Peach tree borers spotted in zone 7 NC

General Fruit Growing
#1

I just wanted to alert everybody in zone 7 in raleigh area that i spotted a female peach tree borer moth in my garden today
i am going to do a preventative painting of my trees peach/plum/pluot/cherry plum interspecific/sour cherry with pure cold pressed neem oil as per scotts recomendation

i know we are supposed to act when these things are active so i just wanted to let everybody know that these things are active

edit: i just painted the bottom two feet and a few inches below the soil line with cold pressed neem oil, i will post back if this works or not

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#2

A part of me thinks we should give up growing pitted fruit here, we live in North Carolina too. The fruit gets attacked by worms. both our peaches and plums, and something seems to have been attacking our trees for years at the ground level and we have no idea what they may be, yet I doubt that it’s these borers. The damage is not the same as this one you mentioned.

#3

its my first year growing prunus species in north carolina i will let know my successes and failures
however i do have a friend that grows peaches here with no spray routine and i have seen other trees in my area completely devastated with peach tree borers still bear fruit

i am armed with bonide copper concentrate
bonide alll seasons horticultural and dormant oil
cold pressed neem oil
and clemson fruit bags

if these things help me get modest crops of fruit i will happily declare myself an organic peach/plum grower

i love peaches from the farmers market and if i can do this it will make me very happy

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Hello From Charlotte - Peach and Plum recommendations
#4

These borers are no big deal. You will see a goo ball on the tree where they are. Get a push pin and poke around that area. Check back in a few days if still oozing poke in a little bit larger area.

#5

Painting with 100% raw neem also works, it takes me about an hour to protect my 50 or so trees for a year.

Its interesting how they appear later the further south you go, its based on the time to the fall freeze. May is borer month for me here.

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#6

this is vital information if i hadn’t seen the one outside today i would have waited til mid july.
thank you for you contributions to the fruit community @scottfsmith

#7

Scott,
How far up the trunk you paint? I assume it’s from the soil line up?

Any issue with bark on young peach trees with neem paint?

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#8

I have same question re: bark safety with neem. Young trees ok? Bc i like the idea of once a year trt

#9

I paint from the soil line to about 4-6" up. The main thing is put plenty on so some with drip down to the soil line. I currently am using a mix of sesame, linseed, and neem oils, the sesame and linseed oils are also insecticides but they are cheaper than neem so I stretch the neem with the triple combo. I have used it for two years in a row now to good effect.

I personally paint any peach tree including year-old seedling trees and have not had a problem. Personally I am more concerned about borers and tree death since I have often found borers on year-old seedlings when I dig them up, but its your call – there could be some climates or circumstances where it is more harsh on the tree. Someone tried it on an apple and it appears the apple did not like it at all.

#10

Scott,
I know the neem oil you use is cold pressed, right?

What kind of linseed oil you use? What about sesame oil? Can I use the sesame cooking oil?