On 5/24/2009 6:13 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 5/24/2009 12:24 PM, Zootal wrote:
Please look at these pics. This is a peach tree I planted 3 years ago. Last
year it had a touch of what appeared to be leaf curl, and the damage was
minimal. This year, the tree appears to be all but dead:

http://zootal.no-ip.info/stuff/2009/...s/DSCF5405.JPG
http://zootal.no-ip.info/stuff/2009/...s/DSCF5408.JPG
http://zootal.no-ip.info/stuff/2009/...s/DSCF5409.JPG

Is there any reason to not just remove the tree now? Is it possible that it
can survive?

It might indeed survive this year into next; but if this happens again,
it will no longer survive.

Early next year, prune it. If you don't get snow in the winter, prune
it January. If you do get snow, prune it as soon as you think there
will be no more snow. Go to a good nursery or your public library and
look at a book on pruning trees. Peaches thrive on very heavy pruning.

As soon as you finish pruning, spray the entire tree with copper
sulfate. You might even use a mixture of copper sulfate and dormant oil.
To ensure proper spreading and sticking of the spray, add some liquid
soap to the mix. Be sure to coat all of the smaller branches and twigs
and all growth and flower buds.

Watch the tree carefully. As soon as flower buds swell and show a bit
of color (dark pink, almost red), spray again with the same mix. This
should be done before any flowers open and any leaves appear. Not only
will such timing reduce the likelihood of leaf curl, shot hole, and
brown rot, but it will also reduce any impact on the bees that will
visit the flowers to pollinate them and thus create fruit.

For either the first or second spraying, if it rains within 48 hours
after spraying, spray again (but not after the tree starts to flower or
leaf-out, when it will be too late).

No, the spray is NOT natural or organic. You are trying to grow
something -- a hybridized plant -- that is not found in nature, possibly
in an area where its natural ancestors would never have grown. When you
grow unnatural plants in an environment that is unnatural for their
ancestors, you must expect to use some unnatural methods.


By the way, because of the weakened condition of the tree, you should
remove any immature fruit you can find, both this year and next.

--
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 diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary