The fungal disease, peach leaf curl, presents as reddish areas on developing leaves that begin to pucker causing distortion and leaf curling. Leaves later turn yellow or brown and may fall prematurely. Plant energy is used to produce a second set of leaves and in severe cases can significantly inhibit fruit production and overall tree growth. Maintaining healthy trees is the best protocol against peach leaf curl. Large, deep green leaves and 18-24-inches of growth from the previous year indicate a healthy tree. If you observe your tree had less than 12-inches of growth, fertilizer should be applied.
Apply 1-1/3 to 2 cups of a 13-13-13 fertilizer on the soil under the tree canopy. You can substitute a high nitrogen fertilizer (27-3-4, 30-5-4 or similar) at a rate of 1/6 to ¾ cups to the ground below the branching area. If only nitrogen is needed, use 1/3 to 1-1/2 cups of nitrate of soda (16-0-0) instead. Apply fertilizer as soon as possible to quickly promote leaf growth. Selectively removing developing fruit can also help infected trees direct energy to growth.
Plum pocket is a similar disease that occurs on American and sand hill plum trees. Though not fatal to the plant, fruit from infected plum trees is distorted, light green-greyish in color and bladder-shaped. Seeds of infected fruits do not develop and leave a hollow plum or a "pocket". Asian and European plums are not susceptible to plum pocket.
Applying fungicide to peach and plum trees in the fall after leaves have dropped can be an effective control against these diseases. The fungicide chlorothalonil (Bravo, Daconil, Fertilome Broad-Spectrum Fungicide) can be applied to the entire tree including the bark and trunk to ward off infection in the spring. (Cynthia Domenghini)
Apply 1-1/3 to 2 cups of a 13-13-13 fertilizer on the soil under the tree canopy. You can substitute a high nitrogen fertilizer (27-3-4, 30-5-4 or similar) at a rate of 1/6 to ¾ cups to the ground below the branching area. If only nitrogen is needed, use 1/3 to 1-1/2 cups of nitrate of soda (16-0-0) instead. Apply fertilizer as soon as possible to quickly promote leaf growth. Selectively removing developing fruit can also help infected trees direct energy to growth.
Plum pocket is a similar disease that occurs on American and sand hill plum trees. Though not fatal to the plant, fruit from infected plum trees is distorted, light green-greyish in color and bladder-shaped. Seeds of infected fruits do not develop and leave a hollow plum or a "pocket". Asian and European plums are not susceptible to plum pocket.
Applying fungicide to peach and plum trees in the fall after leaves have dropped can be an effective control against these diseases. The fungicide chlorothalonil (Bravo, Daconil, Fertilome Broad-Spectrum Fungicide) can be applied to the entire tree including the bark and trunk to ward off infection in the spring. (Cynthia Domenghini)
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