Peach curl: how to treat it, control methods, processing rules, best remedies

Characteristics of the disease

Peach curl is caused by a vocal fungus (Taphrina), belonging to the order Taphrina. The fungus penetrates the tree structure through cracks in the shoots or through the buds. Most often, curling affects annual or biennial shoots on which young leaves have just blossomed, 5-8 days ago. Infection of old leaves occurs extremely rarely and mainly when the peach is completely weakened.

Causes of peach curl:

Favorable weather for fungus (frequent rains, dampness and low temperatures, so the most dangerous period is the beginning of spring).
The presence of cracks in the buds and bark (if a blunt instrument was used during pruning and the cut areas were not processed).

Fungi often overwinter in these cracks, and as soon as the weather is favorable for them, they begin to actively reproduce.

Treatment methods

It is difficult to save a crop affected by curl, but thanks to complex treatment methods it is possible. However, this must be done in stages, following the advice of experts.

Removing Infected Foliage

The process of pruning followed by burning of infected foliage and shoots is the most important and integral method of combating fungal disease in the form of curl.

Such actions must be carried out in May, at the moment when obvious signs of the described disease appear. Based on the opinions of knowledgeable gardeners, it is necessary to remove the affected parts of the tree in stages for greater efficiency.

For example, the first pruning can be done during the growing season, after flowering. The second procedure is to carry out before the spores of the described fungus begin to spread.

Spraying

Another, no less important, way to combat peach leaf curl is the spraying method.

It is necessary to spray the peach tree strictly following the attached instructions, as well as in calm and not rainy weather, to prevent washing off of the products used for treatment.

As a preventive measure, spraying is carried out in the spring-autumn period and after the growing season.

Signs of defeat

The main symptoms of peach curl:

Light green swellings appear on the foliage; as the disease progresses, they darken and acquire a reddish tint.
The leaves thicken and, due to developmental disorders, they grow underdeveloped.
You can notice a waxy coating on the leaves, due to which they first turn black, curl, and then fall off.
Gum forms on the bark.
Young shoots grow deformed.
Some leaves turn yellow.
The leaves dry out and fall off.

The danger of the disease is that after all the symptoms appear on the foliage, the ovaries begin to die, which leads to a significant decrease in yield.

What is peach leaf curl?

Taphrina deformans Tul. - a vocal fungus that is the culprit of the disease. Both young and fruit-bearing plants can get sick. Under normal conditions, leaves that have not reached two weeks of age are susceptible to damage; with high humidity in cool weather, more mature leaves and shoots may also become diseased.

If in the spring, when the young leaves have just blossomed, their surface suddenly becomes wavy and curved, and they themselves become inelastic and brittle, this means that the peach has been attacked by an insidious fungus . When leaves of a later age are affected, local areas swell on them and acquire a light green color, which subsequently changes to crimson-red and then brown. Photosynthesis of the affected leaves is disrupted, they dry out and fall off. With massive fungal infection, the tree can become completely bare.

After the loss of foliage, the ovary begins to rapidly fall off. The few fruits remaining on the branches remain underdeveloped.

On peach leaves affected by curling, swellings of crimson-red and brown color appear, they bend and become “curly.”

When shoots are damaged, thickening and curvature appear on them; in frosts, such branches, as a rule, die. The growth of affected trees slows down, their winter hardiness decreases: they are damaged by frost in winter and do not bear fruit the next year .

8–12 days after the appearance of signs of the disease, marsupial sporulation of the fungus appears on the affected leaves in the form of an off-white waxy coating. It consists of bags containing ascospores, which after some time disperse and become carriers of the disease.

Ascospore - a spore contained or formed in an ascus (bag). This type of spores is characteristic of fungi of the ascomycetes department.
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Sporulation of peach leaf curl fungus appears as a grayish waxy coating

This season, ascospores do not cause re-infection . In winter, they are found between the scales of the buds, in small damage to the bark, and in the remains of affected leaves preserved on the tree in the form of dried rosettes. In the spring, with the beginning of the growing season, ascospores begin to multiply and infect plants.

How to fight

Peach curl needs to be dealt with immediately after the disease begins to appear. To combat, you can use chemicals or treat the tree using traditional methods. Or combine them to enhance efficiency. It is also important to carry out preventive measures.

Agrotechnical measures

Agrotechnical control measures are effective for treating peach curl. Trees are sprayed with various chemicals.

