"Just keep on the copper "- do you mean in dormant season- or do you mean ongoing during growing season? if the latter, how may tablesppons of kocide 2000 per gallon would you use and how often would you spray. re the space issue, 50x18 is not a contiguous space- it is made up of a porch and "garden" which also has a swingset, a massive tree stump, and a pathway- actual growing area is about half the space. Regardless, your point about opening up the tree is taken- will post a pic of the tree as a whole for feedback as to whether it needs to be more open. In the meantime await clarification of your copper comment thanks as ever.

Hmm, I thought I replied to this one. Yes its bacterial spot. Spray copper right after the leaves are gone this fall. Scott

dlcc, it is a shot-hole disease and is probably bacterial spot. If it is only in a couple spots don't worry. If it is all over, you need to do dormant copper sprays in late fall and early spring when the leaves fall off and just before they come out. There is not a lot to do during the growing season, but it does help to open up the tree to let more light in by pruning off limbs from crowded areas. Scott

Has this been a bad year for fruit growing in general? Apart from the peaches and nectarines with bad leaf curl(even though they had a thorough winter wash and copper fungacide spray in early spring)my victoria plum has leaf curl and lost all its fruit, and the pears and apples although looking healthy have only two apples and no pears. The only ones doing extremely well are the 3 grape vines which are as healthy as can be.