Everybody loves a great home grown peach. Peaches can be a challenge so lets touch on some common questions I receive from the home peach orchard.
How do I control the worm in my peaches? Plum curculio is the worm in the wormy peach county agents often receive questions about. Plum curculio are small weevils, or snout beetles, that feed on and lay their eggs in developing fruit. Home peach enthusiasts need to apply plum curculio insecticides every 7–10 days from the shuck split/shuck off stage of fruit development for 3 applications. Thereafter, spray for plum curculio every 14–21 days until 14 days before harvest. Insecticides for curculio control include malathion, esfenvalerate, and permethrin. Permethrin and esfenvalerate are pyrethroids, and they have activity against peach tree borer and plum curculio. If you apply these types of insecticides too frequently, then you might flare mites and scale in the trees. Malathion seldom induces mites, scales, or aphids. If you have questions about peach insecticide selection, please contact your local county extension agent.
My peaches have this brown stuff on them. Brown rot is the most damaging disease of not only peaches but also plums and nectarines. This disease is most severe during wet years and can be managed with fungicides. Sanitation is a great way to reduce the occurrence of brown rot. Fungicides can help reduce brown rot if applied during the 2-3 weeks before and through harvest. Bloom sprays are important to prevent the buildup of the disease. Fungicides that have activity on brown rot include captan and Immunox (myclobutanil).
What about home orchard sprays? Home orchard spray is a product that has a tank mix of fungicide and insecticide. These products cannot be used during bloom. It may be more convenient to buy the insecticides separately from the fungicide.
Can I get a spray guide for my home orchard? Yes, you can. Your local county Extension office will have copies of the spray guides for fruits such as pears, blueberries, peaches, plums, and strawberries. If you have questions about home garden peaches, please pick up a copy of the publication, Home Garden Peaches.
