On 17 Jun 2003 18:58:58 -0700, (br) wrote:

I planted a Red Globe peach tree about 2-3 months ago, and the tree
has always looked a little sick
http://www.geocities.com/rbalach/Garden02.jpg
I'm not sure what the tree is supposed to look like, i water it
regularly and gave it some miracle grow but it just doesn't seem to be
perking up. Here are some close ups of some of the leaves:
http://www.geocities.com/rbalach/Garden01.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/rbalach/Garden04.jpg

The tree looks fine. Mine is healthy and the foliage hangs there looking sort
of limp, but that is the habit. Miracle Gro is a synthetic chemical product with
high salt content and I would never use it on anything. If you go buy some
seaweed in a liquid form, and compost to put around the tree at the drip line,
then mulch it with a nice hardwood mulch (cedar is best IMO) not pine bark or
cypress, rough the soil up a bit so you add some air to it, you should see an
improvement. You have to prune peach trees. If you live in the south, you need
varieties which require short chill periods. Mine has a 400 hour chill period,
which means it needs at least 400 hours with temperatures under 45 degrees.
Doesn't have to be 400 hours in a row, but within the winter months it has to
add up to that.



Also the tree has this at the bottom of the main trunk. It seems to be
oozing some kind of liquid. Not sure what it is / if it is a problem.
http://www.geocities.com/rbalach/Garden03.jpg

It looks like an injury which is healing over. Our peach tree sometimes exudes
a clear jelly-like substance and it's very healthy and full of peaches.

Found this bug in the tree, dunno what it is, if it is a problem.
http://www.geocities.com/rbalach/Garden05.jpg
Any ideas on what might be wrong ?

Eight legs, it looks like a spider. They are meat eaters. Not a problem.

I also planted a Crepe Murtle about a month ago and it seems to be
catching on but the leaves have got a lot of holes in them.
http://www.geocities.com/rbalach/Garden09.jpg

Could be Japanese beetles or flea beetles. Aphids also feed on crape myrtles,
but you would see those clearly on the stems.

Also i found these bugs on the plant, quite a few of them actually.
Not sure if they are whats causing the holes in the leaves. If so any
idea how to stop them ?
http://www.geocities.com/rbalach/Garden06.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/rbalach/Garden07.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/rbalach/Garden08.jpg

Thanks in advance for all the help.

This insect runs to the other side, right? As soon as you approach it, it goes
around. I am trying to remember what it is called...damn. You can kill them
with Sunspray Horticultural Oil, sold at most garden centers. Do not use
Dormant Oil as that should only be used when trees are, dormant!

If you do a search on how to maintain a healthy crape myrtle using organic
fertilizer, compost, aeration and mulch, you will find a greatly reduced problem
with insect or disease problems. I never prune our crape's and they are 12 feet
tall and wide. The ones I have are not dwarf and will grow to 25 feet if left
alone. I only fertilize, mulch and add compost each year. I also use foliar
feeding and now added aerobic compost tea to the foliar process.

For more information on aerobic compost tea, www.soilfoodweb.com

For more information on fertilization and foliar feeding, www.dirtdoctor.com