Reliance Peach tree in 6B. I’ve had the tree for 5 years. I have a spray schedule and test the soil yearly to add Fertilizer etc. I’m beyond frustrated at this point because I fail to grow fruit year after year. To be completely honest I’ve yet to see a blossom since ownership. Can someone explain what’s going on? Every March I come out to check buds and most of the fruit buds just fall right off with ease. Assuming winter killed them? I’m losing loads if you just blow on them they fall off. This is year after year. Below are pictures of the buds that fall off. Holding onto some hope because there’s a lot still left on the tree that do not fall off. Are the ones on the tree still alive? I’m currently at 90GDD base 50.
Sorry will only let me post one photo. Here is a photo of the some of the buds that do not fall off the tree with ease. Are they alive?
I had this happen a few years ago. Temps went from 75 to 19 real quick and a week or two later I could hear the little buds dropping and hitting the leaf littler below. Very light crop that year. I had also just pruned them heavy before the temp drop. Not sure if that contributed.
I think we need some more information - You’re in PA right? Are you sure this tree is getting enough chill hours? Reliance actually needs a lot. How big is the tree? Can we get a whole tree picture?
I really doubt every bloom has been killed for 4-5 years in a row by low temps in 6b with reliance. My one year old peach trees bloomed/are blooming and I had sustained temps of -5F for a couple days this winter. I did completely lose a couple trees, and it’s possible the ovaries are damaged by cold, but they bloom.
I had a challenger peach tree that should have gotten enough chill hours based on where I am. However, one year, it didn’t (It was kind of protected by a wall). It didn’t bloom until very late, many buds fell off before then. The buds that did bloom bloomed over a very long period and practically one at a time.
It kind of looks like a low density of buds on the shoot - but maybe this is just the way the pictures are taken? or maybe that’s how reliance is? My peach trees have a set of buds approx every 1.5 inches (I’ll go measure and make sure that’s accurate later when I get home).
Do you think the tree had adequate leaves last summer? Did it get good light on the new shoots to set buds?
I have an old unknown peach tree in my front yard (here before I got the place) that probably flowers once every 5+ years. But we’re 5a/5b and -10 seems to fry the buds. Not sure where OP is in PA but there are frost pockets upstate that consistently do -10s each winter.
But it was a cold winter in much of the northeast including PA. I just can’t imagine it being chill hours.
Yes I’m positive that we get enough chill hours. Specially Pittsburgh area. I will Post a picture below of tree now and this summer I had tremendous growth. It looks so healthy in summer. I’ve never had blooms ever.
I can go back last year and this year we were indeed at -15 at night but this is at the weather station about 15 to 20 miles away at the airport. So realistically would you say a 5 degree or more swing possibly at my home? I was thinking -8 to -10 if that’s -15 but who would ever know
Okay so it’s not against a wall staying warm and it’s not runty with no leaves! It is very lush and pretty… which isn’t always so good.
New idea: too much vegetative growth? Stop fertilizing it?
Also, I would agree that a big drop in temp or temps <-10F will kill peach buds. But every year for four years seems… unusual. And reliance is known for being hardy.
Here is some light reading for you:
Hopefully some folks with more knowledge than me chime in soon! I’m out of ideas!
