My 12 year old Spice Zee had peach leaf curl last year, I treated it with spray while dormant. While I was pruning out the dead limbs this week (1/2 of the tree appeared dead, some leaves on opposite side), I noticed tiny pinholes, and some dried sap like substance. Yikes! Some type of Borer got to my favorite fruit tree in addition to the peach leaf curl. My favorite nurseryman is off for the weekend, is there anything I can do? Or is it now a lost cause. I’m afraid I will end up pruning this down to nothing if I keep going.
2nd question: If I pull this tree out, can I plant another one in the same spot?
Most of the day it does get sun, I’ll try for a pic of the pin holes. In the meantime here’s a picture of it a few years ago…well now where’s the upload link?
12 years old is starting to get up there. I would wait till it is fully leafed out then cut all the dead off and see how much life it has left. Don’t worry about how much you are cutting. If it’s dead it does not matter. Stone fruits crop fast, so your other idea of pulling and replacing is a good one as well.
Here it is a few weeks ago. The left side leafing out, right side NOTHING. No more new leaves on the left. As I started pruning out the right side, because no green when I scratched bark, I have nearly lost that side of the tree. That’s when I noticed the little pin holes with a drop of dry sap, very tiny.
Those holes resemble the work of a Shothole Borer.As was mentioned a little earlier,the tree is getting up there in years for a Peach type.
Was the period of time gradual,to get from the healthy tree to the state now?
If these be the insects that are in there,they like wood that is already decaying,so maybe blaming them might not be totally factual. http://treefruit.wsu.edu/crop-protection/opm/shothole-borers/
I started pruning dead wood at the top of the tree last week…so all the way up. I was working where ever there were No leaves. I noticed spring of 2019 that I had leaf curl and reduced fruit yield. Did not see these holes or the sap until this week when doing the dead wood removal in hopes of saving tree. So decline was 2019 to 2021. Prior to that it bore lots of fruit and had very healthy looking leaves.
I am going to order a new tree. I have a plum tree in my front yard and inspected it last fall, noting it was not healthy. So when dormant I sprayed that one too. Looking at it today, I see the same damage, so it will be removed. Thanks for looking and the article on Shothole Borers.
