This may require some attention if it is a peach tree borer . . . clear, translucent oozing of a gummy sap at the soil line and slightly below could be the partially grown larvae of this borer "moth" which resembles a wasp - as they spend winter just below soil surface under the bark and tunnel as the weather warms up. But an amber colored gum could be a fungal cytospora canker that can be confused with the peach tree borer.

A Georgia Belle peach would sure be worth some effort to take care of this if ya' can distinguish these possibilities. A single tree could even respond to some manual mechanical removal techniques of the borer larvae but avoid wounding further - Good luck.

Given your location and the location of oozing, I give it a 90% probability of being borers. This time of year they are often outside of the tree in the goo but you still need to clean up the area with a rag and go after the buggers with a wire. Girldled parts of trunk will have easy to pull away bark. Under this will be small tunnels that you insert stiff wire into to puncture "worms".

Borers were a huge problem in southeastern NY last year, even attacking plums in my nursery. I spray them with Lorsban but that may be restricted in your state and I don't think any over the counter pesticide is available that affects them. Ask your county extension.

Thank you for all your replies. I went to clean the trunk today and did see one lava on it.

The oozing is fairly clear and translucent. I used a clothes hanger wire to go under the bark and clean out more goo. Didn't see any other lava. As I clean it, I realized the trunk is not just cracked, 1/3 - 1/2 of circumference is already gone. Is this tree mortally wounded already? This Geogia Belle produced some plum-sized peaches last year, nothing to look at but tasted great. I really don't want to loose it.

This is my first fruit tree ever and I have a grand total of two:-) So, I can afford to give it some manual treatments, any suggestions are welcomed. Should I use a knife or something to clean out all the girdled bark?

I just plant another peach tree, anything I can do to prevent this from happening to the other tree?

Misplaced the camera, as soon as I find it, will post some pitures to give you better idea.

Thank you very much for your help!

If the peach tree is growing vigorously or was last season it should recover if you got all the larva. Just keep about a 5' diameter weed and grass free ring under it. A vigorous growing peach tree is much less likely to be killed by borers. Half girdled is almost nothing, especially for a healthy Belle of Georgia.

You may be able to prevent future problems by taping about a 12" height of nylon screen around the base of the tree (push aside dirt to get it as low as possible) with flexible rubber electric tape (not vinyl). You can also put mothballs against the base of tree against the trunk and pile some soil over it for a few weeks to make sure borers are dead.

So two years and already had some peaches . . . you've been off to a good start regardless.

No to use of the knife . . . you don't want to be girdling off / "cleaning" out bark.
"Carelessness may result in more damage to the tree than the damage that would have been caused by the borers!"
Source: Univ Kentucky College Agri / Peachtree Borer (online)

Your goal and this year's project can be to save as much of that bark as you can -
the healthy bark will flow still of course, and if you have nearly 2/3 circumference left you'll be fine.

Good warning. I just assumed no one would pull away bark with a healthy cambium underneath. Don't cut into green tissue. As far as doing more harm than good- the essential thing is to be sure as you can that you got all of them. I've never lost a peach tree to borers and I manage them in too many places to stay right on top of all of them. Had a few trees with only a strip of cambium intact but they recovered.

Good call Hman & Aprium.

Sara,

In addition to using moth balls, white latex paint is sometimes used as another barrier method.

Sara:

I haven't had borers for a number of years, but when I did the mothball solution worked very well for me. Peach tree borers are often right at the soil line, just as yours are, and the mothballs seem to get rid of them and keep them out.

I simply pressed a dozen or so into the soil in a circle close to the trunk. I don't see any downside to mothball use; the trees were not negatively impacted in any way. Mothballs will last about 1 1/2 years before they vaporize and disappear.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

When I see any indication of a borer, I clean all of the gunk totally, look for the borer hole and then use whatever is thin enough to penetrate the hole and impale and stir up what remains, then cover with an asphalt would sealant.

Here is a summation of some of the info I found researching the borer/mothballs issue for my area. Last year I used pottery grade kaolin clay and slopped it on the trunk and lower scaffolds thick on numerous occasions as rain washes it off readily. Maybe a light coat of white latex over the top would keep it on better but it was just an experiment. Might spinosad apps to the trunk and scaffolds during egg laying season work also, beats me?

