Avoiding leaf curl in your peach and nectarine trees is all in the timing. It’s a fungal disease that can have terrible consequences, particularly for young trees.
In case you haven’t seen it before, this is what a bad case looks like.
Because the new growth is so badly affected, it stops the tree from growing properly. Really severe infections can even affect the fruit.
Here’s a nectarine showing typical infection symptoms on its skin. Once the fruit is affected, it may stop growing, or can even fall off.
The key to avoiding leaf curl is in the timing
When you’re still mid-way through winter, it always seems too early to start thinking about spring.
And yet … the buds on our Anzac peach trees are definitely starting to swell. Have you looked at your peach trees recently?
Anzacs are a great ‘indicator’ variety for us because they’re one of the earliest varieties to show signs of movement in spring. The indicator variety in your garden will be the tree that flowers earliest. If you have an almond tree, this may be your indicator, as they’re also very early.
Rather than having to monitor the whole orchard, we just go and look at the Anzacs and almonds to see what’s happening. If you want to avoid leaf curl, we strongly recommend you do the same!
Why should you be watching out for budswell?
Budswell is the trigger for putting on the simple sprays that can help to prevent Leaf curl.
But do you know what you’re actually looking for? Deciding the right time to spray can be very confusing. In fact, it’s one of the things that people most often get wrong.
This is what early budswell on a peach tree looks like.
You’ll find more detail about how to identify it in this blog. You’ll also learn how and when to spray in this short course, which is one of our most comprehensive short online courses. It also includes guidance on how to manage and prevent about a dozen of the most common diseases of fruit trees.
The good news is, once you’ve figured out how to time your sprays, you’ll find that Leaf curl is (mostly) preventable.
Thank you! I constanly needed to write on my website something like that. Can i include a fragment of your post to my website ?
Hi Adi, that’s great you’re enjoying our blog posts. Yes, you’re welcome to include it on your website with attribution to us, and a link back to this website would be great as well. Thanks!
Hi Katie.
Just a quick question regarding budswell monitoring Once I see the first signs on my peaches and nectarines (and almonds), I’d need to spray them but would I do the whole orchard the same time or wait for their stage/time for spraying as last year I sprayed all my trees the same time and again 7 days later as soon as my apricot tree started budding. The Bordeaux mixture made heaps and I wasn’t sure how long it will keep before I need to dispose of it.
Thanks
Lena
Hi Lena,
Yes – probably best to wait and observe your trees to make sure they are actually in budswell. And best to use a bordeaux mixture straight away (and agitate while in use) as it can settle otherwise. Might be worth trying smaller batches (it can definitely be hard to judge quantity with these things!). Good luck, Meg – Grow Great Fruit team.
Hi Katie, I love reading your fruit tree tips – thank you! Just wondering, with all this rain we’ve been having/predicted to continue to have, does application of the spray need to be done in completely dry weather? And how many hours before rainfor the best results?
Best wishes,
Miranda
Hi Miranda, it’s best to spray in conditions that allow the spray to dry before the rain arrives – often tricky to get the timing right. Anytime before the rain is OK, but effectiveness starts to fall away after 10 or so days.
I’m really grateful for your advice. Had trouble with curl leaf for years because I thought you had to spray at pink bud. (What I had been told). Sprayed at bud swell last year and got the best resuls ever. No curl leaf at all.
Hi Anne – that’s great news! Glad you’ve seen some success with this approach. Hope it’s the same this year! Meg – Grow Great Fruit team.
Thank you for these tips and advice. Just wondering though, should I be spraying for leaf curl on my newly planted bare rooted trees? They were planted mid July and I can see some bud swell action happening !
Cheers,
Mark
Do we spray all the trees at budswell? I know some of mine had leaf curl last year. does that mean they are bound to have it again this year? A number are still young trees that were planted by previous owners.