Peach Trees, Garlic and Water Bottles

  With spring bursting at the seams with its floral display, one cannot help but be totally enchanted by the change that has taken place.  Just a couple of weeks ago, the place was that drab "winter" brown with dead leaves on the ground and bare trees.  Then, Lady Spring made her entrance and adorned every branch with either a blossom or a budding leaf.  The look is magnificent!

  Down near the canebrake, the old peach orchard still has a few trees struggling to flourish.  Tree borers killed a good many of the trees during an off season when we were not diligent about protecting them  Now a few linger and, perhaps with our efforts, can survive.  Lady Spring made sure we would not forget the trees again this year.   The few remaining trees are covered with the largest, healthiest blooms possible!  Maybe our efforts are succeeding.  Now, if I can only keep the squirrels, coons and deer out of the fruit trees, I will be happy!

  Speaking of peach tree borers, I am beginning to wonder if I should have heeded Pop's advice.  Back on the farm, he never had a problem after he began the "fix".  Pop did not mind trying unusual methods to remedy problems.  For the borers, he planted garlic around each tree.  Supposedly, the larvae do not like garlic.  When they make that trek from the soil to the tree trunk, they are hesitant to pass through the garlic cloves.  I figure this is worth a shot!  I have plenty of garlic to plant.  Also, to help with worms in the peaches, he used to hang a simple bottle of water in each tree. I am not sure how this helped but I never remember biting into a worm when eating a peach.  Again, this may be worth trying.  For now, I will enjoy the beauty.  Tomorrow, I plant garlic.

A hefty blow by Mother Nature!

  Sometimes things are just not able to stand up to the forces of nature.  Mother Nature has been throwing a good bit of squally weather at us this spring and some of my fruit trees are succumbing to her winds.  The peach trees in the back are heavy laden with fruit causing the limbs to be much heavier than normal.   Add that to the fact that several trees were attacked by borers a few years back and those limbs are not able to endure any high winds at all.  Two weeks ago, we were dealt another round of stormy days and, sure enough, the largest peach tree bit the dust.  The tree split asunder causing great damage to even the part still standing.  It saddened me to see the hundred or so underdeveloped peaches trying to still mature on this branch.  I hated to make the cut but without some help, the entire tree would die.  I am still not certain it will survive this blow.

  Although for the past couple of years, we have not gotten fruit from the trees due to one reason or another, I had high hopes that this would be a bountiful year.  I miss my peaches!  Peaches are one of the best fruits to eat if you are wanting something sweet yet healthy. Research shows that the pulp in peaches can help ward off obesity related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. They are also an excellent source of Vitamin C and fiber which help in the prevention of certain cancers.  Plus the Vitamin C helps to improve the skin and protect it against damage caused by sun exposure and pollution.  Think wrinkles here, folks!  Peaches, with their Vitamin C, help us avoid wrinkles!  

  Barring any other setbacks, the remainder of the trees are looking healthy. Mother Nature needs to calm down a bit for the rest of the growing season and allow the trees to concentrate on producing fruit! Hopefully, the coons, birds, squirrels and deer will find tasty treats elsewhere and leave the fruit alone.  I really would like some of my peaches!

Live and Learn...

About this time last year, I spotted a strange looking "bee" on the fig tree.  I posted that I had never seen this critter before and was curious as to just what sort of bug it was as it seemed to be wearing tiny yellow shoes.  I am one that usually goes by the motto of "Live and let live!" but this is one instance when I wish I had followed the "Smack 'em dead!" line of thinking!  This innocent-looking bug has come back to be haunt me in the worst way possible!  It has attacked my peach trees!  Early this spring, I noticed that there were not nearly as many blooms on the trees.  This bothered me a bit but I figured that most everything needed an "off" season occasionally.  These young trees have over-produced each year since we planted them so one season's rest did not upset me.  What did upset me was what I discovered this morning.  Son and I were making our usual early morning run-through of the days chores when we ambled through the gardens. Entering the peach orchard was a normal stop on our routine walk.  There, we wished to check on the Crowder peas that he had planted last week.  Yep!  Those peas were sprouting just fine!  Then a sinking feeling hit my stomach.

Peach borers!  On the trunks of several of the trees, sap oozed from tiny holes.  This sap glistened in the sun as it ran in thick globules down the rough bark.  No wonder the trees did not look healthy...they were not!  My mind went back in time as I searched my memory for any unusual bug that might have been the culprit.  The Yellow-shoed Bee came to mind.  After a bit of research, I came to the realization that I should have not been so nice to that bug!  I should have gone with instinct and smashed it to smithereens!  Now, I am seeing the damage that this innocent looking (almost cute) insect has inflicted upon my trees!  I did a bit more research trying to find a method of eradicating the borers from my trees. It seems as though the fly will lay her eggs at the base of the tree.  Once the eggs hatch, the larvae will tunnel its way through the bark and into the trunk of the tree.  There it will remain munching away until frost.  Then it will sit dormant until spring then emerge as an adult to start the process all over again. Nothing seems to get rid of them once they have tunneled their way into the trunk of the peach tree but there are some preventive methods that prove to be helpful.  Traps baited with pheromones draw the adult fly to their death.  These traps usually only last about eight weeks so it is prudent to set them when the adults are most active.  According to all I read, this activity is at its peak during the latter part of May and throughout June and July. Rarely does the egg-laying extend into August.

Now comes a pondering!  Will garlic planted at the base of the trees prevent the peach borers?  The reason I ask..Dad always insisted that garlic would keep the tree borer-free.  He had large clumps of garlic planted at the base of each tree and never seemed to have any problems.  My thought..if the fly depends upon pheromones to attract a mate, perhaps the garlicky smell messes with their ability to detect these pheromones.  It sure seems like it would be worth a try!  Then, again, this is the same man who insisted that a glass jar of water hung from a branch of the peach tree would keep worms from the fruit! Oh...come to think of it...he never was bothered with wormy peaches either.  Bring on the garlic....and the jars of water!