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Redhaven Peah tree (borer issue?)

15 years ago

I have a Red Haven peach tree that I planted last year. It has put on tons of growth, and I'm always generous with the fertilizer to keep it healthy from borer issues. I did a couple sprays last year on the trunk with a METHOMYL Insecticide in July, August to keep any borer issues away.

From mid July and on this year, I noticed that the fresh growth was wilting back at the tips and dying back and it would try and shoot out again new growth an inch lower and it continued this die back, not so bad now and there is a jelly like substance coming out from some areas on the tips of the peach tree steams and a few here and there on the trunk. I removed the ones off the trunk a few weeks ago and no more have come out.

I applied a METHOMYL spray on the trunk today.

I don't see insects or anything at the base of the tree. Is the tree ok?

Comments (17)

  • 15 years ago

    You have a fairly common problem known as oriental fruit moth. In addition to attacking fruit, the moth larva will attack new growth, boring down the center of the shoot(with a very small hole) causing wilting and death at the ends of shoots. The term is called flagging.

    Trunk sprays will have no effect on this pest.

  • 15 years ago

    thanks for the reply olpea...

    Will they harm my tree, what should I use to stop it?
    is it too late to apply anything now?

  • 15 years ago

    OFM in your zone may primarily be a problem with creating branch structure on young trees. Here the worms don't usually bother the fruit as they do in Olpea's area and further south from me- at least IME.

    I still have some of a great discontinued product that contains a very long acting insecticide and a phermone lure in a sticky formula you push out form a tube. I just put a small blob of it on every 4th peach tree and get absolute control- one ap a season does it.

    Unfortunately the product was discontinued- I've no idea why. Now multiple sprays with whatever your using for coddling moth will be required for control. I don't bother to control it on sites I manage, however. As I said- the worms never seem to end up in the fruit here. It's more an issue in my nursery where I'm trying to size up trees ASAP.

  • 15 years ago

    "Will they harm my tree, what should I use to stop it?"

    As Hman indicates, OFM is fairly easy to control. A lot of people have good luck with Triazicide Once and Done.

    Also, as stated, OFM control on new trees is up to you. The flagging tends to produce a slightly bushier tree.

  • 15 years ago

    A slightly bushier tree, perhaps, but if you're trying to start with a central leader for the first 2 or more years it can be a real problem in terms of training. It can also throw off the development of scaffolds which I also train to a central leader and want to keep as straight as possible. The strikes here tend to be irregular so things get thrown out of whack.

  • 15 years ago

    I don't train my trees to a central leader, as the open vase works well for me. But I am curious why you train multiple scaffolds to a central leader.

    What's the advantage to you of having multiple leaders?

  • 15 years ago

    Olpea, sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I meant that I train scaffolds like an almost horizontal central leader, but with secondary branches only coming out of 2 sides of it.

    It helps me think clearly when I'm pruning to think of it this way, as I cut off secondary branches more than about a third of the diameter of the scaffold at point of attachment just as I do with potential scaffold branches in relation to the trunk.

    I start peaches as a central leader- I need to train them up high anyway to set up squirrel and coon protection. I usually change them to open center by the 4th or 5th year as it's difficult to keep them open enough as a central leader tree and you need to stay right on top of it or you will lose vigor down low.

    The central leader gives you something to tie sagging scaffolds to when trees are young, as a tree trained high can't easily be roped up to prevent scaffold branch breakage. I still wind up using a lot of crutches, though.

  • 15 years ago

    I should have said that the tree is older than 2 years of age. It was bought last year and planted...it must be close to 4 years of age, it is well branched and trained to pen centre vase.

    What about wettable sulphur spray or kocide?
    I have no Triazicide.

    I have "Decis" from Bayer ingredient in this insecticide is: (Deltamethrin), It indicates it is for OFM....is it too late this time of year for it, the tree is still pushing out growth. It does not want to back down, where the OFM is wilting the fresh growth it is shooting from mm's below.

  • 15 years ago

    If there are no recent hits the cycle is probably over. Sounds like Decis is a pyrethroid but I'm not familiar with it. OFM is not particularly tough so if it's labeled for it it will likely be affective.