Anyway, here's the mothball info..

Paradichlorobenzene (PDB) moth crystals used as a fumigant -

In late Sept. after clearing away leaves and other debris from around the tree base, place the crystals in a band 1 to 2" from the base of the tree trunk.
Cover the crystals with enough soil to create a 5- to 10-inch packed mound around the trunk. The crystals release a gas at temperatures above 60 degrees F. The gas penetrates the trunk to kill peach tree borer larvae. Applications of PDB crystals are best made in late September or early fall but also can be applied in late spring.
PDB can injure plants. To avoid plant injury

1. Do not allow the crystals to touch the tree bark.
2. Adjust the amount of crystals used by tree size. Use 1/4 ounce on a first-year tree, 1/2 oz. on a 2 year old tree and 3/4 oz on a 3 - 5 year old tree. On a 3- to 5 year-old tree and 1 - 2 oz. on a large, well established tree.
3. Remove the soil mound three weeks after the application.

Thank you for all your advice! You guys are the best!

So I didn't use knife to cut out the bark, just used my hand to remove the loose bark.

Here are some follow up questions:

1)Is the latex paint to prevent the lava get into the trunk or to seal the trunk so the lava will be suffocated?

2)If the mothball do not touch the tree, can it be using too many of them?

3) harvestman -- what kid of nylon screen do you use?

4) Here is a couple of pictures of the trunk:
{{gwi:71075}}

this is the opposite side, is this also borer or something else?
{{gwi:71076}}

Sara:

I am sorry to have to tell you this, but your peach tree has passed the point of no return. No tree can recover from damage that is so extensive. Borers have been working on that tree for more than one season -- perhaps as many as three or four seasons. I will be surprised if that tree even leafs out this season. I wish you had also provided a photo of the upper part of the tree. Does this tree have any healthy buds at all?

Cut the tree down and take it out. Then plant a new peach tree in a different location. But now that you know what to watch out for, you can stop borers before they even get started. Since you know that borers are around, use mothballs or crystals as a preventive measure. Just press a small amount into the soil around the trunk on an annual basis. It is not necessary to build a mound of soil, or to ever remove the mothballs. If you don't want to try mothballs for some reason, find a borer spray at a nursery or farm supply store and follow the directions for application.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Hi, Don!

Thanks for the quick reply!

Oh, shucks! Tears!

When I upload the pictures, I did realized they looked pretty bad:-(
Here is the upper body of the tree.
{{gwi:71077}}

When you say buds, you mean this right?
{{gwi:71078}}

There are 4-5 of them, a lot fewer than last year, and I thought it was because we prune off the older branches.

How old do you think the tree is? I bought and plant it at the spring of 2008.

I guess I am going paint latex paint on the trunk and put mothball around my new tree every year from now on.

What's the difference between the crystal and the mothball?

That tree's bad alright. I agree with Don, it doesn't look like there is any cambium left. Don't be fooled by the tree starting to push buds. They can do that from the stored energy and moisture above the girdling point.

Still, if it was mine, it wouldn't take much effort to experiment and see if it might live. I'd cut it back to one shoot (in the off chance there is a sliver of cambium left) and spray for the borers and see what happens.

These trees are obviously still alive, so I wouldn't cut them down. Find a chemical for borers like Lorsban (I use Dursban, some old feedstores might still have some) mix it up and apply to the trunk with a paintbrush. Young trees can heal pretty bad wounds, it's girdling that dooms them.

Nothing wrong with the suggestion to plant more trees, if you have room. Or to use mothballs aroud all of them.

Sara:

Here's poor you, getting conflicting opinions from people who should know what they are talking about. In the final analysis, the decision is yours, but take another good long look at that tree and consider the following:

Fruit trees need to be more than barely alive. This may be the season when your tree will finally drop its leaves and be fully and completely dead, but even if it survives it will never produce peaches, which is the whole point of a peach tree. The top growth is spindly, and the side branches weak. This tree, which I would estimate at 4-5 years old, has not been healthy for at least 3 of those years.

