What is Peach Leaf Curl?
Peach leaf curl is a fungal infection of peaches which can cause defoliation and loss of the crop, depending on how severe it is. Fortunately, this fungal infection can be treated, and there are ways to deal with an already existing case of peach leaf curl so that the year isn’t a total waste. Peach leaf curl is quite common in some parts of the world, and sometimes working together with neighbors who also have peaches is a good idea, to ensure that all of the trees in a small area are protected and treated so that they do not infect each other. This condition is caused when a peach tree is colonized by a fungus known as Taphrina deformans. The spores of the fungus work their way into the leaf buds in the early spring, and when the peach tree starts to leaf out, the fungus goes to work. A tree afflicted with peach leaf curl will have heavily distorted leaves which typically turn red or yellow while curling, clubbing, and eventually dropping off. The fungus can also attack the fruit, re
Peach leaf curl, caused by the fungus Taphrina deformans, is a common disease on peach and nectarine trees throughout the Midwest and eastern U.S. Where symptoms are severe, tree vigor and fruit quality and yield are diminished. Reports of peach leaf curl have increased in recent years, possibly because relatively mild winters have favored the survival of the pathogen in bark and bud scales. A related disease, plum pockets, affects plums. What does peach leaf curl look like? Diseased leaves are reddish to purple in color, and thickened, twisted, and generally distorted. Leaves later turn brown and fall from the tree. Diseased shoots show stunted growth with small, yellowish leaves, or leaves arranged in tight whorls (rosettes). Diseased fruit are bumpy, reddish in color, and fall prematurely. How does peach leaf curl develop? The pathogen overwinters in bark and bud scales. Fungal spores infect leaves and shoots during spring while leaves are still in the bud and during bud burst. Mild
