Hello Jessica,

Thank you for reaching out to the UVM Extension Master Gardener Helpline with your questions. I have responded to each of them below.

Question #1: Hi, we have a few issues, the first is our young maple
trees. The tops seem scraggly and not growing well, one of the trees has
black scales on it. Do you have advice?

The photo you provided appears to show European Fruit Lecanium Scale on the branch: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/european-fruit-lecanium-scale/ -- if you are seeing sticky residue on branches, honeydew, that is a classic indication of this pest.

Scale can lead to stunting and dieback of the tree when their populations are high. They can also be an indicator that the tree was already under stress. We can’t evaluate the health of the tree beyond this photo, unfortunately. In general, maple trees need consistent moisture – when properly planted, they thrive in deep, well-drained soils in sunny locations.

Because of their size, we generally recommend that trees be evaluated (and treated if necessary) by a certified arborist. You can find these professionals in your area through the International Society of Arboriculture website at: https://www.treesaregood.org/.

Questions #2: The second issue is that this year our raspberries seem to be
struggling, I’ve seen some Japanese beetles on them also.

This does look like Japanese beetle damage. They feed on the leaves, flowers and fruits of many different plants. Preferred plants include rose, grape, linden, apple, crabapple, cherry, plum and related trees, birch, elm, raspberry, currant, basil, Virginia creeper, hollyhock, marigold, corn silks and soybean. They skeletonize leaves by feeding on tissue between the major veins giving them a lace-like appearance. Damaged leaves turn brown and may fall off.

Your best bet is to hand pick the adults and pop into soapy water to kill them. You could also consider managing them at their grub stage, see: https://www.uvm.edu/d10-files/documents/2025-09/WhitegrubsinsoilJune2023.pdf

See more info at: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/japanese-beetles. Note we would not recommend using the pheromone traps.

It is difficult to see what’s going on with the whole plant – here are some resources that may help:

https://extension.umn.edu/gardening-minnesota/growing-raspberries-home-garden

https://senecacountycce.org/resources/cornell-guide-to-growing-fruit-at-home

Question #3: The last question is about our peach tree, it has horrible leaf curl, is there anything I can do now to help it?

Leaf curl is a springtime disease that occurs on peach, nectarine, and related ornamental plants. The leaf curl fungus damages peach trees by causing an early leaf drop. This weakens the trees, making them more susceptible to other diseases and to winter injury. Weakened trees also will produce fewer fruit the following season. Yield may be further reduced when blossoms and young fruit become diseased and drop.

Symptoms of leaf curl appear in the spring. Developing leaves become severely distorted (thickened and puckered) and have a reddish or purple cast. Later, as spores form on the leaf surface, the leaves become powdery gray in color. Shortly after this, the leaves turn yellow or brown and drop. There is no secondary spread of this disease from leaves infected in the spring to new leaves produced later in the growing season. Once infected leaves drop, no further symptoms will appear during that growing season. Diseased twigs become swollen and stunted and may have a slight golden cast. They usually produce curled leaves at their tips. Though rarely seen, flowers and fruit may also become diseased. They drop shortly after they are infected. Diseased fruit has shiny, reddish, raised, warty spots.

Once leaves are infected, there is nothing that can be done to get rid of the disease this year (if you see it, it’s too late to do anything about it). If you do end up having peach leaf curl, take steps to promote tree health and reduce stress such as: fertilizing in the spring (soil test first), watering when needed, and thinning fruit to reduce demand on the tree.

The Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home includes peaches: https://senecacountycce.org/resources/cornell-guide-to-growing-fruit-at-home

https://www.uvm.edu/extension/news/peach-leaf-curl

https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-03-11-peach-leaf-curl