We moved into this house under stress. The old owners moved out under stress though both sides did everything they could to make it easy on the other.
The house so big…four times the square footage I am accustomed to taking care of. I didn’t pay attention what I thought were little June bugs on the grapes, even though they were screwing their brains out on the leaves.
Suffice to say, I now know what a Japanese Beetle is. I am also well acquainted with Brown Rot on peaches and various other sundries. I am in an all out war to save the trees & fruit around here. It’s such a Mars Pluto-type problem. Fight to the death. Total war.
The DUMP?
Gross, says Libra.
But I have to purge every last peach (a few more hundred pounds), otherwise the spores stick around and rise up again next year.
Being cheap…or poor or whatever, I did not want to go to the expense of treating the trees via the roots, but now I see I have to. Because backpack sprayers are harder (for a woman) to use then they seem “on tv”. I just can’t spray up high enough to reach the foliage on top and I can see them up there, screwing away!
So I’m hitting this from all angles now. And next year, I hope people can come here and take all the peaches they want. It’s sickening to throw all this food away. Heartbreaking. Because there are plenty of people who could use it and would like to have it.
At this point, most the peaches on the lower branches are cleared. I work on this a little each day, but I think I’m going to have to wait for the fruit up top to die and drop…pick up every last stone. I’m optimistic though!
I’m optimistic, by next year I’ll be able to make the fruit salad of my dreams. I have a non-producing plum tree, too. It’s because it needs a mate. So I just think this is a Plutonian process, sort of like the gal with Saturn in Scorpio transiting her 4th house. We’re going through this, but not forever.
PS those beetles can defoliate an entire peach tree in 15 minutes. I’ll snap some pics when I have a chance.
https://elsaelsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/japanese-beetle-damage-overnight.jpg
They hit this tree overnight. I don’t know what kind of tree it is…it’s small. But half it’s leaves – gone!
Check at your local farm store or Co-Op for helpful Nematodes they take care of over 150 in ground born bests that plague trees, shrubs, gardens and humans. They are not overly expensive and are amazing.
I find this website incredibly useful, and not just for plants:
http://www.perelandra-ltd.com
A heads-up: it’s a game-changer!
+1 on the nematodes. Nature does the job much more thoroughly than we ever can. There’s probably a species specific to the pests you mention.
Ya gonna snaps some pics, huh?? Cool.
They’re not wearin’ those kookie Anime outfits are they??
I guess that’s alright. It’s good somebody’s gettin’ something around here.
I like peaches. Insect porn, not so much.
lol
I too love peaches…I would love a fruit tree of my own.
I wonder if you have any lemon trees…? I think having one of those would be cool, but you obviously have your hands full with that peach beetle mess…
Ah well…the joys of upkeep on your own property! I think right now I’d welcome a problem like that.
We have two mature peach trees, a plum tree old enough to bear fruit but needs a partner tree.
We have a young apple tree as well, with one apple on it. Not sure the situation with it, but it’s covered with fungus like everything else.
It’s not helped that it rained and rained and rained here. I am going to talk to the old owners first chance I get. They’re busy too, squatting in a tiny, dilapidated house while they build their new house. We are still storing their stuff in our barn. He’s trying to get a garage up, but they’re running into problems. I also here he’s postponing the building – a guy he knows is going to frame his house for $2.50 a foot!!!!!
So really, this year, I just want to keep everything alive, learn all I can, get what I can from the garden and be ready next year.
I hope to get the second peach tree in, this fall. Also to get a large arbor built for the grapes by next season. They are producing fruit but would to a lot better with proper support.
Bottom line, I did grow up with fruit trees, lots of them, up until the day my mother chopped them all down (50 + mature trees) with an ax.
We also grew grapes so I know what I’m doing, just rusty…seeing as it’s been decades!
And hopefully my husband will be here to help me, eventually. I was not supposed to be doing this alone. It’s quite unbelievable and not just to me.
Aww man! But thankful you are working away. And that Saturn in Scorpio post was so helpful, mine isn’t in the 4th, but just the reminder that it won’t stay at the bottom of my chart forever was helpful.
Thanks. 🙂
Elsa, this will be the last year that happens, by Jove! (<– –Jupiter) Nailing it from every angle will make a good crop next year. You mention a Mars Pluto type problem, a fight to the death, total war. Gee, no wonder – my chart? Mars in Cancer 10th opposite Pluto in Capricorn 4th. Who knows where I'll be this time next year? As if you haven't had enough with the move and all else, "Here Come the Beetles!" Seems it's been a year like that, so far, for many. Good luck to you!
