Leaf Curl Disease

Leaf curl disease on one of my dwarf peach trees. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Leaf Curl Disease

Leaf curl (Taphrina deformans) is one of the most common disease problems found in backyard orchards. This is my first year to find leaf curl on one of my dwarf peaches, one of my earliest blooming spring trees.

Leaf curl symptoms appear in spring as reddish puckered areas on developing leaves. These areas become thick causing leaves to curl and distort. They start as small red bumps on leaf edges, then spread through the leaves.

Disease fungi overwinter as spores (conidia) underneath bark, around buds and in other protected areas. Early in the growing season, during cool, wet spring weather, the spores infect new leaves as they emerge from the buds.

Later, the fungus produces great numbers of new spores which are splashed or blown from tree to tree. The fungus can impact fruit production.

To treat, there are several options. I chose to remove all leaves and deeply bury them so they won’t infect other trees.

I monitor daily and remove any new signs of the fungus on the leaves.

There are a number of recommended fungicide sprays that are recommended for fall use. We’ll see by then if this is not currently contained.

No more leaf curl on the dwarf peach tree leaves a month later. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

After a month of monitoring, this peach tree looks free of the fungi and none have appeared on nearby fruit trees.

Monitoring plants so you can catch issues early is the best way to not have to use dangerous harmful chemicals.

And oh, I washed my hands.

Charlotte