Folks…does this look like brown rot ? Or oriental fruit moth damage ?
I’ve alrdy removed many infected shoots…seems like more every day.
thanks in advance.
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Oriental Fruit Moth. What you are seeing is called flagging. You need to spray for OFM.
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Do you think this is the same? It was very sudden 2-3 days ago this peach looked fine. It has been very hot and dry, but this peach gets watered.
Also, nearby peaches look okay.
No. That’s not OFM damage. Check the roots. Look like the damage could be from the roots up.
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Not enough water and probably not enough roots to keep it alive during the hot and dry weather. I believe many times the water we give them is not the same as them getting rain. IMO.
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I went and looked at the base of stem and dug around a little on one side. I didn’t notice anything off but not sure exactly what to look for.
With the hope that it will bounce back I have given it extra mulch now, to hopefully retain more water.
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When did you planted this tree?
Last summer in June (a bit late for here, but that’s when it arrived). It is a challenger peach.
It has not been a very happy tree. Perhaps it was not healthy to begin with or I wonder if there is something wrong with the spot I planted it. Most of my soil drains very well, but I recall this spot did look more clay-y and rock-filled. It did not grow much last summer.
It was the last peach to bloom and leaf out in spring, but I figured that’s a feature (as it’s meant to bloom late to avoid freezes). However, it seemed like it would never wake up - then it did and started looking pretty good until the other day.
It could be that the root system has not really established well.
Once the weather becomes unpleasant (too wet, or too dry), the tree suffers
Do you have voles? Or other animals that feed on tree roots?
Peach trees do not like wet feet. If the bottom of the planting hole don’t drain well, roots can suffocate. To me, what ails your tree probably underground.
I had Challenger in the past. It leafed out and bloom comparable yo other varieties. Not noticeably late at all in my zone 6a. It is a very productive peach. I may graft it again.
Not that I have seen. However, I apparently live in the range for the “Eastern Meadow Vole”.
Would you suggest moving it? I don’t think I can make things worse but if the problem is that it’s just not gotten established and now is drying out too fast moving it might be worse? Then again, seems like there’s little to lose except the time spend moving it (ugh I hate digging).
Good to know! I’m in 6b/7a. I’m right on the border according to the new map.
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I usually do not move growing trees in the middle of the summer. The only exception is that if I don’t care if that tree will live or die.
You will need to dig up your tree with the soil around the tree intact. Using a tarp to move the tree and soil would be what I would do.
It is recommended to grow peach trees on a berm or a mound if you have bad soil.