On 7/13/2007 1:35 PM, Victor Martinez wrote:
jangchub wrote:
Anyway, I don't kill insects, but does anyone know of a way to prevent
brown rot aside from proper hygiene after the growing season is over.

I'd love some advice on that too, we haven't had a peach in 2 years!!!
The trees are strikingly beautiful when blooming though.

Also, I was wondering if I can do an extreme pruning after all the
fruit has fallen off. The tree is a good umbrella shape, but it is
way too tall...about 14 feet tall. The raccoons get up in there and

I'd wait until February to prune them. Let the leaves produce energy now.


If you are trying to grow something that does not grow in nature (a
hybridized peach), then you must resort to some non-natural practices.
I use a spray that combines dormant oil (which kills over-wintering
insects and their eggs) with copper sulfate (which prevents fungus and
other diseases). I spray this immediately after pruning and again just
as the flower bud swell and begin to show red (and again if it rains
within 48 hours after spraying).

Gather up all fallen fruit and trash it. Don't leave it to become a
breeding ground for next year's brown rot.

Prune in the winter. If you normally get snow, wait until the buds
swell slightly. In my area, I prune around New Year. Don't prune now;
the tree is forming the wood on which next year's crop will appear.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/