Yeah, I don’t mean to bitch. We’re really lucky to be here. We’re blessed beyond belief. It’s just been quite hard. But I definitely think what I’m doing is worthwhile and I have no regrets!
Today the day lilies even seemed off…I went down there and cleaned them out.
The old owners did a great job here but the husband had an injury that kept him off his feet for two years. He ultimately lost a piece of his foot – this is why they sold. So I think he did such a good job…and had family helping when he was off his feet, the outside was not maintained like he would have liked so I’m faced with a bit of catch up.
Plus we (he) got the garden in, but soil test and all that? Forget it!
What I’m saying is I have had a lot of work to do, but the planning, foresight, design…all of these elements are there to the nth degree. And I will freeze those peaches next year..whatever is left. Because I LOVE smoothies!
I found mushrooms too…I wonder. And I will get some berries eventually, though I’m told we have someone on our land, where we did not build. I don’t know where that land is, lol. Near here, somewhere.
Mushrooms. I wonder too. Not there yet. Tricky, aren’t they? Or so they say. I did not go this far in life to be taken down by poison. Not worth it. I hope it does not turn out to be another ruse, much worry about nothing. Sweet mystery of nature. Who am I to trust on that? It’s all so much fun, isn’t it? This ol planet is sooooo interesting.
(((Elsa)))
I just filled another grocery bag. Pretty soon I will have to climb in the tree, or stand on a ladder on a hill, lol. I’m not even sure the brown stones will drop. But on the upside, there may be some fruit not affected. MAY.
I didn’t think there was that many peaches until I started to pick them all. It’s been an education!
You can also call your nearest university’s agricultural dept for advice on the issue.
They usually love to help people as they learn from it too, and will have amassed data and tips from others in your precise geographic area. They offer tremendous free advice, while getting data from you for their work too, and you can sort of befriend them and stay in touch.
Our friends did this in caring for their grape vines two years ago, and have been so grateful for the wisdom and help and new friendship!
Its a constant battle with insects and nature if you’re growing any kind of food. I’ve always had a garden and use organic fertilizers and solutions for insects. This company has some great organic solutions and they sell nematodes for your beetle problem. http://www.gardensalive.com/product/grub-away-nematodes-1/pest-control
I use their product, Tomatoes Alive, on my tomatoes and it really increases the yield a lot.
I know you want everything, the way you want it. But jeez Woman, it’ll all get done, just not in one day lol. Slow and steady wins the race. Some days you’ll get farther than other days! We got beetles here too, very hard to eradicate, but they haven’t seen the likes of you Elsa!
I actually have to respond, now. Did you click the pic above? When I went to bed, that tree was fine. I woke up and 50% of the leaves were gone.
I would like to get settled as soon as I can though. You’d not criticize me, if you had spent the last 15 months with your life up in the air. Never mind the things I’ve not mentioned! So yes! I want to be settled into our bedroom in this house. Three more weeks it might actually happen.
Elsa, I feel for ya. Back when I was living in the country with the ex, we got a bad infestation. And you are right, those little suckers really devastate an area in no time flat. We cut down and burned a lot of the branches, spread diatomaceous earth on the ground, and even so, we still found some which, I learned, can be knocked down off the leaves when it’s hot out. You get a bucket of water, some dish soap in it, and ya drown ’em. Also, chickens love to eat those babies, so once you get the main infestation under control, get some chickens. You get eggs and they eat the bugs. Good luck! This is a very hellish problem indeed.
I’m pretty sure I can avoid this next year. I was slow to react. I had no clue what I was up against…but now those bastards are up against me and I will prevail!
Yes I clicked on the pic. My rose bushes look dreadfully similar. Like a plague of locusts, those beetles. I only meant to constructively helpful, and not critical of you. I understand, really, I do.
Thanks. I am definitely touchy. I am here alone, and have been. I am doing what has to be done, not because I want to but because this work had fallen to me and me alone.
Luckily, I’ve managed. But part of the way I do that is by keeping up my momentum. I am sick ad shit. Believe me if someone was here to help, I’d not be doing this in this way. But the cards were dealt and of course I’m going to play them…skillfully.
Sick ad shit. You are so funny.
I know how hard it is to take care of a lot of property. I used to bust my a$$ doing it and my husband did too when he could. Now we’re both old and we pay to have someone else do most of it. We just use them once a month and maintain it the rest of the time on our own.
You should look into that. It really wasn’t as expensive as I thought and it helped us tremendously.
I have already paid for help and have the name of a guy for end of the season. I’m doing this in the smartest, most efficient way possible. I’m also establishing my reputation at this time. It’s simple, but complicated too. I just don’t have time to go into this properly, but I wrote about the difference between religions. This has play.