Commercial growers in my part of the world plant peach and nectarine at 1.5 metres between trees and 4metres between rows. You grow one central leader per tree. I developed this system against all the well intentioned good advice. Our industry would be 75% at least grown like this now. I like to plant the rows north south to get even sunlight. I did the first planting about 1979, no long term problems here. You need to use a bit of irrigation and nutrition control. I have seen this system tried in California, but the grower had no concept of growth control, so the trees got out of control.

Hi Glenn: If you read the section in the 2009 Midwest Tree Fruit Spray Guide for apples, you'll notice the recommendation for combining Nova (same AI as Immunox) with a protectant. See the note #2 in the right hand column under the section titled "APPLE TIGHT CLUSTER". The #2 note refers to the extended protectant program which includes Immunox/Nova as opposed to the "protectant program 7-day interval" which does not utilize Nova. You and I have to deal with CAR which complicates things some as far as fungicide choices. I haven't come up with a protectant to tank-mix with Immunox for CAR other than Mancozeb but, we had that discussion elsewhere. Why does the guide state that, "Growers using an extended protectant program should use an SI fungicide (Nova...)...(tank-mixed) with a protectant fungicide"? My best guess is resistance because the SI fungicides have resistance issues at least in some parts of the country. Hi Olpea: thanks for beating the captan doesn't work for CAR back into my head, must have slipped out during the winter. Have you lost any peach or apple buds to old man winter yet? Sometimes the spray thing feels like trying to juggle 30 balls at once in my head! Michael

Scott: The first indicator I look for on apricots and peaches is elongation of the style. If there is a nice healthy looking style growing out of the bud it is alive and well. Drying up of the style, or its failure to grow, usually means the bud is doomed. Apparently, the worst is over, but continued cool temperatures may cause a slowdown of the development process, and even cause the dead buds to hang on a little longer than usual. Looking at my apricots and peaches this morning, the developing fruits look ok from the outside, but there are no signs of style elongation. Buds may hang on the tree for a week or so even though they are dead, unless you flick them off with your finger. I hung a min/max electronic thermometer with fresh batteries on the apricot tree at the lower end of my slope, with the instrument itself just above eye level, and the extension sensor about 4 feet below. On two consecutive nights, Sunday and last night, it registered 23.4 above and 27.5 below, which baffles me. Although I have high confidence in the accuracy of this instrument, I would have expected the higher reading to be higher on the tree. On the previous Saturday night, it registered 20.7 above and 24.1 below, which was even worse. With these kinds of temperatures, I have to realistically assume I will lose all of my apricots and a very large percentage of the peaches. Petals had fallen on the apricots before the cold period began, and many of the petals on the peaches as well. I cannot explain why your minimums were somewhat higher than mine. If I get even 5-10% survival on the apricots and 20% on the peaches I will be a very happy camper, but I'm not counting on it. In the past, I have lost most of the apricots to only one night of really freezing temps, and this year we had three in a row. Curiously, I do not see any drooping on the new peach leaves, although their color is not exactly what it should be. This year, for the first time, I am even concerned about the apple blossoms, many of which have been in pink for a week or more, and have stayed that way through the cold period. It will be at least a week or more before I know whether the apple blossoms have been damaged, although there are enough still in tight bud that the apple crop should be fine. I am wondering about the blueberries too, many of which have blossoms ready to pop at any sign of warm weather. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Hi Marcantonio, Did you apply the neem oil when the sun was still shining? I have been using neem oil for the last 3 years on my peach, plum and fruit cocktail trees and it works for me. However, I will not give those little pests the opportunity of building up a resistance to the oil so I am incorporating other solutions in my insecticide regime along with the neem oil-like home remedies; a mixture of cayenne pepper, garlic clove, mineral oil and a little dish detergent. When using most insecticides, you want to do it early in the morning before the sun comes up. Because I work until the evening, I do it in the evening although I try to make sure that it doesn't get too cool as to cause other problems like fungus, mold and mildew. I am in the deep south-georgia-and we have a lot of hot and humid weather here so I am always taking care to make sure that I dont spray anything during peak sunshine which is a lot in this location. You mentioned using spectricide as well-could it be that instead of the neem oil? I also allow the daddy long-legs to hang out on my fruit trees as well. I don't dismiss them until harvest time and then I just gently take them out of the trees along with their webs. I don't harm them, I just relocate them to my rose garden. LOL. They consume quite a lot of the little insects trying to make holes in my fruit and flowers as well. I have been gardening for about 8 years steadily and its been a lot of trial and error and it always will be-that comes with the occupation. LOL. However, if something doesn't work for me, I eliminate the product (provided I have done everything according to directions) and I go on to something else. You are in New York and the weather is very different than it is here in georgia so conditions will not be the same. I have always just used just 1 capful of neem oil to a gallon of water and I spray lightly above and under the leaves-within 1 week I saw a difference-that was 3 years ago and it has been a faithful product in my collection of insecticides, pesticides and fungicides since. Marcantonio, keep looking for products to take care of your specific concerns and you will find one-just don't give up because there is nothing like home-grown fruit and produce. It will be worth the effort in the long run! Schucks, a sun-ripened peach is simply indescribable but I guess you know this, thats why you are seeking help. Good Luck.