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Nothing peachy about this problem

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED APR 29, 2020

Leaf curl distorts foliage, but usually doesn't infect the fruit. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)

Sacramento spring created ideal conditions for leaf curl

“What’s wrong with my peach tree?”

Right now that question is as rampant as its cause: Leaf curl.

This fungal disease is twisting peach and nectarine leaves into knots. Red splotches appear among the crinkles. Eventually, the foliage develops a pale fuzzy coating, then falls off the tree.

What can you do about it? Right now, not much. The time to tackle leaf curl is long before it appears.

Those red splotches are a telltale sign of leaf curl.

Peach leaf curl happens almost every spring, but some years are worse than others. Our March and April rain coupled with relatively cool spring weather helped bring on this outbreak.

According to the UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners and University of California research, leaf curl appears about two weeks after leaves emerge from buds. If the conditions are rainy during that period, look out. Two consecutive days or more of wet weather can bring on a maximum infection.

In addition, this fungal disease loves temperatures in the 60s. Although a tree may be infected, symptoms won’t appear if temperatures remain above 69 degrees and weather stays dry.

And this fungus is everywhere in Sacramento. Taphrina deformans overwinters on the tree or on fallen leaves. It’s also capable of withstanding intense summer heat.

Copper spray, applied in November or December, can cut down on its impact. For particularly bad infections, a second application in late January may be necessary.

Very bad infections can cut down on fruit production, weaken limbs and shorten the life of the tree. The fungus can infect young twigs and shoots, causing them to die back.

But right now, the leaves will just keep curling until they fall. Then, new leaves will appear. Due to heat and dry weather, that second round of foliage is usually healthy and uninfected.

Leaf curl rarely infects the fruit itself. Peaches and nectarines will still develop, although they may be small. More likely, they will show some sunburn or other blemishes, due to lack of protection from leaves. Those problems are cosmetic; the fruit will still be edible.

When planting a new peach tree, look for leaf curl-resistant varieties.

If you have leaf curl this spring, make a note on your calendar to apply copper spray in November. You’ll thank yourself next spring.

For more information on peach leaf curl: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7426.html

Infected leaves will eventually fall off. In warm and dry weather,
healthy leaves will replace the damaged foliage.
deformed foliage

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Keywords:

fruit UC Cooperative Extension Sacramento peach leaf curl peaches fungal diseases nectarines copper fungicide disease control

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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3

November still offers good weather for fall planting:

* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.

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