Alan- Have you seen any recent lists of apples that resist the new leaf blotch? I’ve searched but all I see are from a couple years ago: hunches that anything with YD or Northern Spy in its genes would be susceptible.
My first effort at no spray peaches 10 miles outside of Philadelphia. This is the first harvest from a single, seed-grown tree about 5 years into the project.
I had some issues with peach leaf curl early in the season but otherwise (knock on wood) was fortunate. In the last two days the birds decided they were ready, so I picked them to finish ripening inside so I wouldn’t lose more. Was concerned after this Spring’s cold snap, and hand pollinated flowers; in the end, got a great set and thinned heavily. Size is good (might have been better if I had thinned more) and the first ripe ones taste wonderful!
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Now let’s see what happens next year. I’ve always known that about once a decade we get sound apples without spray, but I’ve only just begun really looking around at no-spray peaches although my neighbor offers a good example- but it’s just one site. His crops are not reliable.
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Organic peaches (grape fruit for size comparison) I got yesterday from an organic store in Portland, OR. I think these were grown in California. Probably they spray copper which is considered Organic. But how do commercial growers get these monster sized peaches growing with organic practice?
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Survivorship bias… You’re not seeing however many more trees didn’t make it.
I looked up acephate, and it is an organophosphate. It is a neurotoxin, but just about any insecticide these days is a neurotoxin, including organic-qualified agents such as spinosad, which is derived from a bacterium.
Some neurotoxins act much more on insect nerves and less on mammalian nerves. Apart from other problems with it, the neurotoxity of DDT is quite specific to insects. The organophosphates being much less environmentally persistent are considerably more toxic to humans.
The label is authoritative in terms of Federal regulation and Federal oversight of safe use. I read the acephate is used on food, but different formulations of the same pesticide can have different label restrictions. Your Bonide product is probably intended for ornamental plants, and the specific formulation was probably tested only on ornamentals, hence the label restriction against food crops.
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I have a couple of inherited apple trees in my yard which have fruited two times we’ve been living here. Both times we had tons of insects and fungal disease issues. This year I have sprayed them three times with a variant of holistic orchard spray. I haven’t timed the spray exactly per the regimen, but made sure I didn’t spray during the bloom. The trees are looking good and holding the fruits. Too early to tell if it’s due to holistic spray recipe.
That being said, I have grown vegetables in raised beds and containers organically. Mainly using organic granular (the meal types), fish fertilizer, and compost and gotten abundant harvest that we share with neighbors and friends from limited space. For managing diseases, I have extensively used microbial products successfully. Serenade, Monterey Garden Friendly Fungicide, Actinovate SP, Real Growers Recharge, Innocur, Tribus, etc. This year I have used occasional Dynao-gro foliage pro to perk up with juvenile vegetable starts with great results.
I want to try the all-in organic method on stone fruit trees I am trying to grow this year (Aprium, Plum, Peach) but unlike growing vegetables the lost opportunity cost with fruit trees is pretty high which makes me think twice whether to use copper/sulphur/zinc etc. So far, I have used synthetic fertilizer (Stark Tree Prep) on my new fruit trees with good results. I have Kocide, Ziram, Lime-Sulphur stocked undecided whether to use it during the dormant season.
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These orchards irrigate to get the fruit bigger , thus when they sell them they cost you more sold per pound.
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Size has nothing to do with pesticide and quick release N comes in organically accepted forms but isn’t necessary to get big peaches either- in most soils. Adequate water and early thinning are the most conducive to large peaches. I grow peaches as big or bigger than that- all the spray does is keep them from rotting and getting scarred by insects, which often helps cause brown rot.
Too much water can help inflate peaches and other fruit as well, seemingly at the expense of sugar. Especially irrigation water. Rainwater comes with grey skies which don’t contribute to size or sugar.
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Congratulations. I’ve sprayed my peaches multiple times and they don’t look that good. Birds and insects are getting them now but it is too close to harvest for me to spray.
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Do you think contact fungicides like Oxidate 2.0 which is high strength Hydrogen Peroxide + Peracetic acid would work for brownrot? I have used it for leaf spots on peach and it looks like it’s labeled for brownrot.
