I sprayed my peach tree with copper oxy-whatever-it's-called as soon as the leaves had fallen and now that the blossom and new leaves are coming out I can see that it has leaf curl again. I am so disappointed. Every year I try to prevent leaf curl and every year I fail. What am I doing wrong, or is the disease so entrenched that I will never be rid of it?
les6,
Sep 6, 3:05pm
once is not enough.the spores overwinter in the bud scales so you have to do it again BEFORE they sprout.
tegretol,
Sep 6, 5:54pm
Over and over again. Plus get some copper nails and bang them into the trunk. As bizzare as it sounds, the tree absorbs them like nothing else - pull one out after a month and it'll be almost gone.
In reality, leaf curl is like keeping a leper with no arms in the factory assembling things.
dibble35,
Sep 7, 4:39am
i sprayed my nectarine several times over winter, then just before bud burst, its got really bad leaf curl this season, so disappointing.
les6,
Sep 7, 4:52am
there is spraying and spraying?How much water you spray is important to wet your target and the ammount of the chosen spray carried in that water.you can over spray and it will all runoff anyway and you can underspray not wetting enough.The weather is also a major factor to consider before during and after you have sprayed.Some varieties are more prone to leafcurl as well(nectarines!)I have seen some of the local orchards with suseptible blocks leave the trees very blue and coated in copper ox.Just pick the leaves off and it will probably come right without too much debilitatation of your tree.You need a colder winter so less spores can survive?
loukirby,
Sep 7, 7:28am
I sprayed mine at bud movement and then repeated every 10 days until bud burst. So far, so good.
maclad,
Sep 7, 10:08am
This is a myth.
maclad,
Sep 7, 10:12am
I have said this so many times yet people do not seem to heed it. The most important time to apply copper is exactly when the leaf buds show the slightest bit of green. I watch my trees very carefully and spray about 3 days before I expect this, again when it happens and once a few days later. Never get one single curly leaf. I spray the entire tree, trunk and soil. Been doing it for 4 years now so hoping the virus has left my garden. LOL.
oh_hunnihunni,
Sep 8, 3:27am
I did my wee tree this year three times over winter, and the last time just before bud burst. I also did the ground underneath, and the geraniums that grow nearby. AND I hung seaweed from the branches as well, so if the ugly blisters come back at least I know I tried, lol.
By the way, it's a fungus, not a virus. Hence me spraying the geraniums because they are prone to rust and copper deals to fungi rather well.
cantabman1,
Sep 8, 4:26am
Above advice is all very good. I spray at least 3 times a year and still get it, but my Queen Peaches are the size if softballs, and plenty of them, so i'm not BOTHERED. :-]
jan2242,
Sep 9, 5:51am
My peach tree gets leaf curl every year. i don't touch it and every year it is laden in fruit.
meoldchina,
Sep 9, 6:50am
Unfortunately, my peach tree develops healthy-looking fruit despite the leaf curl, but just prior to ripening they turn brown and rot. It's very frustrating because I am very regular and thorough with my spraying.
aprilguy,
Sep 9, 7:03pm
My nectarine tree gets brown rot bad. This year I'll be spraying fungicide on the blossoms and after fruit set, in addition to the copper it has had for leaf curl.
cantabman1,
Sep 10, 3:57am
I get that problem to, but an anti fungal spray just before ripening should help some.
oh_hunnihunni,
Sep 10, 8:09am
I think I'll stick to seaweed draped on the branches as fruit develops. The thought of adding antifungal spray to my diet doesn't appeal much.
mark_g,
Sep 10, 2:24pm
Seaweed draped on the branches? First I've heard of this -and I search on organic/permaculture/no chemicals. etc a lot.
Do tell more. Dried or fresh seaweed? (I guess it will dry soon enough hanging in the wind), any particular sort? Do we know why/how this works? Do you have experience that says it works?
Just keen to explore more natural ways (that work).
oh_hunnihunni,
Sep 10, 3:10pm
Put the first lot on straight off the local beach, in Autumn. Most of it is still there, nicely dried. I'm planning on grabbing some more to put on later this Spring just after fruit set - carefully to not knock too many babies off!
I also copper sprayed three times, so if my little tree doesn't get its usual curly leaves, I will have no idea which treatment worked. I suspect it will though.
But it is all worth a try. And the peaches on this tree are just so lovely, it deserves all the help it can get!
oh_hunnihunni,
Sep 28, 3:03am
Btw, the tree is stone grown, not a grafted nursery grown specimen. It was a flatto stone, the fruit is not flat, but small, and tastes just like a Golden Queen. It fruits in clusters, and while it has curly leaf, it hasn't had brown rot in the four years it has fruited. Might be the nice windy position, might be me talking to it on an almost daily basis, lol.
It is looking particularly pretty right now, lots of blossom coming out each day. Lovely thing it is.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.