frost peach questions

[eagle7779]

[align=left]I guess I should clarify my self on the orchard concept, I'm not starting a full blown orchard (we live on 1/4 acre) but I have planted 6 dwarf apple trees and two peach trees. I have two rows about 30 feet long of grape plants (10 plants)*and 11 raspberry plants and three other lesserknown berry plants. (two cascade and something called kingberry). Anyway it sounds like alot to put on 1/4 acre but everything is laid out to make the most efficient use of space, I originally ordered 4 apple trees and the two peach trees that we have been discussing from the Home Orchard Society. They are a consortium based in Portland Oregon established to help people set up home orchards and give advice and expertise for those people. My closest contact within the organization is a man named Ted Swenson, he is a retired botany professor with Portland Community College and has a wealth of information on plants and the science of botany, their website is: homeorchardsociety.org; feel free to contact them about any orchard questions you may have also membership is $25 a year. Anyway, when I ordered my 4 apple trees, they accidently gave me 6 instead; fortunately the trees I ordered get no taller than 10-14 feet tall and no wider than 12 feet across and the root stocks allow them to basically spend their entire life in a 5 gallon (minimum) pot so it was a dilemna at first to receive the two extra trees but I managed to find space for the extra trees, so they stay pretty small; each tree will produce approx 2 bushels of apples. The varieties I chose (Liberty, Wickson Crab, and Hudson's Golden Gem) are all very disease resistent (I wanted them to be as maintenance free as possible)and*are great varieties for juice, eating, sauce and pies. I tend to be very anylitical and it took me 6 months to research and decide on the varieties I chose and I feel I made wise choices. You can research all three varieties on the Internet.*Anyway that is a little background on my orchard setup.[/align]
[align=left]Good day[/align]
[align=left]Craig:)[/align]

[Newt]

Craig, thank you for all that info.* I guess you do have an orchard even if it is small.* It sounds wonderful.* Now I'm glad I gave you that site about growing organically.

I was aware of Home Orchard Society but didn't make the connection of their location with yours.* I have 3 of their pages bookmarked for reference.* :)* I'm guessing that their reference to us was how you found us.* They have a good page on pruning fruit trees but it doesn't have pictures.* If you need pictures for pruning just lmk.

Newt

[eagle7779]

Actually, I found you guys by doing a search for peach tree diseases and after I the link to the universities. I think your website was a little further down the list of possible websites dealing with peach tree diseases.
Craig

[eagle7779]

I just looked at my origiinal posting and realized that the peach trees are not grafted onto m9 rootstocks as I had originally stated, but onto St Julian (EMLA) rootstocks. The apple trees are grafted onto M9.
Good day
Craig

[eagle7779]

[align=left]Guess I replied to the wrong posting (replied to myself)[/align]
[align=left]I just looked at my original posting and realized that the peach trees are not grafted onto m9 rootstocks as I had originally stated, but onto St Julian (EMLA) rootstocks. The apple trees are grafted onto M9.
Good day
Craig
[/align]

[SkyLord]

Hello everyone. I'm sorry to intrude on someone else’s question especially for my first post, but I have a very similar dilemma. I'm very new to gardening and such so please excuse my ignorance.

I have 1 sapling peach tree that is beginning to look quite horrible. From what I have read it can be related to any number of desieses, or a fungal infection. My main worry is that I have 2 Bing Cherry Trees, 2 Apple trees, 1 Plum tree and 1 Walnut tree in the same area. We are also located in South Central PA. I don't know if that helps, but that's where we are. :D

I took a picture of the sapling Peach tree to show you so that maybe you could tell a bit better than I can as to what this is. In the picture you can also see small peaches growing. At least I think they're peaches. The tree has gorgeous blossoms until about 2 weeks ago and now where the flowers were there are small white fuzzy balls that I hope are peaches.

This tree was purchased from the Arbor Day foundation early last year and planted in the early spring of last year.* When we received it the tree was so tiny it looked like a twig. Now it's about double in size with actual branches. Of all the trees we do have this one is my favorite.

