I would like to add that I was able to get a crop of peaches this year using only Surround and Spinosad, which I think I sprayed four times. After years of getting peaches that I had to cut open and remove the larva before eating, I am happy to say that the organic program worked. I was skeptical at first but we just ate three large peaches with only minor scab. No bug holes and delicious! It gives me hope for the future.
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Yes, Cornell is becoming increasingly positive about Surround results. Iām not sure where you are, but organic growers will likely have a rude awakening by Aug with major brown rot issues given all the rain. This is when the true peach loving organic grower will often fudge and put down a good synthetic fungicide.
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Spud,
I can share with you my spraying Surround experience.
When I used a handpump Chapin sprayer, it clogged. I think the clogging was caused by two factors:
- Mixing Surround right in the sprayer tank. I could not dissolve the powder very well this way
- the sprayer had no filter/strainer.
I bought a new sprayer (4 gal Chapin) that comes with a removable strainer.
I have solved the clogging issue by:
- mixing Surround in a 5 gal bucket to totally dissolve the powder first
- pouring the mixture through a strainer that is placed on top of the sprayerās mouth.
No clogging.
Hope this help.
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That is the advice I was looking for Mamuang. All of the fungicides and pest control so far have been liquid concentrated. I just measure the concentrate in a glass beaker, dump the concentrate in the sprayer and use a 3 foot long spoon and mix it right in the sprayer. I didnāt think that was the best option for Surround - 
.
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Spud,
If you can mix wettable powder like Surround or Kocide in a container and pour the mixture in a sprayer tank, you are likely to get the well dissolved mix.
When I first use Kocide, I poured Kocide in first then added water. A mistake. Lot of Kocide still stuck at the bottom of the sprayer.
If you donāt want to mix it in a separate container, always pour water in a sprayer tank first, at least half the water you plan to use. Powder dissolves a lot more thoroughly when water goes in first. No issue of powder gets stuck at the bottom.
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Because I use Surround, I have a Jacto HD400 that 4 gallon backpack sprayer. I bought it this spring (from Gemplers). It is made specifically for WP formulations like Surround and has a paddle that moves up and down as you pump it. It hasnāt clogged on me yet, but I have cleaned the in-wand strainer a couple times. But I never had either of my 1 and 2-gallon cheapo sprayers plug with Surround either.
One thing that is different about the Jacto is that the whole tank doesnāt pressurize, unlike the plastic hand sprayers I have had. Instead, only the pump assembly pressurizes. I like it because I donāt get blasted by what Iām spraying if I want to take the lid off mid-spray and add something. I have been doing this with Surround sprays, as I have done a couple foliar nutrient sprays on my new peaches this year. But I donāt want to fertilize my apples or plums.
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Spud,
If youāre looking for a pretty easy route to go Iād say try he bags. I only had to spray Imidan 2 times with an application of a fungicide each time then use the Clemson bags and so far thatās been it. No worries about pests, not a speck of rot on any of my fruit, etc. last year at this time I could remember having to ditch a few of my PF-5ās due to brown rot. Now Iām not sure what the future holds for these bags and if it will be this darn easy later in the year but I will tell you they make my job much easier.
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In your zone Iām very surprised you needed protection after 2 Imidan apps. In S. NY that is all that is usually required and only 1 app of fungicide (Indar) about a month before harvest finishes the job.
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I just followed the recommendation of Clemson U. Pretty much 2 sprays then bag. Last year I was getting hit by pests right and left all season.
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Clemson recs are good for commercial growers near them. You should learn what pests exactly. Are you the Sean I know in upstate NY? Where are you located?
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Nope, donāt know you Alan, and Iowa.
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OK, so I know almost nothing about Iowa pests, but you probably need some more local advice than what Clemson can offer you. If I relied on even Cornell, which is my stateās ag university, for pest control advice, Iād be doing about 3 times as many apps as I am now. Clemsonās region has much more and different pest pressure than NY state and Iām sure, Iowa.
Iām sure there are some growers on this forum who are not too far from you, maybe you should post a request for members near your area to compare methods.
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Iām not sure there is much advice out there for stone fruit in Iowa. I think the ISU folks think peach and nectarine are a bonus fruit. Nice if you get it, but donāt count on it because of the winter and frosts. If there was a person to ask it would probably be Patrick OāMalley at the ISU Extension office in Iowa City. I have corresponded with him several years ago in regards to a grafting seminar he does around the state.
