You've had an issue with PLC before? I generally only see it where there is too much shading. I only spray trees when they've already suffered from it, and then not always.

Hi Harvestman: No not yet, never grown peaches before. The tree is shaded for the 1st 3 hours in the morning partially until the neighbor's hackberry to it's east leafs out, then fully for the 1st 3 hours after that. I've been asking folks all over the county if they have any peach trees to see if they ever had PLC, haven't found anybody yet that has any peaches. I decided when planting the tree to start fighting PLC in case I ever found that it was around here being that it is pretty hard on the trees. The state extension here gets all it's fruit info. from IA and MO, I live in north-central KS. One of their plant pathology profs. has been very helpful allowing me to e-mail macro shots directly to her for a quick evaluation.

BTW, the tree was planted from a feathered whip in April, 2006.

Unless the common wisdom in your area is that left untreated infection is inevitable, I wouldn't worry about it, there's enough to do withought chasing ghosts. I almost never spray for anything but insects and BR on peaches and the earliest bearing don't get brown rot here in the humid northeast.
That said, morning shade is the worst- that's when you want to get the dew off the trees asap. Your tree would survive a bout of plc if it is vigorous to begin with. I say find out with experience instead of spraying unnecessarily for the life of the tree.

Michael,

I'm with Hman. If you haven't seen it yet, chances are you won't see it this year either. I get leaf curl here, but live close to MO border, and get a lot more rain than central KS.

We are at pink and bloom on peach. Weather forecasts are mixed, but one forecaster is calling for 24F this weekend. If that happens, it's curtains for our fruit crop.

Thanks Olpea and Hman: Certainly unfortunate placement but that was the best I could do in leiu of talking the neighbor into filling my wood pile with his hackberry. To be certain the tree is healthy with the exception of a couple of very small spots I need to check out on one scaffold for Lesser Peach Leaf Borer. I'll let the Kocide slide this year (no choice anyway) and try not to worry about it, it's just water under the bridge.

Olpea, late this morning I noticed the one apricot in town is about at 1/4 bloom and the open blooms shook off a 26 deg. low last night. What stage(s) are your apples at? Hope your forecaster is wrong and this year is like last.

Michael

I've had a peach tree in partial shade for twenty years now. I've never had to treat it and never had a problem with PLC and it still bears so heavily I have to support branches when the crop comes on. Zone 6, southeasten ohio

Micheal,
It is suppose to snow here this weekend and get down to below 20 (I think that I am probably a few hours from you). I can relate to the apricot as my nectarine has beautiful blooms! I am hoping that the bad weather quickly leaves.
Jenny

That's good to hear Calliope, my brother is in the Baltimore area, too bad the only thing he likes to raise is grass and horses, need any stable manure?

Ditto Jenny. Have you seen this chart at the link below yet?

Here is a link that might be useful: Spring frost threshholds

I have seen one, but not in that detail. What a great site! Some of my nectarines are at a full bloom some are at the stage prior to that. Hoping that it does not fall below 20.
Jenny