Peach Spray Schedule (USA Zone 6B Midwest)

General Fruit Growing
41

Labels often list pests that they aren’t especially good at controlling- a good example is myclobutanil and brown rot. I believe it still lists it as a pest it is suited for, however, university guidelines have long since dropped it from their recommendations regarding brown rot except to control the blossom rot stage, which generally isn’t a problem for me.

When I started growing fruit in the northeast it was difficult to find my way because almost the only reliable info came from Cornell and their mandate was strictly about guiding commercial fruit production- even if it took 12 sprays in a season to produce pristine fruit. Nevertheless, I still refer to their guidelines and any research based info that can help me develop my own methods to control my pests to suit my needs.

The smartest thing I ever did was to not spray at all for the first couple of years so I could identify my pest problems and then I gradually figured out what is the least amount of intervention I can do and still get sound fruit that stores well.

It is a life long process and which you refine as new products and pests emerge.

I have read that malathion has excellent knock down power against brown marmorated stink bugs. However, in spite of early alarms from university sources, they never became an important pest in my region except for one season in one small area of the orchards I manage. Assail seems to do a good job against green stink bugs and tarnished plant bugs which are the prominent bug pests in my area- TPB is almost always a problem for peaches and nectarines in my own orchard if I don’t control it- not so much at other orchards I manage.

Every site has it’s own profile of pests. This year they’ve been very light- except for brown rot in my entire region. Better still, squirrel pressure seems non-existent.

My customers spent thousands of dollars over all to have my helper install baffles and they may prove not to have been needed. Pressure from coons and possums is also low. Everything died out last winter, apparently- from bugs to mammals. Too many failed acorn crops, I guess. Blossom blight of mast trees from very wet springs.

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42

You know how good that makes me feel? Here I thought not spraying was the dumbest thing I ever did :grin: This is exactly where I am at and I don’t like what I see much at all.

Shot hole (Coryneum Blight) defoliated my peach trees once this season :flushed: I got that kind of under control. Then they got hit with ELS (Entomosporium leaf spot) :flushed::flushed:. I’m not one to give up easy. It’s odd though… PLC seems to be one of the most common but I have yet to see PLC.

This spring is when I’m expecting flowers on some of the young peach trees. If possible, I would like to get some fruit and have healthy trees growing next year. Hence developing a spray schedule. A guy has to start somewhere, doesn’t he?

Thank You so much for replying, means a lot to me. If you were closer, I would just hire you. I’ve looked and asked and can’t find anyone that sprays orchards around here. I know people obviously do but it seems they must not interested in side work.

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43

Next revision of Peach Spray Schedule. I included product labeling info to support the schedule. Please continue to poke sharp sticks at my Peach Spray Schedule. Thanks everyone of you for replying!

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Schedule
Dormant - 1* Oil (Aphids Fruit Tree Leaf Roller Mites Scales Whiteflies)

Bloom - 2* Chlorothalonil (Shothole, Brown Rot, Blossom Blight, Scab)

Petal Fall - 3* Captan (Brown Rot, Scab, Shothole - Coryneum Blight, Peach Blight). plus 4* zeta-cypermethrin (multiple insects)

Shuck Split - 5* Sulfur (Brown Rot, Leaf Spot, Powdery Mildew, Peach Canker, Rust, Scab, Red Spider) plus 4* zeta-cypermethrin

Cover Sprays - alternate 3* Captan or 5* Sulfur
every 10 to 14 days as needed plus 4 *zeta-cypermethrin as needed.

Leaf fall - 6* Copper (Brown Rot, Blossom Blight)

Chemicals
1* Oil (Monterey Horticultural Oil) before bud swell in spring - as needed. Reference: Label

2* Chlorothalonil (Ferti-Lome Broad Spectrum Landscape and Garden Fungicide) Do not apply after shuck split. Make one application at bud break or popcorn (pink, red or early white bud). If weather conditions favor disease make a second application 10 days later (full bloom to petal fall). Apply at shuck split to prevent infections on young fruit. If additional disease control is needed after shuck split and before harvest, use another registered fungicide. Reference: Label

3* Captan (Hi Yield Captan 50W Fungicide) - Apply in pink bud, full bloom, petal fall, and cover sprays as necessary and as a post-harvest spray (before leaves drop). Reference: Label.

