"David E. Ross" wrote in message
On 7/21/2008 2:33 AM, FarmI wrote:
"David E. Ross" wrote in message
On 7/19/2008 3:25 AM, FarmI wrote:
I've just sprayed my peach trees with Burgundy mix (a variant on
Bordeaux) and was wondering how long copper sprays have to be on the
plant to be
effective? We got a light shower within 24 hours of application and I
can
still see a light blue tinge around the bud edges.
I've always sprayed again if there is rain within 48 hours. However,
there is a difference between RAIN and light showers.
:-)) Rain is something I dream about after about 7 years of drought. It
was indeed a light shower.
We're in our second year of drought. One state reservoir is at 75% of
capacity; the others are at 67% or lower. None are above their average
actual capacity.
That sounds good to me, but then after so long many of this country's dams
are in the low double digits after so long. Mind you that doesn't impact on
us as we harvest our own rain water and have a couple of good dams that so
far (touch wood) provide enough for our needs. Come mid summer though the
conditions can get very bad. Last year I had to cover plants in the middle
of the day with old curtains to stop them from dessicating.
It's been 52 days since our last measurable rain, and we normally won't
see rain again until late October or sometime in November. We had a
total of 12.35 inches (31.4 cm) since last September. Last year, by
this time, we had 4.57 inches (11.6 cm).
That is very low rainfall. My husband say's that the Napa valley reminded
him very much of Australia. Depending on how close that is to you, you
might have similar growing conditions to mine.
I assume from your mention of reservoirs that you are on a municipal water
supply?????
I've seen no sign of leaf curl this year.
Do you fertilise heavily on the premise that it forces peaches though the
leaf curl? I've read that repeatedly but dont' know if to believe it or
not. I find a lot of stuff in books isn't necessarily so in practice eg
see
the thread on animal manure.
I broadcast some commercial, off-brand lawn fertilizer around the tree
in the early spring. It's not only for the tree but also the primroses
and grape hyacinths growing under it and the asparagus growing behind
it. Overfeeding promotes leaf growth in place of fruit.
So do you get leaf curl? And if you don't, do you put that down to the
early spring feed or your spay program, or could be either or both?
My peaches are ripe right
now; they're quite good. Although I thinned them severely, I still have
more than I can give away.
Dang! Do you have to get my taste buds slobbering? It's midwinter and
cold
cold cold. The least you could have done was attach a ripe peach to your
post................
I picked the last of the crop last night. The bees and wasps got quite
a few. The problem is that the season is quite short; they all ripen at
the same time.
Once they are picked, they are quite perishable. If not eaten quickly,
they rot. That's because they are tree-ripened (not like the junk sold
in the markets).
My wife did make a delicious peach crisp (more like a cobbler). And I
gave away more than a dozen. I trade my peaches for my neighbors'
tomatoes and figs.
Do you can them at all?
If I can figure out how, I'll upload one of my last peaches via FTP to
my Web server. You can then download it from there. 
Yumbo. Thanks. I'm waiting with mouth open.........