Take that tree out. I modify my previous advice to plant in a different location, since I believe you will find a very weak root system below this tree and you can fully clean it out with a strong digging fork. Do that, removing all the roots right out to the edge of your mulch.

Go out and buy a new tree, and put it in this weekend, rain or shine. Find a good, reliable variety like Redhaven, even if it has to be from Home Depot or Lowes, and even if it happens to be a container tree. Just about anything that you can find will be better than what you have now. With a new tree, you can start over with pruning it properly and spreading the branches to an open center. Don't worry about putting down mothballs (or crystals, which are essentially the same thing in a different presentation) or painting the trunk immediately, but watch the tree to catch the development of problems before they get out of hand. You might want to lay down a few mothballs next year just as a preventive measure, since it's pretty clear you have borers in your area. If you see something suspicious that you don't understand, ask about it here.

There is a time to hold them, and a time to fold them, and for your tree this is the time to fold. We are still early enough in the season that you can successfully replant. There is no reason to lose an entire season by moving the decision down the road.

Sorry, Eskota, I disagree that the tree will heal. Peach trees do not come back from that level of damage, no matter what chemicals you put on them.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

I can't tell how bad the damage is from one side. Trees can be much more than half girdled and still grow with vigor.

I should have said something when you said you'd harvested peaches the second year. If there is still functioning cambium your problem may be premature cropping. A young peach tree should send out many healthy new shoots every season at least 24" long. 30-60% of that wood needs to be removed but you have nothing to remove because your tree is runted out.

If your observation of frass was prompt then borers probably aren't your original problem. Maybe you haven't created an environment to induce the vigorous growth you need and until the peach trees are larger and growing vigorously you should remove flowers and wait for fruit when trees are at least 2" in diameter.

I think you should keep your tree and plant another and follow my suggestion about keeping competing grass and weeds away. I can't know your soil and I can't know if your tree was competing with a 70' maple 30' away. Peaches are not great competitors (plums, apples and pears are much better at fighting for what they need in the presence of other roots) but when conditions are right a peach stick becomes a bearing, vigorous peach tree in 3-4 years.

Harvestman:

As I understand Sara's info, there are two photos above of the graft union area of the tree, each showing one side of the trunk.

You can look at those two photos and still hold some degree of optimism?

The base of a peach tree is the most vital and vulnerable area of the tree. In this case it is pretty much destroyed. Sure, maybe the tree cropped prematurely, it is runty looking, and the pruning leaves a lot to be desired. But that's not its most fundamental problem. I don't understand how you guys can look at the same photos I am seeing and reach such different conclusions. You can't prune off the base of a tree as if it were a little canker on one of the limbs.

If Sara keeps this unfortunate tree I hope she posts the results a year or so from now. I wouldn't look for good news.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

For what it's worth Don, I agree that if the pictures show two sides of the same trunk, it doesn't offer much optimism.

Still, what's wrong with keeping this peach tree and planting another?

Granted the tree may never come out of it, but I'm a curious fella, and space permitting, it would be interesting to see what happens.

BTW-If you'll give me ten to one odds, I'll wager a case of peaches on this tree that it will still produce something.... On second thought, cancel that, the postage would break either one of us.

Don, this time of year the borers seem to feed from the outside in, or maybe they start to do that when a tree is really oozing. One side of the tree may have more outer bark than cambium damage, I can't tell. I've never seen that kind of borer damage with all the crators but it suggests feeding from the outside to me. When I first glanced at the photos I didn't realize it was a front and back and forgotten we were talking about a single tree (come on, it's fricking spring!) but now that I do I'm still not prepared to give the tree a death sentence.

I still think that the possible limping survival of that tree is not the crucial issue here. If the tree had been growing with proper vigor it wouldn't be killed by borers in a few months time. I am trying to stress that borer damage or at least a trees ability to survive it has a lot to do with the vigor of a tree. When a peach tree doesn't have vigor if the borers don't get it something else will.

As you already know, sometimes the answer to a question isn't the direct answer.

Wow, what a lively discussion!

