Peach leaf curl is a fungus that attacks peaches and nectarines as buds begin to open in spring. Fungus spores are spread by rain, splashing them from the bark to the buds and leaves. If your tree becomes infected, the leaves will pucker, thicken, curl and turn yellow from the time they appear in spring. While peach leaf curl normally isn't fatal to a tree on its own, it can cause severe leaf and even fruit disfigurement. It can weaken the tree to a point that allows other diseases to harm it.
What many homeowners may not know is that the most important time to spray and prevent peach leaf curl is actually in November, right before the leaves fall off. This is actually the first of three sprayings that you will need to make in order to get the best prevention of the disease. We recommend using a combination of copper oil spray such as Monterey Liqui-Kop spray and a spreader sticker such as Spray Grip. By spraying in November, the leaves are actually able to absorb the spray into the tree better than the bare wood of the tree after the leaves have dropped off.
The second application of spray should be made in January when the tree is full dormant. This helps kill infecting spores that are carried by wind and rain and have landed on the tree during winter. The third and final spraying should be made at the pink bud-swell stage before the blooms have opened. This helps prevent the disease from entering the plant through the blossoms or from being spread by bees when pollinating.
If you forget to spray during the dormant season or miss some of the applications and still get some curly leaves, you can get achieve fairly good results by spraying with Norwegian Kelp Extract during the dormant season. It contains an enzyme that is particularly effective against peach leaf curl. Two applications are usually needed 7-10 days apart. You normally won't see a difference after the first application, but after the second most of your infected leaves will look burned and will fall off, while the healthy foliage looks great and the new foliage comes out clean.
Some of you might think that if the kelp extract works, why bother with the dormant spray? First of all prevention is always the best medicine. Second, spraying with copper in the dormant season also prevents a host of other major fungus diseases that attack peaches and nectarines including blight, brown spot, leaf spot, scab and shot-hole fungus.
If you have questions on dormant spraying any of your fruit trees, please come in and pick up our FREE Fruit Tree Care Guide, or ask any of our staff of garden experts. We'll be glad to help you.
Written by:
Matt Lepow, Owner, CCNPro, B.S. Ornamental Horticulture
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