I hope so. These fuzzy things are emerging from the faded peach blossoms of my new (just planted last month) Elberta Peach. I sprayed it Friday with fruit tree spray, but then we had 2 straight days of rain Saturday and Sunday. Notice the ant crawling towards the bud in the picture. Are ants something to worry about? Did all my spray get washed away?
Here it is a little closer...
Yep, you've got peaches....to take care of !
I am not aware of ants causing fruit trouble.
Rain will dilute your protection, but not all of it likely.
Indy, don't leave me hanging. I'm new to this peach thing. "...to take care of!"??? Anything I need to be doing other than spraying with fruit tree spray and putting fence around (to keep out the deer)? I tell you, I cannot wait to eat my very own peach, from my very own tree.
If the new peaches set and don't abort, then they need protection from the usual pests by either spraying or perhaps bagging the fruits with footies [experimental yet].
Since you have a new tree, it likely will not be covered with hundreds of surplus little peaches that need thinned off....like my older trees.
So enjoy.....................hopefully.
Relax. The fruit spray is pretty much a one shot deal. Takes care of the insects in place mainly the oriental fruit moth which is is the source of those wormy peaches. Just follow the directions. That is where most folk mess up, they will not read and follow the directions. I spray on a 14 day schedule, but follow the directions on your fruit tree spray. It takes a period of time for the moth to find the tree, lay eggs and began to hatch, so 14 days works for me. The fungicide is primarily for brown rot. If the weather is particulary humid, I will add a straight fungicide spray in between the general spray as the peaches began to size up. One other thing to consider, If you want nice peaches, Thin those suckers to 9 -12 inches apart. Sometimes a lot will set, which stresses the tree and results in broken branches filled with plum sized fruit. This will give you some idea of potential insect pests http://www.caf.wvu.edu/Kearneysville/wvufarm9b.html The general fruit tree spray can only account for the summer ones like the fruit moth and aphids.
Thank you both for your replies. I'm just delighted to have peaches. I want them to survive so that I can eat at least one. I will keep up my fruit spray and hope the squirrels find something else to eat. I sat and watched them pull the crabapples off the tree in my backyard last year. I don't mind that, a squirrel's got to eat I suppose, but leave my peaches alone!
Better get a net!
I just read on another thread a wildlife rehabber who specializes in squirrels, said that to keep the squirrels from eating your garden, you should feed them something else to eat, like peanuts and sunflower seeds. It's worth a shot I suppose.
Got another question, if there is a frost, will my baby peaches die? There is the possibility that it could frost around here for the next few weeks.
This message was edited Apr 26, 2006 6:58 PM
Sorry, the baby peaches will freeze and die off. Happens to too many peach growers in the South every year.
The more you feed the squirrels, the more they invite their friends, LOL.
I don't believe that frost......32½° - 39° is necessarily ruinous on peaches after bloom. Below 26° I believe is harmful though. It is best not to plant fruit trees in the lowest spot around as it will be colder there at night-time...........I don't guarantee the above, but believe it is close.
Jen- my understanding is that ants are generally not harmful to fruit trees- they like the nectar that is produced by the glands on the leaves- the glands are little red dots on the base of each leaf-
the squirrels are another thing though- i planted a peach tree last year and the squirrels ate all (about 10-15) peaches when they were about the size of a thimble- this year I have brought some netting which i intend to wrap around the tree in about a month or so- i would strongly recommend u do the same-
another problem i have with the peach tree is peach leaf curl- this is a ghastly fungus that makes the leaves curl up and get red blotches all over them, and eventually drop- it also normally destroys the fruit-
i had that problem last year and thought if i religiously sprayed my tree this year, id be ok- i didnt realize though that u have to spray in the autumn or winter - i.e., before the leaves come out-
so my tree will prob get the fungus again- oh well now i know for next year-
anyone have any experience using nets on fruit trees- does it work to keep the squirrels away?
It is recommended that you do not let your tree produce the first year. it needs to become well rooted the first year. it is hard but well woth it in the long run to take all fruit off the first year
