HI everyone,
I posted this in the pest forum but no response.
I learned too late that I missed the window for spraying my peach tree & it suffered very bad leaf curl. so I was willing to just wait it out to see how the tree did but now something is really obliterating the leaves. I found this bug but not sure if this is the culprit or even what it is. You'll see a pic of how bad the leaves are doing.
Anyone also know what I can spray it with? I don't want to use anything too harsh, but I think the tree is in dire straits!
Thanks
Peach tree devastated, fungus+pest?
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That looks like some sort of Sheild Bug ( stink bug).
They don't normally cause very severe damage to plants unless they are in huge numbers. Check your plant over.
If there is nothing around then the odds are that the culprit has gone. Keep an eye on the new leaves that are forming.
Try a soap spray...but if not check at your local Garden centre for a suitable spray.
They don't normally cause very severe damage to plants unless they are in huge numbers. Check your plant over.
If there is nothing around then the odds are that the culprit has gone. Keep an eye on the new leaves that are forming.
Try a soap spray...but if not check at your local Garden centre for a suitable spray.
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meshmouse
- Senior Member
- Posts: 132
- Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 10:14 am
- Location: Long Island NY USA zone7a
Hey HGrep -
This is what I would do to start.
Hot pepper/garlic spray. The theory is that the things that eat your leaves, won't do so once this spray is applied. I have found it to be fairly effective.
Get some cayanne or hot pepper powder (or what ever the hottest thing you can get is) and some raw garlic cloves. One quart of water, 2 Tb hot powder, 2 crushed/minced cloves of garlic. Simmer one hour (others say ten minutes, but I've found it gets hotter up to an hour). Cool and strain. Fine mesh first, then thru a coffee filter. Dilute 50/50 with water and spray.
Some add simple (plain as possible - defintely not anti-bacterial) dishsoap (from a few drops to a quarter cup per quart batch), some add some veg oil (same proportions). Some add both in varying proportions. This supposedly allows for greater adheasion to leaf surface as well as some 'rain proofness'. Otherwise, you would need to re-apply after each rain (which I would do anyway).
There is the possibility that the oil/soap additions can also act as insecticides, non-discriminatly smothering/killing desireable and undesireable insects alike. So be careful around bees, ladybugs, etc. if doing so. Spray early or late rather than mid-day.
The standard warning would be to always test spray on a small area first and wait a day to see if there is any adverse reaction. If not, proceed. Personally, I would just proceed.
Again, I'm not an expert, but this is where I would start to keep things organic and have a chance of beating back the pests.
Good luck - meshmouse
This is what I would do to start.
Hot pepper/garlic spray. The theory is that the things that eat your leaves, won't do so once this spray is applied. I have found it to be fairly effective.
Get some cayanne or hot pepper powder (or what ever the hottest thing you can get is) and some raw garlic cloves. One quart of water, 2 Tb hot powder, 2 crushed/minced cloves of garlic. Simmer one hour (others say ten minutes, but I've found it gets hotter up to an hour). Cool and strain. Fine mesh first, then thru a coffee filter. Dilute 50/50 with water and spray.
Some add simple (plain as possible - defintely not anti-bacterial) dishsoap (from a few drops to a quarter cup per quart batch), some add some veg oil (same proportions). Some add both in varying proportions. This supposedly allows for greater adheasion to leaf surface as well as some 'rain proofness'. Otherwise, you would need to re-apply after each rain (which I would do anyway).
There is the possibility that the oil/soap additions can also act as insecticides, non-discriminatly smothering/killing desireable and undesireable insects alike. So be careful around bees, ladybugs, etc. if doing so. Spray early or late rather than mid-day.
The standard warning would be to always test spray on a small area first and wait a day to see if there is any adverse reaction. If not, proceed. Personally, I would just proceed.
Again, I'm not an expert, but this is where I would start to keep things organic and have a chance of beating back the pests.
Good luck - meshmouse