So much for a good peach crop

BIG RUH · Jul 23, 2013

Red haven peaches just starting to ripen. Figured
i had about 2-3 bushel on my tree. Ended up with a
little over a peck. Between hail damage, brown rot
and deer, there's not much left. Had strayed for
brown rot this spring, but with all the rain, I
guess I should have sprayed again. Had hail a
couple of weeks ago and the bruises started
appearing as the peaches ripened. Checked peaches
this morning and about half where missing from
yesterday. Game camera shows 6 deer enjoying my
peaches. Just picked everything this morning.
White peaches will be ripening in 3-4 weeks. Hope
I can do better with them. Should get 2 bushel
hopefully from them

JD Seller · Jul 23, 2013

I feel for you on the fruit trees. There are some here on the place. They have been here for years. I have tried several times to keep care of them to get better fruit off them. It seems that all I every get is worm holed or rots on the tree. I have often wondered how they got good fruit in times gone by. Do we have more diseases today???? The amount of spray I see the apple guys use makes me wonder about eating any of them. It they don't it seems like all you get is worm filled apples.

oldtanker · Jul 23, 2013

JD I read not too long ago that a big part of the problem is that the insects lay their eggs in the fruit which causes the fruit to fall early. Then the eggs hatch and the larva stay In the soil until they become insects and the whole process starts over again. I guess there is 2 ways of dealing with that. One is to spray and the other is to keep pigs around the fruit trees. The pigs eat the fruit as it falls so no more eggs to hatch. Eventually the pigs break the cycle. Guess some guy out in NY state decided to try that on his commercial organic apple farm. Got a government grant to fence and put pigs in on 5 or so acres. When it worked he bragged to his grand father who told him "well boy now you know why I always had pigs in the orchard. All you had to do was ask".

Rick

PJH · Jul 23, 2013

We have one elderly peach tree in our yard. I keep thinking I should cut it down, but even tho it's struggling, it keeps producing the sweetest peaches I've ever tasted. My wife has been watching them closely every day - checking for ripeness. This morning I looked out the bedroom window, and every peach is gone from that tree. We blamed it on coons - we're over-run with them - nobody hunts them anymore. Mebbe it was deer, but the tree is 20 feet from the house, and my big dog does a pretty good job of chasing them off. Shoulda had the game camera out like you did - smart idea!

One thing I noticed - what ever is getting them is eating the pits and all. There used to be a saying, something about the dog with the worried look on his face - he'd eaten a peck of peaches, and now was contemplating the pits.

BIG RUH · Jul 23, 2013

JD
The most important thing with fruit trees is to spray them with dormant spray before green out. If you don't you're pretty much throwing your money away with the other sprays.

Cue P. · Jul 23, 2013

JD
Always been pests and fungus of some kind on fruit trees. Some trees now are more susceptible due to cross breeding and new varieties but back in the day they sprayed stuff called Arsenic of Lead. Youre worried about eating apples now? Some old time orchard lands are still contaminated from what used to be sprayed! Fortunately now research allows the orchardist to target his pests with specific sprays rather than the old method of spray spray spray then spray again.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 23, 2013

This comment is related only it has to do with crab apples and deer rather than peaches. We have an ornamental crab apple in the yard and several year's ago a group of deer wandered toward tree and one grabbed a small crab apple, shook it's head wildly and ran off. Was comical to watch, and haven't seen any more try them. Guess it wasn't as sweet as expected.

ShadetreeRet · Jul 23, 2013

Not far from where I live some folks have about six or eight apple trees that the deer helped themselves to every year. I have seen them eating off the trees in broad daylight. About two years ago they erected a chain link fence with about eighteen inches of barbed wire on top. They haven't had much problem since.

Dr. Walt · Jul 23, 2013

Want to keep the critters & insects out of your fruit trees, it's easy and relatively cheap. Puree a bunch of Habanero Peppers (yeh the super hot ones) in your blender or food processor along with a couple cups of water, strain through an old pair of nylon stockings, put it in a sprayer & spray your trees & fruit. One taste and the insects & critters will leave it alone. When you pick the fruit just remember to wash it off BEFORE taking a bite. This does work, I know because I use it myself.

Doc

GordoSD · Jul 23, 2013

Yes, very important. I do a pre bud spry in Late March. Especially the ground under the tree for various fungus, and rusts.

So much for a good peach crop

BIG RUH

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JD Seller

Well-known Member

oldtanker

Well-known Member

PJH

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BIG RUH

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Cue P.

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Anonymous-0

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ShadetreeRet

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Dr. Walt

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GordoSD

Well-known Member

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