North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Richard MURPHY <murphman108@msn.com>]

Hello Squad;
 
To share my experience with tree staking.
 
Staking little trees is very important, especially if you have dogs or kids. It also makes them more visible to pedestrians, who can avoid them.
 
      The main reason to stake is to protect the Graft Union. Also, if you wrap any kind of Vole Guard product around the tiny tree, it all needs to be held up vertically.
 
This has been my process, with good (and economical) results:
 
For little tiny 1/4" to 3/8" caliper trees, I use a 36" bamboo stick 3/8" diam., tie the tree loosely to the stick about 2/3 the way up the tree, then slide a spiral wrap down over the pair.
 
For trees 3/8" to 3/4" trees, yank out the bamboo stick, and hammer in a Grade Stake about 6" away from the tree trunk, so the spiral wrap can go on / off easily. Tie the tree 2/3 the way up.
 
For trees 1" to 3", it's time to switch to a multi-point staking system, either the DIY type, or a DeWitt kit for $6 a tree. It depends on the 'living situation'; appearance.
 
Any materials can be replaced with 'equivalent' stuff.
 
My trees are in high winds in zone 4 Maine.
 
Regarding Peaches, and Caren from Canada;
 
St. Jerome, Quebec is just north of Montreal, and maybe even colder than my place!
 
I'm absolutely sure that some of my peach tree damage was from dehydration & wind burn. My Reliance, Intrepid, and one other type, 2 trees each, all died back to the ground and the rootstocks survived. I'm letting them fend for themselves, see what happens. This year I planted 2 Flamin' Fury P 24C (cold hardy?) and 2 Veteran peaches in the same row as the dead trees. We'll see.
 
If anybody knows of a 'no-brainer' peach tree for zone 4, please describe it !!
As for today, I know of no reliable type of peach for that climate.
 
Murph

R A Murphy Jr

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