Treatment

At the first sign of disease, the peach is immediately treated with chemicals. Although many of them are quite toxic to both wood and humans, so you need to strictly follow the instructions. During processing, you need to wear a protective mask and a suit that will protect all parts of the body. It is better to put a hat on your head. Treatments are carried out in the evening after sunset, so as not to cause burns on the leaves.

Bordeaux liquid

One of the effective anti-curl remedies is Bordeaux mixture. To carry out the procedure, use a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture. When treating curliness, the product quickly produces a positive effect. Bordeaux mixture can be sprayed on trees in early spring before buds open as a preventive measure. The substance also effectively fights the advanced form of the disease.

Fungicides in combination with insecticides

Peach curl can be successfully treated with fungicides in combination with insecticides. This method allows you to quickly destroy fungi and cure peach trees.

Copper sulfate solution

Copper sulfate is used to treat fungus in early spring, when the buds have just begun to swell. For spraying, you need to prepare a 2% solution of copper sulfate. A small amount of lime can be added to the solution. The procedure is repeated 3-4 days after the first treatment.

Systemic drugs

Another effective remedy against peach tree curl is systemic preparations. Some of them are low toxic and do not penetrate plant tissue; the main thing is to follow the dosage when preparing a solution for spraying.

"Horus"

The drug “Horus” effectively fights curliness. Treatment begins in early spring, before buds open. When starting treatment, it is important to remember that long-term treatment with the same drug leads to the fungus developing resistance to the active substances. It is better to alternate chemicals to enhance effectiveness.

"Delan"

The fungus can be cured using the drug "Delan". It works in the same way as most systemic drugs. The procedures are carried out in early spring. Spray the trees once every 2 weeks. It is recommended to carry out no more than 4 treatments per season.

"Skor"

The drug “Skor” effectively combats peach curl. The solution should be sprayed onto trees in courses in the evening after sunset. The first treatment is carried out after the buds swell. After the first procedure, the trees are sprayed again after 10-14 days. Depending on the stage of the disease, from 2 to 4 treatments are carried out per growing season.

"Fitosporin"

“Fitosporin” is a non-toxic drug, it is harmless to people and does not penetrate plant tissue. It can be used to treat curly hair even during the period of fruit formation. The drug can be used an unlimited number of times with breaks of 2-3 weeks. Such a long period is necessary to ensure that the fungi do not develop resistance.

"Pentaphage"

Peaches can be treated with Pentophage before the buds swell and the fungus activates. The procedure is repeated 15-20 days after the first treatment.

"Trichodermin"

The drug is used for spraying after the outside temperature reaches +15 degrees. "Trichodermin" is applied to well-warmed soil, before the fungi have yet begun to activate.

"Planriz"

“Planiriz” is sprayed on peaches in early spring, when the buds have not yet had time to bloom. The procedure is repeated 2 weeks after the first treatment. During the growing season, no more than 4 sprayings can be carried out.

"Guapsin"

Another effective remedy against many fungal diseases of peach. "Guapsin" is also used in courses. No more than 4 sprayings are carried out in one season.

Treatment scheme

Preparations for peach curl begin to be used in early spring, before the buds begin to bloom. Typically, spraying is carried out in courses with breaks of 10-14 days, but there may be longer breaks (depending on the drug). The more toxic the chemical, the less spraying it is better to do.

Traditional methods

Traditional methods help as additional measures to combat the disease.

Clay and lime

Clay and lime are diluted in 10 liters of warm water in a 1:1 ratio, then the plant is sprayed. Several procedures are performed until all symptoms of the disease disappear.

Tobacco infusion

Tobacco leaves and flowers are poured into 10 liters of water, put on fire and brought to a boil. When the water boils, boil for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and steep the broth for 24 hours. Then pour it into a spray bottle and spray the trees.

Prevention

When planting peach seedlings, choose places with low soil moisture and good sunlight. In such areas, the likelihood of leaf curl is reduced. Preventative work begins in the fall after the temperature drops to +5°C. Pruning infected plants and treating the crown with a solution of copper sulfate. Instead of a copper preparation, a sulfur-lime solution is also used. The tree trunk circle is cleared of plant debris and the soil is loosened. The branches and leaves remaining after pruning are burned.

Important!

In the spring, preventive work begins in the southern regions in March. In more northern regions, processing is postponed to April.

In the spring, the tree is treated with a solution of copper sulfate at a concentration of 1%. Repeated spraying is performed after 7-10 days. Using the same scheme, Bordeaux mixture is used, diluted with water to a concentration of 3%.

