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| Peach Leaf Curl |
Caused by the fungus Taphrina deformans.
Spring rains and cooler weather are lovely for the garden plants, but, unfortunately, those same cool and wet conditions encourage this fungus to grow in the cells of the leaves of peach and nectarine trees as the new leaves emerge.
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| Peach Leaf Curl |
They cause the leaves to grow unevenly in places, which creates these wavy deformed leaves. Eventually, the fungus forms spores and the leaves turn yellow and fall. The experts don't recommend picking the leaves off the tree because the green areas of the leaves will continue to photosynthesize and make food for the tree. However, fallen leaves should be removed and disposed of, so that the spores don't get into the soil. New leaves will replace them and, provided the weather is warmer and dryer, the new leaves won't be affected. However, if left untreated, the fungus can affect the fruit production, spread to fruit, and damage the tree, itself.
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| More Damaged Leaves |
The treatment recommended is to spray the tree with a copper and oil solution during the dormant period. once in the fall after the leaves have fallen and again, in the spring, before new leaves emerge. M sprayed the tree, last year, but, maybe it wasn't enough.
So far, only the peach tree seems to be affected, the nectarine tree seems OK.
The poor peach tree! We will start thinning out the fruit, this week or next, and maybe we'll remove some of the more damaged leaves at the same time. Maybe the early bearing variety wasn't such a good idea, after all, with the wetter springs we've had last year and this.
Love it.
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Thank you, Regine.
DeleteOh I do hope that you still get a good peach harvest ... and that the nectarine tree escapes the fungus!
ReplyDeleteElla
Thank you, Ella; that's what I am hoping, too! We do need to thin the fruit to give them enough room to grow, with plenty of air circulation between them, and to keep the branches from breaking off! But, hopefully, there will be just as many peaches as I can manage to process and there will be some nectarines, as well (last year, we didn't get any!)
DeleteThe fungus is making interesting shapes out of those leaves. I hope the tree continues to be healthy despite the fungus. Fruit trees require a lot of work if you want to get decent fruit from them. Apple trees need sprayed 5 times a year here. That's not happening, and we just take our chances with nature. Maybe sometime we will get coordinated enough to give the trees regular treatments.
ReplyDeleteYes, the leaves have interesting shapes, don't they? I, too, hope that the tree will be OK. Fruit trees do require a lot of work and M is very diligent about it. If it was left up to me, I probably wouldn't be doing any of the spraying, etc.
DeleteThose are such clear photos of the leaf fungus. Sorry you have to deal with it. It’s good that you have a plan for the dormant season. Fingers crossed, as the leaves dry and fall, the rest of the tree will flourish.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Taconix. Yes, we will spray the tree, later this year and early next year. Pruning the branches might help, too.
DeleteI hope your peach tree will be ok. I'm catching up on blog reading now that I'm home. It does sound like you need to switch your landline number over to your cell phone, if the more competent clerk can't help. I dropped my landline a few years ago. The only times I miss it is when I forget my cell phone in the office! But that doesn't happen often. You got some good deals at the Dollar Store. I had a good visit with my sister, and we saw the eclipse. It was fun to watch ! Thankfully no car accidents and the drive home was much better.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Celie; I'm hoping the peach tree will be OK. Yes, I switched the landline number to the cell phone, today. It was the only thing I could do (new SIM card didn't work). I happy with my dollar store purchases. I'm glad I got to go there once or twice in person, again, before they decided to close. I'm glad you had a good visit with your sister and had a safe drive home. :)
DeleteSad that it's damaged but it is interesting looking fungus. There is a Juniper Apple Rust fungus that is on one tree in the park where I walk. It is so interesting looking.
ReplyDeleteThe deformity of the leaves do look interesting, don't they? Fungi are interesting, although I don't know much about them.
DeleteFingers crossed the fruit is not affected by the fungus.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anne; I, too hope that there will be some good fruit to pick, this year. :)
DeleteI hate it when things like that happen to plants! Your peach blossom was so lovely, too. I hope that you will still get good fruit.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bushlady. M did spray it, last year and early this year, but, still, we have some damage. So far, the fruit seems OK. We started to thin them out, a bit, today.
DeleteOh no! The poor peach tree!
ReplyDeleteHopefully you can keep it under control.
Yes, I know. I picked off a few leaves the other day, too. But, I can't reach the ones at the top of the tree and we are supposed to get rain over the weekend, which will probably wash the spores down to other leaves...hopefully, it won't be too bad!
DeleteThat's a shame. Fingers crossed you still get a reasonable harvest. Xx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. We thinned some of the fruit; hopefully, the rest will grow well. :)
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