Just add a little more info. We just prune the tree over a week ago, the tree was not that pathetic looking before the pruning. If you look at the first picture of the upper body of the tree, you will see the 3 main branches,one on the left(3/4"in diameter), one in the middle(1/2 " diameter) and the third on the left(This is the pruned off from the thickest branch (right one), the pruned off part is about 3' from top to bottom
{{gwi:71079}}

This is the pruned off from the second thickest branch (middle one):
{{gwi:71080}}

The 3rd, thinnest one
{{gwi:71081}}

We read it somewhere tree should grow more sideway instead up and that tree was getting too tall(we think). We did not prune enough last year, so we pruned hard this year. Did we prune it wrong? Tell me where I did wrong, just don't laugh at me. Did I tell you this is my first fruit tree?:-)

Well, back to whether this one will survive. We have plenty of space in our yard to plant another peach tree somewhere else. We can always use this hole for another tree.

Went to shop for peach tree yesterday at Home Depot Lowe's and local nursery. All I can find are white princess, white lady(dwarf), redskin and dwarf Elberta everywhere. Any comments on these? I already have a redskin, so can only pick one more.

Also available is blushingstar peach tree. which is more suitable?

This year my peach trees are weird too. There are more leaves than the flower buds. And no blossoms blooming yet. Even my weeping peach tree are full with leaves and little blossoms.

Give the tree a wider grass free area- make it 5'. No they aren't "that pathetic" just inadequately vigorous. After 2 years growth that tree should be 3 times that size at least.

Blushing Star is a nice white that holds it fruit forever which comes in handy if you happen to be out of town in Aug for a spell. It is bred for commercial production so it gets up its sugar while still hard. You actually need to pick it and store it at room temp to get it to soften up.

Elberta is still one of the world's outstanding peaches- rich and sweet. It ripens fairly late and stores for at least 2 weeks when picked firm-ripe.

Only problem is big box stars are extremely unreliable in terms of providing true-to-name fruit. I'd pay a few more bucks and buy my trees from a reputable nursery instead.

All the Elberta I see are dwarf, they looked so short:-(

How is the dwarf one different from the regular other than it's short?

Posting the pictures do make a difference.
This tree was planted TOO DEEP to begin with.

Roots are of course always in contact with soil moisture.

Unlike roots, the trunk is not specialized to resist constant soil moisture. Over years, soil moisture on the trunk inhibits gas exchange and phloem cells die -> no downward movement of photosynthate food to roots -> root dieback and low water uptake.

The area of trunk + soil moisture is susceptible to invasion by canker fungi and insect borers.
Even if some chemical could magically cure this overnight, the problem still exists.

If you were to excavate the soil around the trunk . . . by hand and brush (like an archeologist might) down to the root collar, take a picture - this is the maximum height the soil or5 mulch should be for the healthiest tree.

The variety doesn't matter much if you plant this deep . . . all you wanted was to bite into your own, organic, pesticide-free heirloom Belle of Georgia or other peach. So I'd say try again but just in a mini-sized raised bed, or at least in an area a bit wider than here, but definitely keep the root collar area (which is still "trunk" - where the trunk starts to flare out) ABOVE the soil and mulch level. Stake the tree for a few years until the roots grow deep themselves - the background tree is leaning already ?

Best of luck - give the heirloom peach a fighting chance in the thicker northern soils.

I see no evidence of a tree planted too deeply. Typically peaches are recommended planted to the depth of the graft union and so it would be hard for me to tell. Potted peach trees usually aren't planted too deeply because they have much more root than can fit in the pot so they are planted shallow in the pot. The buyer tends plant flush with potting soil line.

Usually peach trees labled dwarf are on standard root stocks but they call them dwarfs because it's what the public thinks they want. A full sized peach grows like a semi-dwarf apple of average vigor.

You should go on-line and see what Adam's County Nursery has left in stock. A bare-root tree from them will almost certainly do much better than a potted tree from some big box. They can probably get it to you in a week, and it will likely be the variety they say it is which is highly dubious when trees are purchased from garden centers.

How deep is the root flare collar area under the soil and ground here ?
Especially for such a non-sandy soil the CONSTANT soil moisture on the trunk will be an eternal problem and
an issue the fungi, moth larvae, and chemical companies will all love you for not paying due attention.

