Peach leaf curl - Ask Extension
How do I treat my peach and nectarine trees with peach leaf curl?
Thank you,
Toni
Knowledgebase
Peach leaf curl #875503
Asked July 01, 2024, 1:27 PM EDT
How do I treat my peach and nectarine trees with peach leaf curl?
Thank you,
Toni
Linn County Oregon
Expert Response
Dear Toni,
I cannot see any leaves with curl on them and I don't think that's what your trees have. This looks very much like brown rot. You can cut the tree back and spray but what happens with brown rot even if you bring the tree back, it still has the disease and can produce fruit that does not taste very good because of the disease.
This is a fungal disease as is peach leaf curl. It can affect all stone fruits, cherries, peaches, plums, etc. It seems to be very noticeable just before fruit ripens and then the fruit decays within about 24 hours. Usually the blossoms show a brownish color and they wilt.
A spray program could be instigated using lime sulfur, neem and or a copper spray, however, Toni, I recommend that you pull the trees especially if you have other trees nearby. Your trees are almost completely engulfed. The first step is to cut all infected wood which is most of both trees. The disease can hold over in leaves and roots, in the soil, so I would not plant stone fruit in those areas if you choose to remove the infected trees.
The spray program must be done often and it is suggested you use 2 fungicides alternately. If you decide to use fungicides, please protect yourself with hazard glasses, long sleeve shirts, hat, gloves, long pants and boots. Use when temperatures are from 40 -80 degrees and no wind. Do not spray when there are pollinators around, night time may be best. That said with no blossoms, there should not be insects on the trees, but your spray could blow to blooming plants. Fungicides will kill insects, bees.
Even if this is peach leaf curl, your trees are overly infected. I am adding a link on brown rot for you to review: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/DISEASE/brownrot.html
Your limbs look like one of the pictures in this article.
This second link is on peach leaf curl. Did any of your leaves look like the pictures in this link? https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/peach-leaf-curl/pest-notes/#gsc.tab=0
If you have further questions, please contact us again. I wish I had better news for you.
I cannot see any leaves with curl on them and I don't think that's what your trees have. This looks very much like brown rot. You can cut the tree back and spray but what happens with brown rot even if you bring the tree back, it still has the disease and can produce fruit that does not taste very good because of the disease.
This is a fungal disease as is peach leaf curl. It can affect all stone fruits, cherries, peaches, plums, etc. It seems to be very noticeable just before fruit ripens and then the fruit decays within about 24 hours. Usually the blossoms show a brownish color and they wilt.
A spray program could be instigated using lime sulfur, neem and or a copper spray, however, Toni, I recommend that you pull the trees especially if you have other trees nearby. Your trees are almost completely engulfed. The first step is to cut all infected wood which is most of both trees. The disease can hold over in leaves and roots, in the soil, so I would not plant stone fruit in those areas if you choose to remove the infected trees.
The spray program must be done often and it is suggested you use 2 fungicides alternately. If you decide to use fungicides, please protect yourself with hazard glasses, long sleeve shirts, hat, gloves, long pants and boots. Use when temperatures are from 40 -80 degrees and no wind. Do not spray when there are pollinators around, night time may be best. That said with no blossoms, there should not be insects on the trees, but your spray could blow to blooming plants. Fungicides will kill insects, bees.
Even if this is peach leaf curl, your trees are overly infected. I am adding a link on brown rot for you to review: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/DISEASE/brownrot.html
Your limbs look like one of the pictures in this article.
This second link is on peach leaf curl. Did any of your leaves look like the pictures in this link? https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/peach-leaf-curl/pest-notes/#gsc.tab=0
If you have further questions, please contact us again. I wish I had better news for you.
