Peach Tree Bust

[the1honeycomb]

I have a beautiful peach tree that is looking VERY healthy. I have had the tree 2 seasons and was excited when I got a large beautiful peach (just 1) the first year I planted it. Sweet and juicy I looked forward to this year! In the spring I got hundreds of beautiful little peaches. several fell in the beginning I presumed do to the mega abundance, lost several to Squirrels. the rest Just dried up brown and died!!! Very disappointed! what could I have done wrong?

 

[lesa]

Maybe nothing...Has it been very dry?

 

[catjac1975]

Yea, sounds like drought. Fruit trees take a bit of time to get established. Mine like a wheelbarrow full of horse manure every winter.

 

[ShowMe31]

Catjac1975 do you use composted or right from the barn. I have as many horses as I do fruit trees right now so manure isn't a prob. Do you do this instead of mulching? Currently we mulch them, well we do when funds to purchase a load of mulch is available. If this is an option instead of mulching would save me some $ also.

 

[vfem]

Do they shrivel up when they turn brown and not grow much bigger then the size of a walnut?

It may be brown rot then since its a peach tree. It's a very common fungus infect the lives on the bark of the tree. My neighbor had it for years and I finally told him to spray with copper sulfate fruit tree treatment in the winter when its dormant a few times and should kill it before the blossoms set in the spring. He has beautiful fruit this year for the first time since we moved in!

 

[catjac1975]

Right from the barn. In the winter the snow melt slowly brings the nutrients to the roots. The tree is old and I was considering cutting it down. A big load of horse manure brought me a semi-dwarf tree so full of peaches they were touching the ground. I froze 12 gallons of peaches or more. This year has been dry and the tree will not give me as big a crop.

Catjac1975 do you use composted or right from the barn. I have as many horses as I do fruit trees right now so manure isn't a prob. Do you do this instead of mulching? Currently we mulch them, well we do when funds to purchase a load of mulch is available. If this is an option instead of mulching would save me some $ also.

 

[ShowMe31]

Thanks so much! Right now we just pile up the "barn leavin's" to compost, but that takes some time. I will have to give that a try with all my fruit trees. Goodness knows with 7 horses I get plenty of compost to use. We are hoping to expand the orchard that we started this fall if the weather cooperates and DH gets a job quickly. Right now we have 2 peach, 2 apples, 1 apricot and 2 pear, we are hoping to double or triple that.

None of our trees are doing well this year, with the drought they are stuggling to survive day to day

 

[the1honeycomb]

Do they shrivel up when they turn brown and not grow much bigger then the size of a walnut?

It may be brown rot then since its a peach tree. It's a very common fungus infect the lives on the bark of the tree. My neighbor had it for years and I finally told him to spray with copper sulfate fruit tree treatment in the winter when its dormant a few times and should kill it before the blossoms set in the spring. He has beautiful fruit this year for the first time since we moved in!

that is exactly what they do !! I will be sure to spray this winter a few times! Thanks, I have had drought but I have also got a pond in the back yard and have toted water to keep it healthy. how sad when all the fruit dried up!
Thanks you very much!!!

 

[catjac1975]

Fruit trees need spraying. There are many organic products that work very well. I use Gardens Alive products as they make it easy to figure out what pest or disease you have. Fruit trees are a big commitment to pruning, spraying ect. Don't get too big too fast.

Thanks so much! Right now we just pile up the "barn leavin's" to compost, but that takes some time. I will have to give that a try with all my fruit trees. Goodness knows with 7 horses I get plenty of compost to use. We are hoping to expand the orchard that we started this fall if the weather cooperates and DH gets a job quickly. Right now we have 2 peach, 2 apples, 1 apricot and 2 pear, we are hoping to double or triple that.

None of our trees are doing well this year, with the drought they are stuggling to survive day to day

 

[vfem]

honeycomb, I usually spray with neem oil, its the best to chose the organic option. Unfortunately, brown rot I've learned doesn't go away with neem. I also found it doesn't treat fire blight (which nothing gets rid of that).

Preventative measure after you treat it should help though, so you want to tree with the copper sulfate over the winter to clear it up... the neem should help prevent it spreading to them again later if you want to switch over later.

I, sadly, am fighting fire blight which is at its peak of destroying my pears trees again. We're thinking of removing the pears and just adding more peach and apple trees next year. Might as well start again!