Hi folks,
[Newbie warning] A little peach tree came with the house we moved into last year. Might have been planted last spring (2017), but I’m not sure. It hasn’t grown much, but it looked good when it leafed out this spring, and made a couple of blossoms and one peach - no idea what variety, but it was an early yellow peach, ripened July 12.
Right after that, it started looking sad and wilted. We’d had a long stretch of very dry weather, so I gave it a heavy watering and it perked up. Then Mother Nature immediately sent soaking rain our way and we’ve had a lot of heavy rain since. Now it looks terrible.
I didn’t get a great picture at soil level. It’s hard to see with the shadows, but as far as I can tell it looks okay down there. Did not dig up the roots to check them.
Can anyone can tell me what’s going on here, and whether it might be possible to save the tree? If it’s a goner, is it safe to plant a new peach in the same spot?
What is that red and green near the trunk? Is there any kind of tie on the trunk? If so and it is tight, it could be the reason. Also, was any herbicide applied on the lawn? Another thing would be to inspect bark near and under soil level - are there any entrances for borers? Was bark damaged by rodents? Looking at the tree as it is now I would give 15% chance it will survive. If it would be my tree, I would choose cloudy day and dig the tree up. If there is something in the roots, you may still fix it. If the tree was growing in a pot for long time it could be very root-bound, you may try to wash the roots with a hose and untangle/trim the roots and plant it again. Though hot weather is not really cooperating with replanting. But if you do not see any mechanical root or bark damage it will most likely mean it is sick, and then you do not want to plant new tree in the same spot.
Thanks for your ideas. The red and green stuff appears to be latex paint. It peels off easily, and I don’t think it’s done any harm to the trunk. No herbicide or fertilizer have been used on the lawn.
I don’t see any bark damage or borer damage, but I also haven’t dug below the soil line to see what’s happening underground… Sounds like it’s time I did.
Thank you. I am concerned about drainage - the soil is heavy clay, and an area near the tree tends to become quite soppy when there’s a lot of rain. The tree is slightly uphill from the soggiest spot, but perhaps it’s not uphill enough.
If I did want to replant in the same spot, would it suffice to dig out a large circle around where this tree was, fill it in with better draining soil and build up a bit of a mound? Or would I still run the risk of killing a new tree with soil nasties or soaked roots? I suspect it may not be worth the effort, when I’ve got better spots elsewhere, but I thought I’d ask.
Hi @AnnaBee. I would say let that area go. Start fresh full sun area, raise a bed at least 18 inches. Mound the tree even higher. Ive done this. Ive excavated the clay beneath where the bed will be and put in split logs and drainage gravel to a depth of 3 feet. Unless u have the mother of all monsoons the sq footage around and under the tree will keep its feet dry. The tree may settle a bit over time but by then the wood will decay to improve yr soil, the worms it brings in will make yr drainage better. Just plant it high within the raised bed. Peach roots dont go crazy deep.
This is a bit extreme - but i have rxperience on solid clay. I started hugelkuture (raised planting, mounding on wood) and it helped a lot.
Thank you, Reg, that’s very helpful. I’ve done something similar with the vegetable gardens I just put in - hugelkultur made sense because so much of what I was dealing with was clay and hardpan. It’s a work in progress, but it makes sense that if it’s good for veggies, it should be adaptable for fruit trees. Thanks for the detailed advice!
Peach roots can get root rot very easy especially in clay soil. If the tree stands in water soaked soil for more than 5 days root rot starts. I would suggest planting peaches in a better well drained location than where this one is located. That being said I would suggest that if this tree recovers that you lay down a 5 inch layer of tree chips. Not the kind you buy from big box stores but the kind you get from tree services where they have trimmed or cut down a tree and chipped the branches up. Just make sure you don’t get chips from Black walnuts or other trees that inhibit the growth of other trees around them. The wood chips will begin to breakdown due to fungi and the fungi will open up the clay soil to let air and water down to deeper levels. Your clay hard pan will sink to a deeper and deeper level until there will be no fear of the roots rotting even on a peach tree. I had a clay hard pan about 3 inches from the surface and with the use of wood chips and a little fertilizer the hard pan went down to 2 1/2 foot in about 2 years. I also used a light sugar syrup on the wood chips to give the fungi a good start… Give it a try what have you got to loose?
Thanks! I hadn’t heard of using wood chips on hardpan.
Can anyone tell me if other fruit trees are as touchy about wet feet? I know cane fruit are - can I assume that plums, cherries and apricots would be the same as peaches? What about apples and pears? I have a young apple tree planted near the dying peach, and it seems fine so far, but I’m wondering if I need to be worried about it.
Cherries,plums,apricots absolutely do not tolerate wet feet - this I know by experience, killed them all . I think no fruit trees like wet feet. Not sure if any tolerates it.
Actually plums have relative high tolerance for wet feet, especially on myro. Pears also.
The solution for planting a peach in the same spot is to bring in about a yard of sand and compost mix or high quality top-soil, and create a mound with it that is at least a foot above the soil line- higher, better. Then you mulch it each year or make some kind of permanent containment to keep the mound high. Peaches are the very worst in wet clay of anything I grow.
It can be helpful to start with bare root trees so you can spread the roots where you want them- not deep!
These boards are a goldmine - I really appreciate everyone’s input here. My little peach tree may be a lost cause, but I’m glad to have the tips and advice on how to do better in future!
. I think no fruit trees like wet feet. Not sure if any tolerates it.