  • 15 years ago

    "I start peaches as a central leader- I need to train them up high anyway to set up squirrel and coon protection. I usually change them to open center by the 4th or 5th year as it's difficult to keep them open enough as a central leader tree and you need to stay right on top of it or you will lose vigor down low."

    Yep, I follow you now. The only difference is I cut the center out after the first or second year. It's easier for me to keep a pedestrian orchard that way.

    Makes sense you want to keep the trees clear of scaffolds for several feet up in order to apply coon/squirrel barriers for multiple sites.

    I only manage my own site and have been able to trap out squirrels and coons. Bird pecks are another story. It's been over the top this year.

  • 15 years ago

    I kept all my coon out with a combination of live traps, 220 Body grippers and .22 LR.
    Until now I have Caught 47 Coon, 30 Squirrel Since Spring.

  • 15 years ago

    Olpea, I also generally need to consider the deer browse line, as many orchards I plant don't include permanent deer protection. I would prefer training peach trees with 3 fairly vertical scaffolds (say 45 degrees), starting very low, if the trees were going to be planted without consideration of wildlife issues. Peaches are easy to maintain in this configuration as far as handling heavy crop loads with a single rope ring. Also they seem to be manageable as far as keeping young wood where you want it. However, if I trained to this shape, starting as far up the trunk as I do, the trees would be much too tall, so my scaffolds are close to horizontal and require lots of extra pruning as the trees are constantly sending up very vigorous growth from such scaffolds. Also they don't handle weight very well in that position.

  • 15 years ago

    I have some nice lush growth once again on the Red Haven,
    I wanted to spray it with "Delatamethrin"...I opened it up and it smells strong, like a turpentine/diesel fuel combination. Wikipedia says it is one of the safest pesticides, but still. I have vegetables in the garden, family will be upset if I spray this now and it is not good either.

    Will sulphur help with Oriental moth, what else can I spray?

  • 15 years ago

    Deltamethrin/Battalion is a typical pyrethroid. That class of insecticides typically smell strong. In commercial formulations, they are frequently emulsifiable concentrates, petroleum based, and have a strong smell. You may have a commercial formulation, which would have a stronger odor than a household formulation.

    However, smell has nothing to do with safety. Paraquat has no smell (a stenching agent is added) yet is extremely deadly if ingested.

    Battalion (commercial formulation of deltamethrin) supposedly tolerates heat better than many other pyrethroids, but is also weaker on some insects vs. other pyrethroids.

    If you are concerned about the smell, a lot of people use Triazicide Once and Done. It's also a pyrethroid, but as I recall, doesn't smell bad.

    Organic spray options for OFM are Surround, Bt, and Spinosad. Under heavy pressure, I haven't heard much success with the first two. I have heard of some marginal success with Spinosad.

    Remember just about all store bought foods are sprayed, even organic and canned foods. However, if your family doesn't want you to spray, you could try bagging your peaches in cotton bags.

  • 15 years ago

    tough decision...I have no peaches from the tree left, they all basically were damaged by OFM.

    The net says Deltamethrin is among the safest. Brand name is "Decis"

    I want to protect the tree from damage.

  • 15 years ago

    "Brand name is "Decis"

    Deltamethrin is sold under a lot of different brand names (Battalion, Deltagard, etc.) I believe Decis is Bayer's brand for Canada.

    If it's the Decis 2.8% formulation, that's a commercial product and you will use a very small amount on your Redhaven. An estimate would be an 1/8 of a teaspoon for a smaller tree, or 1/4 teaspoon for a very large tree. If it's a baby sized tree, you'll need an eye dropper to measure out the concentrate (just a couple drops).

  • 15 years ago

    Yes Olpea, it is the Bayer's Decis...2.8%
    I sprayed the tree today covered all the leaves and trunk. I saw a borer trying to lay eggs on the bottom of the tree at the trunk and little white worms at the surface trying to penetrate the bark. So I sprayed it again with Decis. A week ago I sprayed the Trunk with lannate methomyl 90%...this stuff is deadly and banned at present. I had some left over and used some. Lorsban 4e is the best for trunk protection on peaches is what the verdict on the net says.

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