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wayne_sall

What's wrong with my peach tree

8 years ago

Half the trees leaves look mutilated .......and curled

Comments (7)

  • 8 years ago

    I haven't seen any aphids though and my apple trees are fine right next to this. But maybe I'll spray anyway

  • 8 years ago

    It could be something different, but looked like aphids to me, especially how the damage is random. Pick a leaf off un-curl it and see if there are aphids hiding inside.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Partly shriveled appearance and the way damage is concentrated on leaves located near shoot bases, as though dating back to the start of the current growing period makes me think peach leaf curl disease. If you are located in the US the web site of the USDA Cooperative Extension Service branch serving your State will have links to information about this common problem, which should enable you to decide if that is in fact your issue. And if so, what needs to be done to prevent it next year.

  • 8 years ago

    Nevermind i looked more closely and there are aphids and they're beginning to affect the nearbyapple tree. I sprayed poison all over them. Hope that fixes it.

  • 8 years ago

    There may be aphids as well but that damage is unmistakably leaf curl!! There are very few varieties of peach that are NOT affected by leaf curl. I would follow the advice provided by Embothrium to find out how to treat. It is more of a cosmetic issue than one that causes harm to the tree but if severe, it can cause early defoliation and weaken the tree, especially if it occurs year after year (which it will if not treated).

    Spraying "poison" on aphids is probably overkill!! They tend to be very seasonal, cause no real damage to the tree or its fruit and are often addressed most efficiently by natural predators......of which there are many. Spraying with insecticides will shift the natural balance by killing off the beneficial predatory insects as well and subsequent aphid populations will explode!! It's a bit of a domino effect.

    Blasting the aphids with just a strong stream of water from the hose is usually more than sufficient control and will not harm any beneficials or pollinators that might be present.

  • 8 years ago

    Looks like peach leaf curl to me. Next year when the tree is dormant spray it with a fungicide such as copper or bordeaux mixture. There is little you can do once the tree has leafed out. Those deformed leaves will fall off. Pick them up and either burn them or throw them in the trash in a sealed bag. New leaves will replace the deformed ones that fall off.