Peach Leaf Curl

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Leaf curl usually affects peach trees in early spring, when the air temperature is still relatively low and the weather is rather humid. This rather serious ailment can easily lead to one hundred percent loss of the crop, and sometimes even to the death of trees entirely, especially if the peach trees have been sick for several years in a row. To prevent curliness from becoming chronic, it must be fought with it

A few words about the disease

Peach leaf curl attacks the trees as soon as tiny buds begin to bloom on them. Initially, the infection of trees occurs from the spores located under the scales of flower buds, and somewhat later, the next wave of infection is caused by spores located under the leaf buds. The most dangerous for peach trees in terms of infection is the period from the moment the buds bloom and until they reach 8-10 days of age, that is, the time period from late May to mid-June.

On trees affected by curl, in the upper or in the lower lateral parts, you can notice marsupial fungal sporulation, which manifests itself in the form of a wax-like bloom of a whitish or grayish hue.

Peach leaves first turn pale and deformed, acquiring a yellowish, and sometimes even a slight reddish tint. And after some time, they twist and fall off. Gradually begin to be amazed by curliness and shoots, staining first in light green shades, and then in yellowish. The growth of the affected shoots is small, and the leaves on them develop mainly only in the upper parts, while becoming lanceolate. Due to the death of shoots and leaves, the ovaries often begin to crumble, and the remaining ovaries harden, rot and become inedible. It is noteworthy that leaves older than fourteen days are not affected by curliness.

A pathogenic vocal fungus causes curly peach leaves. Spores of this harmful fungus can easily spread throughout the garden. To a large extent, gum also contributes to their reproduction (this is how the resinous secretions of trees are called), so it is imperative to fight it.

How to fight

In order to avoid damage to peach trees by curliness as much as possible, it is recommended to grow peach varieties resistant to this scourge, such as Golden Autumn, Early Fluffy, Fine, Valiant, Rochester and a number of others.

To prevent the spread of curliness, it is necessary to systematically deal with gum - all damage and wounds on peach trees should be carefully processed and thoroughly covered. Infected branches from trees must be cut off and burned along with the collected diseased leaves. After autumn leaf fall, all leaves are also recommended to be collected and burned or composted, since they almost always retain an infectious origin. It is also necessary to carefully cultivate the soil in the near-trunk circles and in the aisles, while embedding the remaining leaves in it.

Before bud break, peach trees are recommended to be treated with 3% Bordeaux liquid, as well as Champion and Cuproxat fungicides. And after the leaves bloom, such treatments are not recommended, as they can lead to the leaves falling off.

Before the flowering of peach trees, as well as immediately after its end, the trees can be treated with such preparations as Horus (3 g is taken for ten liters of water), Tatu (for ten liters - 2-3 g), Delan (It will take 10 g for a bucket of water). Trees can also be treated with colloidal sulfur (0.4%). And in early spring and in autumn, peach trees are also treated with three percent zinc sulfate.

If peach trees were not processed in the early spring period, then they are sprayed during the leaf fall period with a three percent solution of Bordeaux liquid or a one percent solution of copper sulfate.

Also, relatively recently, a drug called "Biostat" has appeared on the market. It is a completely harmless biopesticide that is excellent in helping to cope with peach curl.