Subject: Re: Peach tree wilting away

From: [email-masked] (Ingrid K. Buxton)
Date: Sun, 12 May 1996 04:41:17 GMT

[email-masked] (weikel) wrote:
>My peach tree seemed to be doing great, then suddenly all of the
>tiny spring leaves wilted and dropped off.  All of the branches
>(even the new ones) are stiff and brown. The trunk seems healthy.

>The tree is a dwarf tree I bought last year.  It is living (I hope)
>in a pot on my balcony.  I have been watering it every time the
>top inch of soil becomes dry.  We had a heat wave when the
>leaves wilted so I assumed it was a temporary thing.  No new
>growth has formed and the branches have gotten me worried.  Is
>there any hope?

... with a fingernail, scratch one of the twigs, if it is green under the
bark, it is still alive and possible it will sprout new leaves. I am afraid
that leaves dropping after budding out is not a good sign. Winter killed
trees will often do this (unless you dont have winter where you live). Tubs
are difficult for trees, even dwarf trees. I would suggest if you try this
again to get what I call "super slurp" or beads of a synthetic resin that
hold water and mix it into the soil. That way, the availability of water is
evened out. Ingrid