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ronnieshaw

Contender Peach not leafed out!

ronnieshaw
10 years ago

Hi I live in Minneapolis and I have a Contender peach in my front yard. It has been there for 3 and half years and last year was the first year it had peaches. I thinned heavily so that it didn't overbear fruit and all seemed well. So the problem is that it is June 1st a year later and I has not leafed out yet. I know it has been a wet cold spring but I am starting to worry. I've done the scratch test and its branches are supple and green underneath.The buds are just fuzzy gray not swollen at all. So any insight as to what is going on would help ease my mind! The peach is on the right with the white trunk protector on it.

Comments (13)

  • valgor
    10 years ago

    I planted two contender peaches this year. One started leafing out while the other was about two weeks behind. Just started leafing out three days ago. They were bought from the same place, but one a lot bigger than the other, the bigger one being the one not leafing out til late. Maybe all the rain and cooler weather we've been having in our areas has something to do with it. Not much to do but wait and see...

  • mark_roeder 4B NE Iowa
    10 years ago

    I grow peaches and roses. My peach trees have come back from a miserable 2012. I lost quite a few rose bushes to the drought. Roses are closely related to peach trees. Maybe it was the combination of fruit bearing and drought that stressed your tree?

    It has been a very late spring in NE Iowa. I culled marble sized peaches yesterday. Peachlets are abundant here. Last year the thining was in April. In 2012, the that fruit weren't ruined by the freezes in May, were consumed by Japanese Beetles in July. I had no harvestable fruit in 2012. Wish you the best.

  • daemon2525
    10 years ago

    It looks like it has leaves to me? Am I missing something?

  • franktank232
    10 years ago

    Same here..looks leafed out...

  • Tony
    10 years ago

    Frank,

    Possibly, that was last year photo.

    Tony

  • ronnieshaw
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here is another angle of the tree!

  • ronnieshaw
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here is another angle of the tree! I did not let it bear many fruit last year I only got about 15 peaches last year because I wanted to be sure not to stress the tree. That being said they were the most delicious peaches I have ever had and my family will be very disappointed if we don't get any this year! I know that my entire garden is like a month behind where it was last year at this time.

    {{!gwi}}

  • ronnieshaw
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The first picture was from last year(with leaves) the second is this year! Sorry I forgot to mention that!

  • ronnieshaw
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks valgor I good to hear that there is still some hope for my tree.

  • Tony
    10 years ago

    You can scratch the bark to see if it is still alive. Green is good.

    Tony

  • ronnieshaw
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Tony I did the scratch test and it is green. In the picture you can see it is on a mound, the area below is a dry creek bed. I was thinking with all the rain maybe it has "wet feet" and that and the cool temps are slowing the break in dormancy. Does anyone think that is a good theory?

  • mark_roeder 4B NE Iowa
    10 years ago

    What do the leaf and flower buds look like? Are they swelled? It has been a late spring here, too. But you are no more than 2 weeks behind us, probably less. But your peach tree is 4 weeks behind us.

    I would hope for the best and plan for the worst, i.e. I would be prepared to buy a new tree, now if I could. Probably too late to get one now, but you might check. Then you have two (or one if this one dies). A peach tree in a weakened condition, is not much good to you. And two are better than one.

  • olpea
    10 years ago

    Based on the photo and all the greenery in the background, I would guess your peach tree is dead. Sometimes newly planted peach trees will be slow to leaf, but yours is an established tree. Sorry, but probably dead.