In checking out my Shimizu Peach in the greenhouse for possible June drop, Red Spider Mite and leaf discoloration.

I was surprised to find that one peach had turned a very pale light colour, almost a milky white. I did a slight squeeze test, and it felt very soft.

A gamble – do I try and eat it, or do I leave. The better came of me and I decided a bite was necessary for scientific purposes.

It was soft, and juicy and very sweet. A bit on the small side, but then again is was grown in a relatively small pot. Probably wanted some of the fruit thinning, as there is a lot of them. There was no June drop, and it seemed a shame to knock off some of the fruitlets. Maybe next year I might pluck up the courage to knock a few off.

In comparison to previous blog post, you can just see the slightly paler milky skin appearance.

The leaves do show a slight mottling, which is either a nutrient deficiency or a red spider attack.

Plan of action, was to spray with Aceptamprid and a Seaweed ‘pick me up’ fertilizer. Even thou I could not find any red spiders, with my magnifying jewelers glasses (loupe), and there was not spider webbing in evidence. Spraying was an insurance policy.

Aceptamprid is a systemic and contact action insecticide that is used to control sucking and chewing pests on leafy vegetables, fruiting vegetables, citrus fruits, pome fruits, grapes, cotton and ornamental plants and flowers.

Examples of pests con trolled – Aphids; Thrips; Mirids; Spider mites; Whiteflies; European pine sawflies; Leaf miners; Leaf hoppers; Vine weevil; Ants.

The Seaweed fertilizer used was an Organic 100% Hebridean Liquid Seaweed Fertiliser & Plant Food, at a rate of 50ml of liquid seaweed per litre of water.

An extract from a Japanese website states the following.

Why The Shimizu Hakuto Peach Is The Queen of the Fruit Kingdom

The juicy, sweet and delicately soft Shimizu Hakuto (‘white peach’) reigns supreme in the Japanese fruit world.

The Shimizu Hakuto: the delicious result of over 100 years of peach-growing endeavor. With ongoing research and new varieties always emerging in Okayama, the Fruit Kingdom will no doubt continue to give rise to peaches that will delight our taste buds into the future.