As for me, I am struggling with diseases on peach. Mostly PLC and some sort of bacterial or fungal shot-hole that caused another wave of leaf drop after PLC was done this year. But donāt have too much problem with bugs (yet). I did Surround sprays after petal fall and applied Bt + spinosad at the 250 degree days after biofix on my apples and sprayed my peaches at the same time.
I sprayed Bonide Fruit Tree and Plant Guard (lamba-cyhalothrin + Pristine fungicide) on all my trees last Saturday (7/8) for Japanese beetles and to keep brown rot and sooty blotch/flyspeck at bay. That product isnāt great, as it has a long PHI because of the pyrethroid. It kept the beetles at bay until today, and we had 2+ inches of rain in between (of course, but we needed it down here in Coralville.) I found one J. beetle on a new leaf of a plum tonight.
Edit: I will add, I have several neighbors with older peach trees, so at the very least, there is the chance for peach pests to be established in the neighborhood.
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I have 100 bags from Clemson to try next year. If it works and I can tolerate the effort to do it I will switch to bags. My main goal next year is to get at least two varieties of my larger trees to produce PC free and test the Imidan, Permethin, Surround each for effectiveness against PC on different trees. For fungicide I am going to test Captan, Myclobutanil mixed with Topsin. Later in the season I will use Carbyl and Malathion for Japanese Beetles.
My ālargerā trees at my 5 acre residence include 2 Elbertaās, One Contender, One Hale Haven, and One Reliance. I have three medium size trees - a Coral Star, Belle of Georgia and Desiree. The rest of my trees are small and will not likely produce at my house.
My father has 40 acres with half a dozen peach trees. All are mature but 5 are stunted due to poor soil with 1 one being a very large tree of unknown variety that was there when he bought the property.
Between my residence and the trees on my fathers property I have enough test candidates.
I am still debating which trees to use Imidan on - my first intent was to use it on my better trees at my house but its toxic property and long life are causing me to rethink this. I have dogs so I worry about that.
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The PLC can likely be treated with copper or chlorathalinal with a single app just before growth starts in spring. It is a problem for me at just a few sites and this has kept it to a minimum- and Iām only using copper- Kocide, this year. Iāve never had to manage bacterial leaf spot here- some varieties are pretty resistant and most east coast breading programs focus on that. Copper soaps might be labeled for that.
Assail is not yet available in homeowner packaging (that I know of), but it is entirely rain-fast. If your J. beetles have been kept down for a week and take another week to rebuild their population, you should probably be happy with your results. Sometimes Sevin only keeps the hordes down for a week.
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Alan,
If I went if the advice from what my local extension gave me before I started this venture 4+ years ago I would have never planted a single peach. I was told on the phone by numerous individuals that growing peaches in Iowa cannot be done. I was told itās impossible and he trees would never even survive 1 winter here. I was also told that if I was lucky the trees would survive but would never fruit. I believe I have proved them 100% wrong and to be honest with you I wouldnāt believe much of what they tell me. I know from just observing my trees I have a pretty good following of PC and last year noticed Borers. I do think I have 2 trees that have been hit by LPTB because I noticed sap at the base along with the saw dust.
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I had 70% PLC defoliation of my Redhaven last year. After that I used Liquid Copper from Southern AG (Copper diammonia diacetate complex), bought at Home Depot, after leaf drop in fall and again early April prior to bud swell. Used 6 TSP/gal. Result was zero PLC this year.
You are absolutely correct, Iām sure. The reason Cornell guidance has some use to me is because much of the fruit I grow here is also grown commercially in the state. Land grant universities only have a mandate to research issues that help money-making farmers.
If I had followed Cornellās advice I would have been discouraged by their guidelines as well, because they know nothing of the difference between commercial and home production- and they arenāt supposed to. However, they can be helpful in identifying specific pests for a reasonable price. This is the first challenge- to clearly identify all your pests so you select the best controls for them.
Be grateful for the internet. When I started growing fruit in the northeast in a home orchard context 25+ years ago, there was no internet and no useful forums like this one. A lot of stuff I had to learn myself by trial and many errors.
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I noticed I have some Ortho Copper Fungicide that is copper octanoate 10% (1.8% copper equivalent). I bought at a 60% discount but now Iām not sure that was worth it. The Ag Southern product from Home Depot is 8% copper and that worked for me on PLC. Besides that I have no idea what the difference is between copper octanoate and copper diammonia diacetate complex. Kocide 3000 is copper hydroxide and 30% copper equivalent so there are many forms of copper.
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It is a copper soap that can be applied during the growing season without killing leaves. I use such a soap to stave off early blight on my tomatoes with a weekly spray- until I decide to stop. It could be the ticket for the bacterial leaf spot- I donāt know.
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