The best protection for peach trees from leaf curl is proper preventative treatment. This disease spreads quickly and destroys most of the crop. Therefore, fighting it requires effort. But with the correct use of chemicals and folk remedies, plants can be saved.

How to restore a tree after a disease

After the peach curl has been defeated, the tree needs to be provided with favorable conditions so that it can recover faster. To do this, you need to pay attention to care. For irrigation, use warm water, avoid overmoistening and drying out the soil. Regularly apply mineral and organic fertilizers. Weed the soil and destroy weeds.

Every autumn it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning of the tree.

Plant restoration

In order for peach trees to rehabilitate faster, they are provided with additional nutrients. To achieve this, plants are regularly fed with mineral complexes and organic matter. In the fall, the seedlings are covered so that they do not suffer from the winter cold. With the onset of spring, the affected areas are pruned:

when part of the fruit buds freezes, the rest of the plant tissue is completely preserved, only branches that do not have inflorescences are removed;
if the fruit buds are damaged, the branches are frostbitten, remove vertically directed shoots down to four-year-old wood, thin out the crown;
If the main branches are frozen, pruning is carried out in the summer after green shoots grow back.

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In the second year after recovery, the number of ovaries is reduced to allow the plant to grow stronger. If the tree is severely damaged during illness, the flowers are cut off completely. Additionally, spraying is performed with agents that increase immune defense. The following substances are used:

immunomodulators "Fertisil" or "Zircon";
growth stimulants “Potassium humate”, “Epin”, “Novosil”;
phytoactivators that increase resistance to pathogens “Stimmunol”, “Immunocytophyte”, “Albit”.

Resistant varieties

So that you don’t have to think about how to treat curl, you can immediately plant varieties that are immune to this disease.

Early Kuban

The tree is medium-sized, the crown is rounded, the density is average. The fruits at full maturity are oval in shape, slightly flattened on the sides. The side seam is poorly visible. The skin is pubescent, golden in color with a pink blush. The pulp is juicy, not fibrous. The harvest fully ripens towards the second half of July.

Juicy

The crown shape is oval-spreading. The foliage is average. The fruits at the stage of full maturity are oval in shape, the skin is pubescent. The shade is light green-cream, sometimes you can notice a slight pinkish blush. The pulp is juicy and sugary. The stone is large in size and is difficult to separate from the pulp even when fully ripe.

Morettini's favorite

Peach trees bloom in the second half of April. The crown is round and spreading. Ripe fruits are medium-sized, weight from 110 to 125 g. Oval shape. The skin is pubescent, not dense, and can be easily removed from the pulp. The color of the peel is yellow, there is a pink blush, the abdominal seam is clearly visible.

In memory of Rodionov

The crown shape is oval-spreading. The tree is medium-leaved. Inflorescences bloom in the second half of April. The fruits are orange in color, medium pubescence. The pulp is sweet in taste, with sourness. The ripening period for the harvest occurs in the second half of July - the first half of August.

Redhaven

The tree is tall, its height can reach 5 m. The crown can grow up to 10 m wide. The inflorescences bloom in the second ten days of April. The flowers are pink, fragrant. Ripe fruits are large, weighing up to 150 g. The peel is rich orange in color.

Kyiv early

The crown shape is spherical, medium leafy, compact. The variety is suitable for growing in small areas. The inflorescences bloom towards the beginning of May. Ripe fruits are round in shape, flattened on the sides.

Saturn

The variety belongs to the fig variety. The tree is medium spreading, the crown is oval. Ripe peaches are orange-pink in color, the skin is pubescent. The pulp is dense, juicy and very sweet in taste.

September yellow

The crown is round, highly spreading. Ripe fruits of a rich orange hue with a pinkish blush. Among the advantages of the variety, the winter hardiness of the tree is noted.

Time to spray

Peach diseases

Distinctive features of peach curl therapy are complexity and not always effectiveness.

It is important to use the following scheme for prevention:

For the first time, copper-containing agents are sprayed at the stage of bud break, with the arrival of spring, usually in April or May, depending on the area of cultivation.
The next treatment is just right after 2-4 days.
The final treatment is carried out after flowering. In addition, the content of the active component is reduced.
In regions characterized by increased humidity and cases of fungal plant infections, peaches are treated for curl at an earlier date. Begin to spray peaches before buds form.