Here is a table for many bio controls.
It looks to be somewhere in the middle of the pack here. I use Regalia partly due to its relatively good results in such tables. Note any synthetic would probably be a five in The classification used here… none of these bio things work super well.
Oso looks the best from that table, I never tried it but it looks very promising for rots… getting closer to synthetics.
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Good list thanks for sharing. From that list I have used the following products mainly for growing vegetables. Occasionally for berries, grapevines, flower bushes, and fruit trees.I and thought I could share some findings.
Product - Mode - Use type - Findings
Serenade
- As broad spectrum fungicide/bactericide.
- Root Drench & Spray
- Marginally effective when used per instructions. I haven’t been able to control root diseases with Serenade alone. Doubling or tripling the dosage has shown some results. Needs weekly or twice a week constant application. Most likely I will not buy it again after I go through the 2.5 gallon jug.
Double Nickel 55 ( Bacillus amyloliquefaciens D747) I have used Monterey Garden Friendly Fungicide or Southern Ag Garden Friendly Fungicide both have the same ingredients and costs a lot cheaper.
- As broad spectrum fungicide/bactericide.
- Root Drench & Spray.
- More effective than Serenade and my goto product from seedlings to mature plants. I have found while it helped to abate verticillium wilt but didn’t fully control or cure.
- Always keep a pint stocked.
Oxidate 2.0 or I have used Zerotol 2.0. which is same as Oxidate but labeled for green house.
- Targeted fungicide/bactericide
- Soil drench & Spray
- Very effective to kill surface pathogens. I kept getting shot hole like diseases on peach 3 applications weekly controlled it. I have also used this to disinfect potting soil with potato scab successfully. In addition, I use this to disinfect nursery pots, or any hard surface.
Regalia
- As broad spectrum fungicide/bactericide to boost plant immune system.
- As root drench only.
- Can’t tell how well it works as stand alone since I have mixed it with some of the afore mentioned microbial products.
Actinovate
- Targeted fungicide/bactericide.
- I used this this year for controlling Verticilum wilt getting controlled with Serenade or B. amyloliquefaciens. Two applications were enough to see my egg plants recover and produce.
- I keep this in the fridge given how expensive the product is and has short self life. Crucial to buy it locally to ensure you get max shelf life.
Plant Shield - I have used Root Shield which has the same Trichoderma Harzianum
- Targeted fungicide/bactericide for dampening off.
- Very effective and pretty much I coat all my root veggies and inoculate seedlings.
- Expensive and stored in the fridge.
I think between Oxidate, Actinovate and Rootshield one should be able to control most fungal/bacterial diseases. But mixing up with others should help with resistance.
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Kris, I am trying to run an experiment using non-metallic bio-control agent sprays to control PLC. Let me know if you are interested to provide a few seedlings. I am happy to pay for them.
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Sure… however i like to be open and honest with everyone and say that i think first monies should go to Ericka if possible…as she is the one that is bringing these to us. I am just a backup plan for now… i have about 10 small trees left and plan on saving the seeds if the market allows. I know that some folks have them on their nursery sites.
Here is a good bit of media of her trees and info to purchase seeds from her. Feel free to PM me if she no longer provides material.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150323034696649.366050.520891648&type=3
What are you trying.? I would be very interested to know. My peaches are along a salmon spawning creek and I would loose sleep thinking about copper washing into it. My new peaches this year had no curl. I suspect they all got the full copper treatment before they were shipped to me. The side by side is impressive.
Thanks, does she sells small seedlings like ones in a gallon pot? I’m focusing on PLC which is the major issue for peaches in PNW. I’d like to have a few seedlings that are not resistant to PLC.
At an high level my plan is to use a combination of contact fungicide, supplement with silica to strengthen the plant, use regalia or similar adjuvant which helps bring SAR, and outcompete the pathogen with beneficial or non-pathogenic microorganisms such as EM1, SCD probiotic, Serenade, Double Nickel, etc. or use Michael Phillips holistic spray mix.
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Here is a good write up on holistic orchard spray.
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