Peach Leaf Curl

blair duncanson

All,
Lassie here in South France has dozens of well established Peach trees. Due to micro climate conditions they are prone to Peach Leaf Curl, caused by fungi Taphrina deformans. Every Autumn and Spring she gets her hubbie to go round and spray them with Bordeaux Mix. This supposedly has been pretty effective in the battle. Due to circumstances they were not able to spray the trees, at the critical time, this spring. She would like to know if there is any form of treatment she can now give the trees, which buds have opened, to reduce the amount of Peach Leaf Curl? I do not have a clue. Any ideas welcome.
Cheers

playfordtree

Bordeaux Mixture--UC IPM

found this on the net, it says something about fixed copper fungicide being ok to use on "tender growth"

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blair duncanson

Well found! Ta verymuch for time spent, think this will calm the auld biddies nerves and save the hubbie fae the gallows!
Cheers

Ekka

The ole copper or sulphur fungicide seems the cure all for 99% of leaf fungi.

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TreeSpecialist

In Central Texas, we have conditions similar to the south of France - rolling limestone hills. And we grow a lot of peaches.

Bordeaux sprays in the fall (after the leaves have been shed) and in the spring (just as the leaf buds swell) usually controls leaf curl perfectly.

Wet springs can be a problem - its too much moisture that breeds the fungus. Irrigation should be drip and kept under mulch - no above ground spraying of irrigation water. If above ground irrigation is used, do so only in the morning hours. The leaves need to be dry before sunset.

A second product that also works well is called Kocide® - another copper based fungicide. This or the bordeaux mixture can be used if necessary after the leaves come out. (Don't spray anything while the bees are doing their thing.)

A more organic approach is to use a spray of liquid seaweed. Applied every few weeks, this seems to help prevent disease in most anything susceptible to fungal leaf diseases.

Sean Freeman

This is great advice, the over spray/run off from the seaweed extract will have very postive impacts on soil biology, as well as assisting in leaf health up top.

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Sean

Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky,
We fell them down and turn them into paper,
That we may record our emptiness.
- Kahlil Gibran