either looks like, so i want to identify what the problem is. The tree itself is healthy, the leaves are nice and dark green, but they are bending downwards. How do i help my poor tree!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Ddc-Q7Zmz_Q/Tp9ZXZPNedI/AAAAAAAAAFM/atnVaR-HU1g/s720/IMG_20111019_160335.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WFvIm-0wcSA/Tp9Z57tYXFI/AAAAAAAAAFs/UMOHiCGyYGA/s720/IMG_20111019_153808.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-22fsg65f60E/Tp9aLVfO48I/AAAAAAAAAF0/PTWWPGqPfHQ/s720/IMG_20111019_153758.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-c5tN0_33NBA/Tp9ZZVAFIZI/AAAAAAAAAFU/GrPVQbbHn70/s720/IMG_20111019_153839.jpg

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Comments (6)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
12 years ago
Can't tell for sure but that could be borer damage. Can you clean off that lower trunk area where the issue seems to be located and see if there are holes in the bark?
Sean
Original Author
12 years ago
Here are some more pictures that i just took.

Do these help a bit more? Thank you so much! And how would i cure this borer damage, do i have to worry about it?

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fnFeCYUs7KM/Tp95958H1UI/AAAAAAAAAGk/jop7b3qhbLU/s720/IMG_20111019_182356.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lzw41TZg8xk/Tp95_GoZEcI/AAAAAAAAAGs/JlS7NWMt95k/s720/IMG_20111019_182343.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BzbQRxkIKuw/Tp95_Rh41UI/AAAAAAAAAGw/SBn_dH0SBAs/s512/IMG_20111019_182328.jpg
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Usually the foliage will tell you if you have root issues. Some plants yellow or brown, others defoliate, many do both. The root rot issue, as Dorie mentioned, usually arises as a result of compacted soils or those that are just too water retentive. Sometimes it's the growers fault, & sometimes the soil is simply inadequate for use in containers, making it extremely difficult to grow in. Aside from your foliage telling you roots are rotted, your eyes and nose are helpful tools, too. Lift the plant from the pot & look for mushy roots, usually accompanied by equally musher soil. They'll be brown or black and break easily. They should always be pruned back to healthy tissue before returning the plant to the pot. If you smell the roots & they don't have a healthy, earthy scent, smelling acrid or sour instead, you know there are issues (unless you are smelling serissa roots, in which case you'll think you are in an outhouse. Worst plant part I ever smelled.). ;o) Al
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I grow an extensive collection of bulbs indoors, and I'm in zone 5, where the winters are frigid and long. I have found that healthy roots can be maintained by planting in clay pots, using a very porous medium that doesn't retain too much moisture for too long a time. Good air circulation helps a lot, as does the proper amount of light. Careful and proper watering techniques are essential, as well. I use un-softened water, and I leach my potted plants on a regular basis to help eliminate accumulated salts and minerals. I also make certain to keep each bulb or plant in the proper sized pot, re-potting when necessary. All of these things combined, keep my plants' root systems healthy and growing well. I recently un-potted a group of Sprekelia bulbs to separate them, and they had the most beautiful root systems I've ever seen! They were potted in a clay pot using a porous medium that drains quite freely, and they have been outdoors since spring. I really feel that allowing them to grow outdoors helped immensely, and I wish I had the proper place to bring all of my potted plants outdoors for the summer months. The combination of sunlight, natural breezes and air flow, and all the rain we've gotten have really made a difference in the health of those bulbs! And I have Al to thank for pointing me in the right direction for the excellent medium I'm now using!
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thx mar .... got to entertain myself.. so may as well entertain you all .. lol ... actually i am very shy at parties ... anyway .. i cant keep track of every poster.. my first inclination is to shy newbies away from chemicals ... i once read the homeowner is the greatest polluter on earth.. using more chemicals per acre.. than a good farmer will use on 100 acres ... if the plant a few bucks.. why go nuclear ??? on the other hand.. as a guy who used to pay $250 for a hosta ... aka a hardcore collector.. i fully understand that there are many others of us ... that work in realm that includes the nuclear option.. but we tend to PROPERLY ID our nemesis's ... work on a preventive basis .. and use all cures properly and according to labeled instruction ... but i still stand by my statement.. that if it is rot.. odds are low for recovery ... but i didnt know about the evil weevil.. hmmmm .. regardless.. something is happening to the roots that is interfering in water movement to the upper plant ... and you wont know.. until you dig it up ... rot has a significant olfactory aroma .... you will now.. when you smell it ... think diaper .. lol .. ken
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akaMEgrower gave you good advice. I saw your question to the Azalea Society of American on the Yahoo! Azalea Group. A couple general concerns: First, fertilizing after early summer can cause problems. Any fertilizer with nitrogen tends to promote new growth and prevent hardening off. Azaleas need to harden off and stop producing buds and new growth in mid summer, not early fall. If they don't harden off, all of this new growth will freeze damage when a frost hits. We came close to a frost last night up in the Fleetwood area. Second, you should mulch these plants with something like pine park, pine needles, or oak leaves. Since these were planted recently and we had a very dry September, they aren't settled in very well. Mulching prevents frost heaving, winter damage and weeds, conserves moisture in the soil, and will keep the roots cool next summer. Third, we had a dry September so watering a new plant was a challenge. First, if you didn't open up the roots when you planted, watering may not do any good. A root ball that is not opened up can dry out and not accept water even if you water heavily. Yours actually look fairly good. But if they tend to look wilted, I would first dig up and replant correctly. Rarefind Nursery in Jackson, NJ, has an excellent set of directions on planting at: How To Plant Here is a link that might be useful: How to care for azaleas
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fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
12 years ago
Sean:

I can't see anything that looks serious. Maybe someone else can chime in.

Your tree does seem to be lacking vigor. It needs to grow better than it is to amount to much. Water and fertilizer are usually the keys to more growth.
Sean
Original Author
12 years ago
What is a good fertilizer? I have never fertilized this tree! EVER!
fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
12 years ago
If your soils are alkaline, 21-0-0, ammonium sulfate is very good. If your soil is more acidic then urea. For other nutrients you need a soil test.

Don't overdo the fertilizer. After the tree gets some size and starts bearing then fertilize only if growth is less than 12-18 inches a year.

Also don't overwater after the tree is bearing. Too much water results in fruit that lacks sweetness. Right now you need a bigger tree, that takes water.

You also need a more upright tree but I think that will come with more vigorous growth.
Sean
Original Author
12 years ago
Hello All!

Just an update on my peach tree! It seems do be doing a bit better!
I just had a question, i did locate a place where there is borer damage. I can see ants crawling in and out of the hole. Should i jus cut that branch off?

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THanks!

-Sean

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