What is happening with my peach trees?

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by Wombat, Aug 30, 2010.

  1. Wombat

    Wombat Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2010
    Messages:
    58
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Started nicely then the new leaves started to yellow now some of the older ones are changing.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    The other one looks more like a leaf borer of some sort and when I touched them they fell off

    [​IMG]
     
  2. pebble

    pebble Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2007
    Messages:
    2,721
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Location:
    inland Otago, NZ
    Climate:
    Inland maritime/hot/dry/frosty
    I'm not sure but I had that yellowing of plants happen in my garden after I started using some wood chips that had been composted. I wondered if it was a nitrogen deficiency. Have you been feeding the trees?
     
  3. Fernando Pessoa

    Fernando Pessoa Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2009
    Messages:
    316
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Your tree is naked,it also looks like you chucked it in a hole and used fill to keep it standing up.

    Get your hands on some mighty powerful fungal dominant compost,re- dig the hole and give it a good couple of handfuls into a hole a good size larger than the root ball.
    Back fill with a reasonable quality of soil and then throw a good load of compost on the top.
    Give this a dam good water,get yourself some mulch and pile it on thick,better still buy some pinto peanut or some wandering jew and install a permanent ground cover.
    If you take remedial action now you can water the plant with a diluted bucket of piss and be eating great fruit one day.
    Or you can struggle with a sick tree for the rest of the days."If you break a kids legs when he is young he will never walk straight"
    Best Wishes Fernando
     
  4. purplepear

    purplepear Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2009
    Messages:
    2,457
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Occupation:
    Farm manager/ educator
    Location:
    Hunter Valley New South Wales
    Home Page:
    Climate:
    warm temperate - some frost - changing every year
    The soil looks to be free draining but the signs of malnutrition may indicate water logging. If drainage is good and even if it isin't do as fernando says.
     
  5. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2006
    Messages:
    4,771
    Likes Received:
    10
    Trophy Points:
    0
    yellowing of leaves in winter is usually a pH problem that locks up iron and it becomes unavailable to plants, so check pH.
    However i have found many problems with peaches who are copper deficient. The cure is to go to a ship chandlers, buy one copper nail and bang it into the trunk of the tree. Yours however may do with a copper staple as it is so young.
    Failing that a good dose with a seaweed fertiliser often fixes any trace element deficiency going. Use something like maxi crop and spray the leaves too or see if you can pick up some bull kelp from the beach and make your own.
    What is the whitish stuff at the base of the tree?
     
  6. geoff

    geoff Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    Messages:
    83
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    The lack of marked wilting and the health of the older leaves might indicate iron deficiency more than copper.

    The leaves with the yellow splotches, do they get a reddish dust on the underside associated with the discoloration? If so it might be rust which can be controlled with copper oxychloride (which also helps with leaf curl and copper deficiency) though this shouldn't be sprayed when there are leaves on the tree, you need to wait until it goes dormant in winter (if you get one of those where you are)
     
  7. matto

    matto Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2009
    Messages:
    685
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Is this for real Michaelangelica? I hope it is that easy. I was just learning that copper can interrupt the activity in soils, as it negatively influences the activity of microrganisms and earthworms. The decomposition of organic matter may seriously slow down because of this.
    Any other remedy sounds better.
     
  8. SueUSA

    SueUSA Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2009
    Messages:
    212
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    It looks like either an iron or magnesium deficiency. Have you had your soil tested? It's better to know than to guess....

    Sue
     
  9. Wombat

    Wombat Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2010
    Messages:
    58
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    6
    OK - I gave them a good dose of Seasol and the discolouration has gone and the tree is nearly twice the size - almost see it grow - also mulched around it and we have had a lot of rain - second tree with the borer looking leaves got eaten by something ( Wallaby I think but it left the 5 other trees alone) and it has grown back looking very healthy with about 6 inches of growth .
     
  10. paradisi

    paradisi Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2005
    Messages:
    665
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    dont want to be rude - but I will be LOL

    peach trees ae deciduous - so they wouldnt have leaves in winter to go yellow -

    the soil looks crap

    you need a lot more mulch around the area - and maybe manure - chook poo cow poo what ever you can get cheaply - it should be away from the trunk but close enough fro the feeder roots to get the benefit - usually the drip line - but as you dont have one on the tree yet - start the mulch about 15cm from the trunk

    the yellowing - https://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/pnw0121e/pnw0121e.pdf is a good indicator, could be a ot of things, water,m magnesium, manganese, iron, copper - mulch and some sort of manure will help a geat deal

    Its a young tree so preumably recently transplanted - maybe transplant shock>?
     
  11. phantom

    phantom Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2010
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    hello

    Glad to hear WOMBAT your trees are healthier. I agree with GEOFF definitely a Rust fungus can be fixed with a copper spray in winter just as first bud burst appears. Also looks like you had a touch of manganese and iron deficiency on leaves. Even spraying applications of diluted worm wee to the foliage will help combat fungus and add plenty of manganese and a little iron.

    Good luck
     

Share This Page

-->