I see the evidence of such in the closeup of the trunk at soil level . . .
but just dig and take the picture down at the root collar for the hard evidence verification to any doubters.

The problem with planting peach trees too deep is they tend to "wallow out" when they are young and sometimes lean because of it. However, it doesn't kill the trunk. The trunk cells below grade eventually differentiate themselves into similar tissues found in roots.

If your trees are wobbling because you planted them too deep, pack some sand around the trunk to fill in the hole and firm the tree up.

Raised beds or mounds are a good idea if you water table is extremely high, or soil drainage is poor. Otherwise it's not necessary.

The trunk may differentiate . . . but until then the cellular respiration is slower and all cell processes including differentiation would be slower. This could be even longer in a wet, non-sandy soil compared to where peaches thrive in commercial production in the South.

So plant too deep at your own peril - the trunk will not be as healthy - it will be more susceptible to many years of attack that it can't defend against completely, and those fungi and borers will be what can and does kill off the tree due to the weakened, compromised, too deeply planted trunk.

Walk around a forest and see how natural selection favors the trees that don't have this period of vulnerability -
the root collars showing are prevalent.

Especially with some shallow rootstocks like myrobalan plum, staking until deeply rooted takes hold can prevent wind uprooting -
which is the only downside to planting the root collar at soil level - whether raised bed or not.

The 100 or so 2 year peaches in my nursery have no pronounced flare, it developes when the roots become quite large. I can't determine the texture of that soil by the photo either or even if it is the soil and not some compost placed on top. It certainly looks high in organic matter. I can't perform neurology by phone interviews either.

Just a wild shot in the dark here but, could this be one example of why we aren't supposed to apply mulches right up to the trunk? Maybe it was the dreaded Vole borer digginus andinborin.

Deep mulches do such a good job of retaining moisture, if applied next to the trunk, they can cause some trunk rot before the cells differentiate.

Voles are another reason.

harvestman do you mulch your peach trees and/or do you know do commercial growers mulch their peaches?

thank you very much.

radovan

The soil is not sandy at all. The top soil you see in the picture is over 1" compost I just put on a few days ago. There are no big old trees nearby to compete with the peach tree We did plant the tree flush with potting soil line and I didn't mulch last year, did it the year before. When I do mulch or put compost on, I stop at a few inches away from the tree trunk, maybe that's still too close?

I tried to go down deeper to push more soil away from trunk, find another lava. The root collar is more than 3" below the soil line. I think it come in a pot this way. I will take a picture and post it tomorrow.

I didn't know you can mail order fruit tree, anyway it's too late. Went out this morning to a nursery further away and bought the only Belle of Georgia there and a Elberta. I have no idea whether any of the nurseries are reputable. It seems a lot of their trees are from the same source.

Found out later the Belle of Georgia is very root bound, the root colar is 2" below the potting soil line. I loosened the root ball before I plant it.

Should I paint the trunk with latex paint and put mothball around the new trees as preventive measure? The mothball should not touch the trunk, right?

By root collar, do you mean the graft union? That is the scar left from grafting the variety on the rootstock? It surprises me that a nursery would stick a tree excessively deep into a pot because there is usually too much root from the bare root tree they start with to fit in a 5 gal. pot. They cut away most of the roots but still can't stick the tree in far.

Your problem of a root bound tree can be huge and you are best off trying to untangle such roots a bit when transplanting. Actually you are best off returning the tree, taking your refund and buying your trees elsewhere. Way too late for either course of action, unfortanately, but learning from mistakes is most of what I know.

I don't know if painting helps for borers but moth balls as a preventive sounds good. Don is a reliable source of sound advice here.

Yes, ordering trees bare-root from nurseries that specialize in fruit tree production is the best way to go in the future. Sorry I wasn't prompt enough with that advice.

I should have mentioned that it is more difficult getting a potted tree to establish than a bare root tree, especially when planted after it is leafed out. They are slow sending roots into surrounding soil. The most important flush of root growth occurs just as trees are leafing out and if trees are planted after this they never establish with as much vigor the first season.

