3

I had to transplant this young dwarf peach as the site I had planted it in 2 years ago is now due to be built over. So, I've moved it into a pot pending its final location.

But I noticed this problem which I wonder has occurred at the graft site though it looks very high up on the stem, so maybe it's not the graft location. Do I need to do anything about it?

stem problem

Dwarf peach tree

And a close up of the area above

enter link description here

Graham Chiu
  • 23,044
  • 5
  • 36
  • 92
  • There's a shiny blackened area above the branch joint in the first picture - is that weeping from the trunk, or something else? – Bamboo Jan 09 '18 at 00:34
  • It feels like some type of dry exudate. I've taken another picture from where it probably came from. – Graham Chiu Jan 09 '18 at 02:44
  • It looks rather like gummosis/canker, but if its dry and doesn't start exuding again, you might get away with it. Otherwise the area you're worried about does look rather like a bad graft, but it hard to say - it would have had to have been grafted as a standard, that is, the scion was grafted on top of a long straight stem off the rootstock. Not much you can do about problems at a graft point. – Bamboo Jan 09 '18 at 03:23
  • Do you have good bypass pruners? This last picture: cut off the four little branches to the right of the trunk. Wait, until I am able see better just 3...all three are dead. The closest branch I would use a spacer to increase the angle between that branch and the main trunk...just a chunk of 1" diameter branch you've cut off. Or just send more pictures. These trees always have lots of weeping. No big deal. That odd part of the trunk is fine EXCEPT in high winds. The tree will break off at that point. Rare thing to happen. – stormy Jan 09 '18 at 03:27

1 Answers1

2

This peach tree looks incredibly healthy for being dug up and potted. Seriously! That graft or injury is just fine. Obviously because the top growth isn't even wilted! Your tree looks very healthy. It would not if there were any problems with this injury, from staking or graft? This looks just fine. Keep it watered. How long until it gets its new home? I'd give it a little balanced fertilizer. Leave it alone except for regular watering, 2 X a week soaked?

When did you dig it up? I'd love to hear that part of the story and so would others. Did you do this last winter...for you...or during the growth season? Is this potting soil or the soil it was already in? (one of the rare exceptions for not using potting soil). Depends on how long before you'll be able to transplant it into a forever home...

As far as I am concerned this tree removal was a success! You should definitely aim for your fall/winter to transplant again. No later. Mycorrhizae addition when transplanting. Excellent health for a newly potted tree from the garden...did this tree have staking?

stormy
  • 40,098
  • 3
  • 31
  • 75
  • It's one month into our summer and I dug it up two days ago, and potted it then. It had been staked but the ties had rotted long ago. There's also leaf curl affecting the new and old leaves but it's not as bad as it was early summer. – Graham Chiu Jan 09 '18 at 02:46
  • The staking was done well down near the base using cloth and there's no damage from that. – Graham Chiu Jan 09 '18 at 03:12
  • The staking ties would easily have created the damage on the trunk. This tree was planted 2 years ago, correct? I am seeing some very happy leaf chewing...beetles...probably. Leaf curl helps protect the leaves when there are leaf eating beetles around. Happens an awful lot on Rhododendrons to the point they made rhododendrons WITH curled leaf edges. When do you think this tree will be able to planted? Two days ago? I would expect to see wilt and not seeing wilt. Amazing Graham. – stormy Jan 09 '18 at 03:16
  • Staking near the base? Huh. The higher the staking the more efficient according to physics! Probably turned out to be a very good thing because I am firmly against staking except for bare root trees and wind blown trees. Keep that tree well watered, I'd do every other day soaked. That tree has lost an awful lot of fine feeder roots. Keep it watered well. Allow it to dry out a day then soak it again. This is a newbie tree transplant...I thought this tree had been dug up a while ago. Only 2 days? Usually if there was any problem you'd see it by now. Cross my fingers! – stormy Jan 09 '18 at 03:21
  • Gees, send me a plane ticket and I'll take care of everything, sleep in a tent, on the ground...I hate winter!!! Grins!! – stormy Jan 09 '18 at 03:29
  • I staked near the bottom to allow some movement in the wind. But I had planted it into hard clay and I suspect the clay just made another pot in the ground so it was easy to remove. – Graham Chiu Jan 09 '18 at 03:34
  • Ok, here's my repotting video! https://youtu.be/_gbJ9Q8yJsQ – Graham Chiu Jan 09 '18 at 03:41
  • No, clay is no pot type analogy. Clay is great soil, Graham. Most trees are grown in clay just for the reason it is easier to maintain a smaller rootball thus easier to dig up. Are you planting it into clay again? Yes? Good. Like soil to like soil. Glad you allowed movement for wind but when you transplant again, the leaves should have fallen? Does that happen? If not, then you will have to stake for a few months, loosely, no longer. Do leaves fall in your fall?? – stormy Jan 09 '18 at 03:41
  • Yes, going to replant into clay because that's all I have but I will plant it at the base of my hugelkultur and above ground .. ie. I'll just remove the base of the pot and sit it down on some loosened clay. – Graham Chiu Jan 09 '18 at 03:43
  • Dog gone it, I lost my last comment. Oh well. Your place is all gardener! That trench next to your little tree helped tremendously to keep the feeder roots within a rootball you could dig up. I am no fan of...grins...hugelkultur. Sorry, I see many problems associated with it. There is no example in nature of this to show success. Rotting wood sucks up nitrogen. That wood does not make for better drainage or fertilizer at all. In fact it must make a perched water table situation. Another discussion for another time. Do not give up fertilizer! Loved watching your video, very well done – stormy Jan 09 '18 at 04:12
  • That trench was only dug before Xmas to provide utilities for the granny flat being built there. The tree rounds were left to "rot" for about 4 years to tie up nitrogen before they were covered up by top soil in November as the digger was used to level the section. This was the tree after it was cut down in 2013 https://youtu.be/Ws_EC3pMmWQ - it used to dominate the landscape. Old pine tree. – Graham Chiu Jan 09 '18 at 04:24