Hi and hope you can help me with the other issue in our garden.
We have a 3 year old peach tree that has been doing so well. It really shot up this year too. Last week I noticed the tips of the tree were dead and had hardened sap.
Is this borer damage? Can I save this tree? How?
Thanks so much.
Peach trees can get several diseases and can be attacked by quite a few insects and other pests.
Open a few of the damaged spots and see if you can see a pest, perhaps burrowed in under the skin of the twig, probably right where the glob of hardened sap is, and certainly at the junction between healthy (green or green and red) and dead (brown, shrunken) parts of the twig. See if you can find any evidence of something boring its way in or out. Might be really tiny, a pin-prick sized hole. This suggests an insect.
If you cannot see anything like that, then it may be a disease.
If all the damage is near the tips I would prune deep (6" or more) into good wood and sterilize the pruning shears between each cut.
In the dormant season spray with dormant spray that targets both diseases and insects.
Many insects overwinter in the bark and upper root areas, just under the soil, so when you spray do a thorough job of allowing the run off to soak into the soil next to the tree.
If there are any department of agriculture offices or university extension offices near you go ask (take a few samples in a zip-lock bag) about local diseases of stone fruits.
Having worked with peaches for many years that looks like damage from OFM (Oriental Fruit Moth). I am almost sure.
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/treefruit/pests/ofm/ofm.asp#fig4
Drobarr..you nailed it, sir! Thank you SO MUCH. You have been my hero this weekend. :) And my plants thank you for your knowledge and taking the time out of your day to answer my posts too.
Diana_K Thank you for those suggestions. I went out there this morning and pruned the tips as you suggested. Here is to hoping for a speedy recovery.
In the future an application of an insecticide at petal fall and then 2 weeks and 4 weeks later should take care of them. I would only do this if its an annual occurance though.
Will do, thanks, Dave.