Loosen the soil down to the depth of the pot in at least 36" diameter circle- more if the soil is compacted. Then after planting mulch as directed. Do not dig hole deeper than pot because settling will cause tree to sink.

It is not where the roots are but where they are growing that is most important, however in a potted plant potting soil will dry out much quicker than the surrounding soil and you can't allow this to happen before roots have established in real soil. During dry, hot weather drying out could take just 2 days and can stunt a tree for a season.

This is a little off topic. Has anyone addressed what appears to be a root sucker. I may have missed while scanning the posts.

Eric

Oops, never mind.

Do not know for sure if this is a good practice but I do some landscaping in the summers for my brother and when we have root bound plants we take the plant out of the container then take a razor and make a few slices down the sides of the roots and then a few on the bottom. Seems to prune the roots and put the tips to the outside. Just a thought.

I hope you guy can still see this.

harvestman -- by 'root collar', I was referring to the part where the roots start to flare out. Probably not the right word.

Thanks for all the info about peach trees, I sure learn a lot. If these trees don't work, I know how to find the right tree now.

Aprium -- Here are the pictures you asked for:

1. the already damaged peache tree:

I push back the soil until I see the tree trunk/root flare out (is this what you called root flare collar area, aprium?), it's about 6-7" from soild line. Is it too deep? I also found another lava.
{{gwi:71083}}

2) new tree -- the New Root-bound Georgia peach (7' tall)
Root flare out at about 3-4" from the soil line. The top 2-3" of the pot is filled with those fine roots. What do you call that roots? I did cut up those roots a little like I treat other root-bound shrub
{{gwi:71085}}

{{gwi:71086}}

3)new tree -- the Elberta, 4 1/2 foot tall
Root flare out at about 2-3" from the soil line.
{{gwi:71087}}

{{gwi:71088}}

4) new tree -- the redskin, 2" from the soil line. (over 7' tall), the tree has so many bends, which section should be straight?
{{gwi:71089}}

While I have all of you here, any suggestions on how I should prune these trees?

All the white dots are mothballs, are they OK? Too close or too far?

pls try this site, good luck, Radovan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVcP7BHLsTw

I have a peach tree that is about 4 years old and for the first time it has peaches on it... alot of them.. but they are rotting on the tree before they get ripe..all of the are rotting.. what can I do for next season to keep them from rotting and have some nice fresh peaches...

If not to late, you may want to try an insecticide with A.I. Bifenthrin. It is sold under trade names of Bi-Fen and Onyx. It replaced Lindane and Dursban (as both are no longer avaialble) for borer control.

If your other tree is still healthy, it is good to spray as a preventative measure to prevent borers from spreading

I know this is a year later, but I have visited websites for the same problem and ended up with a very unfortunate outcome. I have seen in several places to use moth balls. I did, and now the peaches are gone. The moth balls either killed my peaches or somehow attracted an animal which took them. In addition, the leaves are turning brown. Please don't ever use moth balls on your peach tree.

I haven't checked this posting for a long time

cobble_b: thank you for your insecticide suggestion! I continue to have borer problems, will look for the spray.

RT: Sorry to hear about your peach trouble. I have been using moth balls and latex paint on all 4 of my peach trees since last year, and my peach trees are all ok and produced good peaches.

But moth ball didn't solve the problem. I still have borer problem. I am going to look for the insecticide to spray.

I got my moth ball from Walmart, and I remember the main ingredient is different from the the ingrdient listed in the earlier post (unfortunately, I lost the label). I don't know whether that made any difference.

I haven't checked this posting for a long time
cobble_b: thank you for your insecticide suggestion! I continue to have borer problems, will look for the spray.

RT: Sorry to hear about your peach trouble. I have been using moth balls and latex paint on all 4 of my peach trees since last year, and my peach trees are all ok and produced good peaches.

But moth ball didn't solve the problem. I still have borer problem. I am going to look for the insecticide to spray.

I got my moth ball from Walmart, and I remember the main ingredient is different from the the ingrdient listed in the earlier post (unfortunately, I lost the label). I don't know whether that made any difference.

hello all, any advice using moth balls? does it work or not?

And that was just the first one I found!