4* zeta-cypermethrin (Sevin) Reapply no more than once every seven days if insects return and provided the Pre-Harvest Intervals are followed accordingly. Reference: Label

5* Sulfur (Bondie Sulfur Plant Fungicide Micronized Spray or Dust) Apply at Pink, Bloom, Petal Fall, Shuck Split, Shuck Fall and at 10-14-day intervals as long as necessary up to the date of harvest. Reference: Label

6* Copper (Bondie Copper Fungicide) in the fall spray again at 10 and 80% leaf fall. Reference: Label

Always read and follow labels!

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Thanks

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44

Looking at your schedule it looks like you are planning at least 7 sprays. This is very likely way overdoing it. Again, read Alan’s schedule. Alan is likely one of the foremost experts on the internet in managing small orchards. He does this full time and he’s done it for a very long time. Looking at humidity maps it looks like S. Illinois has average summer humidity similar to my region. Some maps show less. Of course your microclimate might be different than mine but not that much different.
You are also way over thinking it.
I never spray copper. Usually there is no reason for it. Peach leaf curl is mostly cosmetic at most sites. If it’s actually killing trees then its better to plant resistant varieties than to spray copper 2-3 times a year. Copper builds up in the soil and stays there.
You will very likely get clean fruit and healthy trees with 3 sprays. Maybe 4.
Also read all the questions and answers under the spray guide.
I might also be helpful to read any of Scott’s posts all over this board as it seems he is in a very high disease pressure area.

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45

Since you are planning to greatly expand this orchard you should consider purchasing and familiarizing your self with commercial products. I use Avaunt, Assail or both after Alan’s recommendation. You might add Rally as a fungicide.
You will save a lot of money this way.
There is no reason to post “Always read and follow the labels”. Almost all of us here already know that.

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46

You are encouragement, healthy trees in 3 or 4 sprays would be awesome. Right now they are a hot mess, coming into August. Apples, pears and other stones are doing a lot better than my peaches are. I’ve yet to experience peach leaf curl (PLC) so not too concerned about it. Shot hole (Coryneum Blight) defoliated my peach trees earlier this season. Then they got hit with ELS (Entomosporium leaf spot). I think we experience more overnight fog than most. Maybe I should be growing mushrooms instead of trying to grow peaches :man_shrugging:

You’re also right I need to study up on commercial products. I just haven’t got that far yet. Avaunt, Assail and Rally are on my list to research. I still have two seasons, maybe 3 before I start planting production peach rows. I don’t even know if I can grow a peach here or not yet, it’s seeming to be very challenging.

Thanks for your replies I appreciate you taking time to reply to me.

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47

Can you post some pictures?
Like I said earlier, if your non bearing trees are in that bad of shape, you might want to start planting resistant varieties sooner than later.

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48

I’ve been looking at Intrepid and frost proof both are said to have resistance to bacterial spot. I also have 2 elberta on order for fall planting. I’m still somewhat sceptical though because I already have resistant varieties planted redhaven being one of them and it got hit the same as the non resistant varieties.

Could be the soil where I have the current peach row is contributing to my issues also. My notes says the soil had low PH 5.8 to 6.2 at normal moisture. I raised to 6.5 to 6.7 after getting hit with shot hole. I plan on checking the soil PH again this fall and adding more lime if needed.

I have some pictures I just need time to find them. But I also got a farm to run too.

Thanks for taking time again to reply :+1:

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49

I have some Intrepid plus that I use for other trees. It’s expensive, but I’m going to try it on peaches.

50

I myself am against starting with no sprays. Once these pathogens find your orchard is when the real trouble begins. Asking your local extension agent what to spray for will give you all the info
you need.
Now that brown rot is in my orchard I have to make additional sprays to keep it out. To just let it in a new orchard is crazy if you ask me. If your extension agent says you need to spray for it you definitely need to follow his advice.
Now that brown rot is hiding in every crack and crevice on my property I have to spray heavily every year and all season too having hit me in august even. When I was just preventing first entry my fruit stayed clean. One year I missed two sprays and now it’s everywhere in my orchard and will surface if I miss even a day of coverage.
Please do not let brown rot get a foothold in your orchard you just may give it up. As it is persistent and relentless you’ll see.

