Trying to get picture[IMG]http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll133/pueokai/DSCI0010.jpg[/IMG]

My peach trees do this yearly at different times before or while flowering....so I don't think it is a disease unless the tree are emitting excessive gum from the trunk. To my knowledge tristeza is a virus that primarily attacks citrus so peaches should be safe from it.

Hey thanks Carlos ! that really takes a load off my mind

So Carlos - I finally learned how to download the pics - check em out and please help me - are all those litle bumps gonna be peaches ? Should I have more flowers ? When will the tree start to fill back in ? I love my little peach tree and if this works out woould like to get the plum and apricot.

I'm so envious of you, pueokai. Does your peach tree bear large fruits before? What elevation are you in? I ask this questions because I have an apple tree--and the apple tree didn't have that large defoliation like what your peach tree is experiencing currently. My apple tree also produced previous two batches of small fruits. However the third current batches is producing a slightly larger fruit than before.

I'm just guessing here, perhaps your leaf loss is due to the chilly weather we had few weeks ago? And perhaps that is also the reason why my apple fruits is a bit larger in size. But what do I know, I don't have that much experience in temperate fruit trees.

Randg,

We are at 800 ft here in Kalaheo, about 15 minutes from the south coastline. What kind of apples are you growing ? I thought mountain apple was our only choice here in Hawaii.

My tree is starting to get back a few leaves and a couple flowers. It had one small peach on it when I bought it, and its been a little less than a year since I got it. I'm sure hopin it does something !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What elevation you at ? What are you doing about fertilizer, etc.?

I live in Waipahu in Oahu; it is at sea level, usually a dry, hot climate. The apple tree I'm growing is called Semi-Dwarf Dorsett Golden Apple. When it produced a bunch of blossoms I was surprise and then laughed with joy when it bear a few small fruits.

As for fertilizer, I just gave it a steer manure as a mulch few months ago, I made sure however the manure does not touch the base of the tree. After doing this fertilizer treatment, the fruits is noticeably much larger than before.

These will act goofy there because they are not getting a winter chilling period. Stone fruits in particular usually need this. Warm climate cultivars like the apple mentioned are recommended for mild areas because they have a shorter chilling requirement than other kinds.

But they still have a chilling requirement. Even in southern California and probably most of Florida there may quite a few nights during the winter when it gets below 40 degrees F.

Randg your pictures of the golden Dorsetts are great ! Congratulations on your success ! My peach is starting to put out lots of blossoms and a little tiny peach has started to form and some leaves are coming back. Ill try the steer manure today. Oh, please help out Koloaman with his flickr picture downloads so we can get him some help with his trees if possible. I'll post some new pictures of my peach ASAP. Nice to see some more folks getting involved on this site.

Aloha

What fertilizer to use depends on what minerals are already in the soil and what could stand to be added. Bagged composted steer manure is mostly an organic matter source and not very high in nutrients.

Here is a pic of the tree now, flowers and peaches. Thanks Carlos and randg !

Here is a link that might be useful:

Here is the tree now complete with new leaves, flowers and peaches. Thanks all

Hi Pueokai..I just came across this thread and saw your photos. You should read about pruning peach trees, they fruit on new growth which is produced by pruning all the branches. It is common to cutback 1/3rd to 1/2 of the length of each branch, especially all young branches. I see many un-pruned branches in the photos, that's why I'm butting in here. Peach pruning is usually done in the spring, trying to avoid a rainy period...but I don't know how it's done in Hawaii. However, if you don't do it every year, you'll get a stringy looking tree and a lot fewer fruit.

Hope you don't mind this, but I grow and graft a lot of fruit trees(at home) here in S. Calif. It's really nice to see that you can grow peaches over there.

John

Aloha John, don't mind a bit of advice at all - after all, thats what these forums are for. But you aren't suggesting I trim now with the fruit on it are you ? Any detailed instructions you can provide with regard to this tree being trimmed or any other advice would be greatly appreciated !

Aloha jbclem,

The peaches are gone. What do i do now ? Don't leave us in the lurch ! We need your expertise ! LOL

Please respond if your out there !

Mahalo,

Mark

You should have taken picture of your ripe peaches! By the way, when you bought the peach tree how tall was it? I recently bought a peach tree this afternoon and I'm hoping it will grow as tall as your peach tree and bear fruits like yours.

They didn't get a heck of a lot bigger than that last picture - a little smaller than a major league baseball. Same color as the picture except a little deeper red and yellow instead of the green. But they sure were sweet ! Took the birds several weeks to figure out what they were.

I bought them from the same K-mart or Wal mart And they are from Pang nursey on the Big Island. Come in a long black ( 1 or 3 gallon I think) bag and cost 20 somethin bucks.

Just got the Misty blueberry but it doesn't look so good since I planted it. Lost a bunch of leaves. Also just got the apricot, but bugs ate off all their leaves - but now with wetter trade weather - they are growing back (this has also been happening to my mountain apples ! )Don't know if its grasshoppers - or them nightime beetles or maybe slugs. Any guesses ?

Oh - only took about a year for the peach to easy double in size and get the peaches ! All the leaves turned brown and started falling off, then all of a sudden came back to life and flowered and made peaches.

Aloha

Well, my Florida Prince Peach tree lost all the leaves and is just now getting some back. I pruned it good per the videos I saw on you tube and such, hope I get a good crop before the birds figure it out this year.

Bought the Anna Apple a few weeks ago - but it's not lookin that good yet.

My blueberry died - tried everything - coffee grounds, etc. but it never got new leaves. Haven't seen anymore in the stores lately.

The apricot tree is just kind of hanging out - hasn't died but just hanging in limbo. Gets new leaves but the bugs eat em fast.

Any advice gang ?

Mahalo

kennyb posted a FPP thread in the fruit and orchard forum and got some interesting replies. Check it out.