anyone here do peaches organically?

[lorian]

Does anyone, or has anyone ever heard of, doing peaches organically?
Even a book or article ref. would be great. I've been mulching, manuring and working on them thru the year and so far they look good. But usually round mid-peach growth they get this sappy-drippy brown look and they fall off.
any advice?

[birdie_poo]

I do all my fruit organically. I only grow for self consumption so anything that has a borrer in it is either cut to remove it or given to the animals...they like the worms.

Try GARDENS ALIVE...they sell organic pest control and bene bugs, too.

[Jenn]

What is the disease that causes the drop? Bet there's an organic treatment for it, and sulfur/Bordeaux mix I think still qualifies as organic. In cen TX I had two large peach trees which bore bushels with no chemicals over my 4 years there. I had an orchard full of peach trees planted in a poorly draining plain which over 4 years ( and planted before those 4 years) never amounted to much productivity wise. I do think when I left the bigger trees were getting peach borers and wish I'd done more (which can be done organically) to prevent that.

Now just started a peach orchard- no chemicals planned but will watch/treat for borers.

[Tricky Grama]

Lorian-

Go to www.dirtdoctor.com

You have to be a member to post but you can use the website for any info. There's a 'library' on the home page, on the left it's listed. All alphabetically. So go to 'P' and look up peaches. Or maybe it would be under 'F' for fruit trees.

Guess I coulda been a good HT'er & checked for you 1st! It IS a good website, tho.

Patty

[ajaxlucy]

We used to have a peach tree. The fruit got brown rot every year, then the tree died after about 10 years.

[anniew]

I don't use anything on my peach trees. I've had brown rot, but last year when I thinned the fruit to 8 inches apart, it was insignificant.
Peaches are not long lived fruit trees, but usually they will fruit in only 2-3 years after planting.
Good luck with yours.
Ann

[Tricky Grama]

Copied this from the dirtdoctor website. The 'sprays' & 'treatments' are also listed there-easy to mix up: 'garrett juice' etc. Good luck-Patty

Deciduous ornamental or fruit tree



HEIGHT: 10 to 15 feet. Can attain a maximum height of about 25 feet.
SPREAD: 10 to 15 feet
FINAL SPACING: 15 to 30 feet



NATURAL HABITAT AND PREFERRED SITE: Peach tree is native to China but adapts well to a wide range of soils as long as they are well drained.



IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION: Peaches are spreading, ornamental and fruiting trees that have early spring flowers of all colors followed by either ornamental or edible fruit.



FLOWERS AND FRUIT: Colorful flowers form in the early spring in a wide range of colors from white to pink and various shades of red. Flowers expand before the leaves in March through May. Flowering trees produce almost no fruit at all. The edible peaches form a delicious soft, fuzzy-covered fruit in the mid to late summer. The fruit is actually a droop maturing July through October generally. Flowers are pink before the leaves. Fruit color, shape and size will vary due depending on the cultivar. Peach fruit is delicious but flowers are also edible.



BARK: Smooth with a metallic silver gray or brown appearance when young developing a heavier texture with age. Mature trees will develop furrowed bark.



FOLIAGE: Leaves are simple, alternate, elongated and sometimes clustered. They are thin, 3 to 6 inches long and bright green. Fall color is usually yellow. Finely sawtooth margin. Leaves tend to drop early.



CULTURE: Flowering peach trees are easy to grow for a wonderfully colorful flower display in the spring.



PROBLEMS: Peach trees are attacked by a variety of pests because they are not well adapted. Flare ups of insects and disease can be knocked back with Garrett Juice plus garlic and potassium bicarbonate. Insect pests can also be controlled with fire ant control mixture used as a spray or other citrus based products. Trees in severe stress with lots of problems should be treated with the Sick Tree Treatment.



PROPAGATION: To get the fruit desired, propagation must be done by cuttings. To get a “who knows what” peach, plant seed. Softwood cuttings and grafting of cultivars also is done.



INSIGHT: An excellent plant for attracting beneficial insects. There are many varieties that I recommend for Texas, consult the Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening Book by Garrett and Beck.