The peach trees in the abbey’s orchard are loaded with young peaches this year. Last year, the entire crop was killed by a late frost.
One of our friends who is a retired agricultural extension agent says that, unless you spray, you don’t get peaches. All sorts of insects prey on peaches, including fruit moths and peach borers. Today Ken gave the peach trees their first dose of reasonably organic pesticides — a spray containing a mixture of neem oil and a pyrethrin.
If the peaches survive the insects, then war with the squirrels, possums, and raccoons will be next.