Susu,
Pyrethrin is the organic counterpart of synthetic pyrethroids. Pyrethrin is an effective a contact insecticide, but is very short lived. The biggest advantage of pyrethroids is the longevity over Pyrethrin, so Pyrethrin isn’t going to have much residual activity. But you can always apply it more frequently.
Just wanted to post another update on this tree. I did some surgery the other day. I sprayed immunox inside the borer holes using a syringe. Then I sprayed the entire tree with immunox. Waited for it to dry, painted the trunk. Sprayed Pyrethrin. I was going to fill the holes with wood glue but it turned out not an easy task so I gave up on that.
I also made one of those beetle traps with a plastic water bottle and ethanol. (It didn’t catch anything)
Then I took out one large branch that was clearly dead. With that branch went all of my last year grafts. The tree is now down to a two variety tree.
I let rest of the tree be for now. But the growth hasn’t moved in about 5 weeks. So I think non of this is going to help. It looks like a goner.
I did the same treatments to my other younger trees. Today I found a borer hole on my seedling peach tree as well. Just one.
It sucks to care for a tree for so many years and have it die without one single fruit.
I’m also posting a close up pic of the cut site on the branch I removed. In case anybody can see anything…
If I cut the tree down to the roots, do you think it’ll resprout from the roots? Or it’s too late now? Anybody?
Yes, I think it would. If the root stock is healthy. But you dont really have a way to know that. any disease might just be transmitted to the new shoot. If you do, do it now so that it will be forced to sucker or die.
It wouldn’t hurt to try. If you can get rid of the borers themselves, the fungus won’t be contagious to other trees or anything.
You might be able to cut it below where the fungus has hurt the tissues and have the rootstock push nice growth. If the fungus is farther in, the roots will just die (it won’t push growth you have to worry about being sick, the way that fungus strangles things).
I’ve never cut down a peach, but I had a tree fall on my Goldcot on peach roots, and the roots sprouted up a red-leaved peach tree. I grafted onto it successfully this year. It really shot up quickly once it showed some suckering. That took a long while, I thought, but then the vigor kicked in.
Are borers found everywhere you can grow stone fruit?? I’m relatively new to growing peaches and haven’t (thankfully) had any experience with them…Granted I’m sure there are other environmental pressures I’ll have to contend with here in Florida…curious if theyre the type of pest that once they get established are tough to get rid of or whether certain varieties are more sucesptible.
If you are referring to peach tree borers (most common stone fruit borer) they can be found anywhere in the U.S. where peach trees are grown, but are more common in areas where peaches are more common.
The biggest problem with peach borer is with young trees. Once the trees get some age, you can easily see the sap and treat the base with an insecticide. Young trees are a little harder to see the sap until a lot of damage is done.
If you mean those awful ambrosia borers, I don’t know if they are everywhere but they are in the SE, including Florida and go up into the north along the east coast.
They like wounded trees, especially like when fig branches die over the winter. Trees literally put off a chemical scent they detect! So cut out dead wood before around February. I hope you never get them!
7 years of making took 3 minutes to get rid of…now it’s in the garbage can. I looked for any “galleries” that I read about after ambrosia beetle damage. But my untrained eye couldn’t pick out anything. Everything looked perfectly normal, except it was dead.
I asked my son (4 yrs old) if he’s sad now that the peach tree is gone. He goes “no…I don’t like peach”.
Sorry Susu for the loss of your tree. Are you going to plant another?
I planted two peach seedlings this spring. So probably not another peach. Maybe get an Apple tree. I only have one and it looks to be a dud. So might as well get an addition/replacement going already now.
I cried over losing an apricot after a hurricane. In a few more years it gets easier!
I may have a twinge of sadness for a couple of minutes and it’s quickly superseded by excitement of having spots for new tree varieties I want.
It works every time.
After seeing your situation I don’t think I could ever complain again. Your yard is a challenge.
For some percentage of trees to die is to be expected. Just cut your losses and move forward with new trees.
@Susu When of the best things I learned on Growing Fruit was to plant my trees in a raised box if the soil or drainage was poor. I usually mix 30% to 40% processed manure in with native soil in the raised box. 4ft x 4ft with 12 inch raised sides works well. Looking at your yard the drainage looks bad.
Yes next tree will definitely go in a raised bed.