Last week to try to assist my saplings I laid out landscape fabric and then covered that with cocoa shells. I also purchased some organic pesticides because my cherry and apple trees are beginning to show signs of having something chew the leaves. I have yet to see any bugs on them, but the small holes in the leaves are there. I'm hoping I can get rid of them as well.

If anyone can please help me find out what this is I would be very grateful.

[SkyLord]

Here is another picture I took as well. :D

[Newt]

Hi Skylord,

From your pictures my first thought would be peach leaf curl.* Take a look here to see if the symptoms you see fit.
http://www.backyardnature.net/f/leafcurl.jpg
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r602100311.html
http://www.plantpath.wisc.edu/fpath/peachleafcurl.htm

What did you come up with?

It could be helpful to know your location since you mention the holes in the leaves of your other trees.* Certain insect pests are active in different areas of the US at different times.* Weather conditions can also be a consideration.* Pear slug aka Pear Psylla comes to mind as a possibility.*
http://entomology.tfrec.wsu.edu/pear...st_gallery.htm
http://entomology.tfrec.wsu.edu/pear...la_gallery.htm
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDE.../pearslug.html

You don't say what organic pesticide you have used so without knowing what pest and what pesticide, I couldn't say if that's the correct action to take.* Know thine enemy.* I NEVER spray without knowing what I'm dealing with.

I can't tell from your pictures if you rootflare of your tree is covered.* Make sure that the mulch isn't against the trunk of your trees and the rootflare is exposed.*

If you need sites on how to care for and prune your new fruit trees just lmk.*

I would also hope that none of these are planted close to the walnut as the juglone could be harmful to your other trees.
http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/yate.../MG4.25.01.htm
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/nursery/430-021/430-021.html
http://plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/level3.cfm?causeID=212

Newt

[SkyLord]

Newt,

Thank you for your reply. :D I was hoping that it would be something simple, but for me peach leaf curl is not simple. I read a* lot of topics regarding this and I suppose that I have to wait until fall to treat the tree.

My real question is will this affect my other trees, or is this specific to peach tree's only?

I live in South Central Pennsylvania and I've seen many (gypsum?) moths around. I havn't seen any on the trees, but being new to the area (I'm originally from CA) I'm told that they consume a LOT of vegitation.

Thanks for the advice on removing the cocoa shells from the rootflare of the tree. I hadn't thought of that. I'm still really new to this.

Our plans are to purchase another acre or two of land next to us and try to make a type of orchard/garden so I'm trying to learn as much as possible.

Thanks for everything :D,

Keith

[Newt]

Keith, you are so very welcome!* Congratulations on your new home!* That's quite a change of climate.* It would be helpful for you to know your hardiness zone.* If you don't know it you can use this zip code zone finder.
http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/zip.cg

Peach leaf curl also effects nectarines. In your area I don't think you'll need to worry about that.
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/FIG/sf99-f52.html

If you are going to plant an orchard, this site I gave to Eagle 7779 will be helpful about an organic orchard.
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/fruitover.html

Since this is all new to you, I'm going to give you some links for pruning fruit trees, mulching and watering.

Pruning fruit trees - the last one is for mature fruit trees.
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1351.htm
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/treefruit...5/422-025.html
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/treefruit...0/422-020.html
http://www.eap.mcgill.ca/CPTFP_7.htm
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1210.html

Choosing apple varieties and descriptions of apple varieties.* If you are interested in heirloom apples I'll include info on those too.
http://www.bighorsecreekfarm.com/descriptions1.htm
http://www.applejournal.com/use.htm
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohor...tml#yesteryear

How to plant, mulch and water trees and rootflare info.
http://www.arborday.org/trees/video/howtoplant.cfm
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/pla...ees/f1147w.htm
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/rootg...pingflare.html
http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/mulching.aspx
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/water/az1298/
http://www.engineeredwatering.com/Ooze_Tube.htm
http://www.treegator.com/

Keep in mind that the cocoa mulch can be toxic to dogs!

Gypsy moths can be quite a problem.* Scroll down at this first site for info on them and organic control.
http://www.atelier2000.com/entom.htm
http://www.umassgreeninfo.org/fact_s...psey_moth.html

If I missed anything, just lmk.
Newt