My semi-dwarf peach tree died last year and I want to put another fruit tree in the same spot.
I think it might be a mistake to put another peach there, in case there's some disease peculiar to peaches still present in the soil.
I need something self-pollinating as I don't have room for 2. Right now I'm considering a prune plum. Anyone got any comments/ideas?
BTW, I'm in zone 5 in eastern WA, and in an apple maggot control area.
If you do have a disease organism in the soil, say borers, then plums( or other stone fruit) will be susceptible to the same organisms. You might try an unrelated fruit tree.
Larry, You did not say the age of your peach tree. Semi-dwarf peach trees don't have a long lifetime, probably less than 12 years. If your tree died rather quickly, say in one season, chances are that it was a pest or some disease that killed it. If it slowly deteriorated over several seasons, that would indicate it went from old age. If you suspect a quick die-off, try and pin down what killed the tree. Did the leaves curl up, etc., and try and identify the problem. Certain stone fruit trees are known for their resistance to disease and/or pests. You will have to do some research to find them. If you choose plums, I have a European Plum (Stanley) which is quite hardy, and I am also in zone 5. Almost all the European Plums are self-fertile. If you determine the cause of the peach tree dying, you can make a better decision on what to replace it with. I would not rule out another peach tree like Reliance or Raritan Rose, both of which are winter hardy (both tree and buds). To fight diseases, I would recommend a good spray schedule, or try to find a resistant peach.
Sherwin Dubren
Larry Blanchard wrote:
It was a semi-dwarf Reliance peach and it was at least 12 years old. So it probably did die of old age.
That assumed, I think I'll plant another one. Sure are good peaches. That is, what the birds, squirrels, skunks, and raccoons leave for us.
Thanks for the info - I never though of plain old age. I guess I thought trees lived forever, although I do remember that Lombardy poplars are fairly short-lived. But that's not a tree, it's a weed :-).
I have some wooden bowls that were turned from apple wood from a hundred year old orchard that went for a housing development.
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