Here's a picture of a healthy peach seedling on the end of the row for graft stock. Both of these seedlings were the same size a month ago.

Here is a second leaf tree that got some overspray.

Here's a close-up of that same tree. Notice the tree has already set terminal buds (which normally doesn't occur here until the last part of Sept.

Here's a healthy tree right next to the one in the previous picture (same age). This one again has better color and growth.

Here's a close up of the healthy tree. It has not set terminal buds and will continue growing into September.

Are those mounds pure wood chips? If so, where do you get your hands on so much!? I hate dealing with weeds...i've actually let the grass go right up to my apple trees now that they are well established... I don't weed whack around them, just get the mower as close as i can.

I've been using glyphosate to eradicate [I hope] bindweed from a bed of perennials. I ended up wrapping all the plants I didn't dig up. So far, most seem to have survived.

Around young peaches I always recommend a wick stick. Not a viable solution?

What's a wick stick? A google search brought me to candles!

Wow Olpea, that is one vast orchard. How do you keep voles and mice out of that mulch? Mrs. G

roundup rope applicator use that as search.

Frank.... check with your local power company and see if they offer free wood chips. I've received several truckloads free from my power company. Plus they deliver free. It may take a while because you will probably go on a list. When they are clearing out trees and brush around power lines in your area, is when you will get delivery. Everything goes through their big chipper. Sometimes there is a lot on leaves and pine needles mixed in, and other times just pure chips. I have different uses for both types of loads. I'm on the list for 2 more truckloads now.

This is all mulched with free power company chips.

{{gwi:90399}}

I apologize to the O.P. for my "not on topic" post.

"Are those mounds pure wood chips? If so, where do you get your hands on so much!?"

Frank,

Those aren't pure wood chips. I've tried planting in almost pure wood chips and it doesn't work. I built terraces out of dirt and planted the peaches in the tops. Wood chips are just a covering on top of the terraces.

Even so, it's a constant struggle to get enough chips. The orchard is just a little too far out of the city to make it convenient for tree services to deliver chips. It takes a lot of chips to get good weed control. They've delivered about 60 loads this year, but that's only enough to do about 1/2 the orchard. Even though the pictures show a lot of mulch, there is a lot of the orchard that has hardly has any mulch. I'm considering square baling part of the pasture next year and using that hay for mulch. Any thoughts on that idea would be welcome.

Hman,

Maybe a wick stick would be a solution in the future. It wouldn't have worked this year because we were really behind on weed control and I let the weeds get way too tall before we used the glyphosate. The rows look pretty clean now, but in early July they looked horrible. Tall weeds everywhere.

"Wow Olpea, that is one vast orchard. How do you keep voles and mice out of that mulch? Mrs. G"

Mrs. G,

Last year I did use some Rozol vole bait, but mainly because I had too many weeds going into winter (providing a lot of cover for the rodents).

So far, I haven't found that voles like to inhabit mulch too much. They don't like it around the trees at my house. I think it collapses so that it doesn't support their tunnels very well. I'm not planning on baiting the peaches w/ Rozol this fall, so we'll see how that goes.

Voles are not nearly as attracted to peaches as apples. I can't remember if I've ever had a peach girdled by voles,- a nectarine yes- I've also had peaches girdled by rabbits. I know pine voles have never killed any fruit tree I've managed besides apples.

I'm sure if they are hungry enough their menu expands.

There is a rootstock called "novole" for apples. I think it comes from Cornell U. Keep mulch at least 6 inches away from trunk, especially in winter, so you aren't making a warm and convenient vole hotel, with all you can eat trunk. Attracting perches for owls is a good way to get rid of voles.
John S
PDX OR