Peach Leaf Curl Control in Your Garden

Leaf Curl is a fungal disease (Taphrina deformans) that affects stone fruit trees like Peaches, Nectarines and Almonds. This common disease can affect both fruiting and ornamental varieties, and can have a significant impact on the health and productivity of affected trees if not properly controlled.

Leaf Curl fungal spores overwinter (live through winter) in the crevices of the tree bark and around the leaf and flower buds. When spring arrives and new leaves begin to emerge, the spores become active and infect the young foliage. Cool, wet weather during spring increases the risk of Leaf Curl.

The Leaf Curl fungus causes new leaves in spring to be severely twisted, deformed, puckered or blistered and discoloured, often with a red or purple hue. Infected leaves ultimately turn brown, shrivel and drop from the tree. Fruits may also fail to develop and can be discoloured.

Trees infected with Leaf Curl disease are not able to photosynthesise (absorb and process as much sunlight) sufficiently, and consequently, tree health can decline and fruit production drops.

Leaf Curl is a disease that needs to be prevented. Diseased leaves cannot be cured. So, the Leaf Curl disease spores are killed during winter before they have the chance to infect new leaves in spring.

To prevent Leaf Curl, spray trees thoroughly during winter with a fungicide spray like Yates Lime Sulfur, when the trees are dormant and before bud swell (when leaf and flower buds start to enlarge).

Alternatively, once buds start to swell in late winter or early spring, trees can be sprayed with Yates Liquid Copper Fungicide. Correct timing is critical and it's important to spray when the buds are swelling but before and within one week of the buds opening. Where Leaf Curl has been severe in the previous year, trees can also be sprayed with Yates Liquid Copper Fungicide in autumn when the leaves drop, plus at the first sign of bud swell and again one week later.

Once trees have distorted leaves, there's unfortunately no cure. Leaves and diseased fruits will not recover. However, you can help the tree by keeping it well fed with a fruit fertiliser like Yates Thrive Natural Citrus & Fruit Organic Based Pelletised Plant Food. This provides nutrients to the tree to promote healthy growth.

Once the leaves fall in late autumn, spray the tree with Yates Liquid Copper Fungicide to kill disease spores on the stems. Respray when buds begin to swell in late winter or early spring. It's also a good idea to rake up and bin the fallen infected leaves, to help reduce the number fungus spores in your garden.