Ace, my basic spray program only goes to 4 if you use Sevin. I don't need to control fireblight in any of the 100 orchards I manage, I only get small strikes that run their course innocently enough (I don't use full dwarf rootstock). I often have to do more sprays with stonefruit to control BR but on many sites we get adequate control with just 2 sprays if we forsake oil or add it in one of the insecticide sprays. Brown rot control can be maintained most efficiently with Orbit, Indar or Pristine and you can experiment with a single spray in early July to control BR on all your stonefruit. Sometimes this will solve the problem entirely up here. Mark has recently drawn my attention to Assail which I don't think is restricted in NY and he mentioned research that would indicate that it could protect for as long of intervals as Imidan. Thank you Mark! Don, it's crazy that you posted within minutes of my last post here and had some similar but more detailed advice. I wouldn't necessarily recommend using composted manure in large amounts however. If she has a deep rich soil with a lot of organic matter already she might want to go easy on enriching it further. I get the best fruit from soil not overly rich. It really depends on the sight, the species and rootstock as I'm fully aware you know.

Uh oh, they weren't able to modify my order. The original trees have shipped. I also ordered two apple trees which bloom at different times... an Arkansas black apple and a yellow delicious. So I'll need something to pollinate both of them, as well as the bartlett pear and the alderman plum. I'm thinking of shopping locally since I can't add these new trees to my existing order and take advantage of the free shipping. I appreciate the advice, any further suggestions are greatly appreciated... and BTW, I need dwarf trees. I do have crabapples on my property and possibly an ornamental plum, will they help at all? I'm on 14 acres in the country so I have no idea what the neighbors have or what might be growing in the woods either.

In the Milwaukee (including suberbs)... Street Trees - Lindens, nice trees but they suffer from drought and defoliation from jap. bettles. I was just by Navy Pier Chicago and they too have a crap load of them. So many look like crap...must have been the drought. Shrub - Purple Sand Cherry, need a nice protected site to get 15 years out of them. My subdivision is 12 years old and there are lot of them dieing. Subdivsion trees - Autumn Blaze maple and River Birch. I have to say I still like these. The river birch needs a wet, acidic soil and when it gets that they are like gold with that crisp foilage and peely bark. Autumn Blaze is such a staple, but great form, drought tolerance and clay tolerance make it a great tree. I actually just ordered a 5 stem Autumn Blaze Maple, looks amazing. I just couldn't resist. Maples in our area always look fantastic. Even the Silver Maples still look good long has they had the space. Pears trees...watch what you read on these. These are great trees for southeast wisconsin. My old subdivision had some bradfords, which are ok, but its the Autumn Blaze Pear that is amazing. They last about 30 years by the way and their foilage stays crip, glossy green all season...plus the white flowers and amazing fall color. Neighbor down the street has one and it is goregeous in the spring...better than any crabapple in my opinion. I just plant a 2" caliper in spring...fall color is just kicking in.

Sally M., What I mean is that many of the nurseries have peonies as just red, white, & pink. I have seen several national & regional nurseries tell their customers what the customer wants to hear. Typical conversation someone comes in looking for the peony that their grandmother, aunt etc had. Rather than miss a sale of course what they have is what you want. Most of the red, white & pink types are grown by field operations which contract for a color not a variety. The nursery unless they grow their own or have a good supplier can not know what they are receiving from the supplier. Many times the supplier doen't know. The supplier is sent a crate?? box of small roots to be planted. They may or may not have a name on the box. As you said some not all small operations do value their reputation and will admit that they don't know what the peony will be. Some offer their customers the privelage to return the peony if it is not what the customer wants and honor their statement. Many will issue the same statement and never expect to honor it. How many gardeners actually can find their receipt from three years ago? The general time for a peony to produce mature flowers. If you are looking for a specific type,be it any of the colors,a nursery that goes to the effort to have the named cultivars rather than the generic is a better nursery to look for. With the use of computers and on line cataloges a prospective buyer can look on the web find a plant that is what they want or looks close to it, print the web page and take it to local nurseries to find what they want. Many of the older cultivars have disappeared and it may be unlikely that you will find one exactly like your memory but it is great fun looking. Who knows if someone in the family or a friend hears what you are looking for you may actually find the missing plant of your dreams. That said I am still looking for a dark red that has white or silver edging that was on my great-great garand uncle and aunts graves before the weed killer got it. The graves were from the mid 1920's so the plant would be after that date. The white was not a faded edge because as a in retrospect a bad child I took the blooms apart while waiting for the relatives to talk. If anyone has a suggestion please tell me.