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51

Very intresting thanks for idea

52

I thought it only fair to share my interim results on the following peach spray schedule. Dispite the cicada invasion. My peach trees are in great shape. The fruits are clean except for scab. I have followed the following spray schedule as closely as I could. I spray in the evening when the wind is calm. I’m pleasently surprised with the results so far. However I do need to tweak this schedule for scab, I’m rather surprised captan didn’t seem to help with peach scab or at least I believe this ro be scab??? :confused:

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Schedule
Dormant - 1* Oil (Aphids Fruit Tree Leaf Roller Mites Scales Whiteflies)

Bloom - 2* Chlorothalonil (Shothole, Brown Rot, Blossom Blight, Scab)

Petal Fall - 3* Captan (Brown Rot, Scab, Shothole - Coryneum Blight, Peach Blight). plus 4* zeta-cypermethrin (multiple insects)

Shuck Split - 5* Sulfur (Brown Rot, Leaf Spot, Powdery Mildew, Peach Canker, Rust, Scab, Red Spider) plus 4* zeta-cypermethrin

Cover Sprays - alternate 3* Captan or 5* Sulfur
every 10 to 14 days as needed plus 4 *zeta-cypermethrin as needed.

Leaf fall - 6* Copper (Brown Rot, Blossom Blight)

Chemicals
1* Oil (Monterey Horticultural Oil) before bud swell in spring - as needed. Reference: Label

2* Chlorothalonil (Ferti-Lome Broad Spectrum Landscape and Garden Fungicide) Do not apply after shuck split. Make one application at bud break or popcorn (pink, red or early white bud). If weather conditions favor disease make a second application 10 days later (full bloom to petal fall). Apply at shuck split to prevent infections on young fruit. If additional disease control is needed after shuck split and before harvest, use another registered fungicide. Reference: Label

3* Captan (Hi Yield Captan 50W Fungicide) - Apply in pink bud, full bloom, petal fall, and cover sprays as necessary and as a post-harvest spray (before leaves drop). Reference: Label.

4* zeta-cypermethrin (Sevin) Reapply no more than once every seven days if insects return and provided the Pre-Harvest Intervals are followed accordingly. Reference: Label

5* Sulfur (Bondie Sulfur Plant Fungicide Micronized Spray or Dust) Apply at Pink, Bloom, Petal Fall, Shuck Split, Shuck Fall and at 10-14-day intervals as long as necessary up to the date of harvest. Reference: Label

6* Copper (Bondie Copper Fungicide) in the fall spray again at 10 and 80% leaf fall. Reference: Label

Always read and follow labels!

========================

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53

This is very important info to remember. So many home orchard growers put more chemicals in their sprayers than called for. I have read this over and over in articles about spraying fruit trees over the years.

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54

My two major sprays are dormant sprays lime Sulphur after leave fall and Bordeaux/copper before bud breaks which takes care majority of fungi and bacterial disease. Growing season I don’t have regular spray schedules for disease.I spray in as needed base. But for pests control, I spray Triazicide or Sevin after petals fall and shuck fall. Maybe, one more spray of immunox and Sevin in later season before the fruits ripen .
If early season sprays are effective, it doesn’t need a lot of sprays in growing season. Majority of fruits are okay, good enough for home consumption and giving to friends.

What I need in growing season are squirrels spray, raccoons sprays, and any other two legged, 4 legged critters sprays.

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55

How often did you end up having to do cover sprays?

I am having a very similar experience to yours - I had a similar plan, except that I ended up spraying far less than I thought I would have to. I have sprayed nothing in 6 weeks. It has been a very dry year here. Some fruit is imperfect but still acceptable to me.

Then suddenly it rained the other day. With a sudden increase in moisture and humidity I’m seeing some peach scab and apple rust that I didn’t anticipate. I thought about throwing on some captan the other day and didn’t and now I’m kicking myself.

56

I am in the same boat as you. No rain here for at least 6-8 weeks, non to speak of that is- a sprinkle here or there. Now it did rain a little bit the last day or two. So I am going to spray my peaches probably tomorrow so to try and keep the peach scab or any other fungus they may get here before ripening. My peaches are so small because of no rain. If it doesn’t rain more here they will be nothing more than fuzzy peach pits not worth trying to eat or make preserves from.

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Yes! I regret not doing so. I hope you get some fruit! Please post some pics if you do get fruit. It makes me feel hopeful - even if they not ideal.

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58

Racoons :-1: they love pears

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They love peaches more than my pears. They wore an actual path through my grass for their nightly visits They will strip a tree in days and leave just the pits for you to clean up.

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60

Indar

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