Content
Peach leaf curl is one of the most dangerous and most harmful diseases. Measures aimed at saving the affected tree must be taken urgently, otherwise you can be left without a crop or lose most of it. Every gardener should understand that leaf curl is not only an aesthetic defect. This ailment can sometimes even lead to the complete death of the tree.
What is the disease of curly leaves in peach
The provocateur of the development of curliness of peach leaves is a hollow mushroom (Taphrinadeformans), the spores of which penetrate into the wounds and cracks of the bark, under the scales of flower and deciduous buds. The activation of the vital activity of fungal spores leads to the formation of a fungus. The first signs of the disease appear in early spring, during bud break. It usually develops in conditions of high humidity and low ambient temperatures. The most favorable period for the development of the disease is a cool temperature (6-8 ° C) and a prolonged spring.
Treatment of a disease such as peach leaf curl is best started early, when the first signs appear. Otherwise, the leaf buds will become infected, and the disease will begin to actively develop. First, on young blossoming leaves, a kind of light-green bubbles appear. After which the peach leaves fade, then turn red and curl. Affected foliage deforms and thickens, becomes brittle and eventually dries up.
7-14 days after the onset of the disease, marsupial spores of the fungus begin to develop on both sides of the leaves. Their formation is manifested in the form of a waxy coating, gray or white. The period of spraying of spores of the causative agent of peach leaf curl falls on the last month of spring, in the second or third decade. At this time, the defeat of the shoots occurs. Their growth is inhibited, they begin to turn yellow, and by the end of July they completely die.
What is the danger of the disease
Sometimes the curliness of peach leaves turns into a chronic stage, which is characterized by a delay in tree growth in spring and an increase in the period of their susceptibility to infection. The disease in its advanced stage leads to the complete exposure of the trunks of peaches, the defeat of young shoots and the ovary. The remaining fruits do not fully develop, harden, losing their taste. Affected trees lag behind in growth, their winter hardiness decreases. Lack of timely assistance most often leads to the complete death of peaches, within 2-3 years after infection.
Methods of dealing with peach curl
Almost every gardener who planted a peach in his garden faces a problem such as curling foliage for 2-3 years. And immediately questions arise, how to treat peach diseases and how to get rid of the curl of peach leaves.
It is quite difficult to deal with peach curl during the progression of the disease. Most often, experienced gardeners first use mechanical methods, and then they begin chemical treatments.
If the leaves of a peach are curled, you can use the following control methods:
- Removal and destruction of infected foliage.
- Treatment of the garden with chemicals (insecticides and fungicides).
- The use of folk remedies.
- Preventive measures.
Removal and destruction of damaged foliage
Mechanical methods of control include the removal and destruction (burning) of damaged leaves and shoots. Trimming peach leaves that are spinning can be done in several steps:
- in the spring before the buds swell or in the fall;
- during the growing season, immediately after flowering;
- re-removal of the affected shoots before the dispersion of pathogenic spores.
Pruning diseased leaves and shoots is considered the most effective way to combat curliness. The best time to do this is in May when signs of curly leaves are most noticeable. At the same time, during this period, there will be no active spread of fungal spores.
How to treat a peach from curly leaves
Many gardeners are interested in the question of how a garden can be treated if leaves are curled on a peach. The best results are obtained by treating horticultural crops with chemicals. When choosing a remedy, one should focus on the period when the infection occurred, as well as when the first signs of the disease were detected.
- Spraying trees with a solution of 3% Bordeaux liquid. Carried out in the phase of raspberry buds.
- Treatment of peaches immediately after flowering with fungicides in combination with insecticides. If necessary, after 10-12 days, the fungicide treatment can be repeated.
- Spraying leaves during active leaf fall with 1% copper sulfate solution. Bordeaux liquid can be used if such treatment was not carried out in early spring.
Very often, Bordeaux mixture is used to treat peaches from curling, which copes well with the disease. But this method has one significant drawback - this drug is very phytotoxic. Application of the product can lead to a delay in fruiting. As a result, the yield may decrease.
Also, when peach is treated with Bordeaux liquid, the content of copper in the foliage increases, and with the growth of shoots, the amount of heavy metal increases even more. Despite the disadvantages, the drug is considered quite effective and its use is fully justified in cases where curliness in a peach has been observed for several seasons.
If the degree of damage is high enough, it is recommended to use systemic drugs for treatment, such as:
- Horus;
- Delan;
- "Speed".
They can be used both individually and in complex treatment. The treatment should be repeated periodically. Frequency rate - 1 time in 10-14 days. According to experts, the effectiveness of these drugs is 98%.
It can also be treated with biologics, for example:
- Fitosporin;
- Pentaphagus;
- Trichodermin;
- Planriz;
- Guapsin.
They are non-toxic, so they can be used throughout the growing season, but basically they will not be able to completely get rid of the fungus with their help.
Recommended treatment schemes for curliness:
№ | Before bud break | Immediately after the end of the flowering period | 10-14 days after flowering | After falling leaves |
1 | With a mixture of biological products: · "Planriz" (50g / 10 l of water); · "Pentafag" (100 g / 10 l of water); · "Trichodermin" (100 g / 10 l of water) | With a mixture of biological products: · "Planriz" (50 g / 10 l of water); · "Gaupsin" (100 g / 10 l of water); · "Trichodermin" (100 g / 10 l of water). | Copper sulfate (1% solution) | |
+ fungicide "Horus" (1/2 norm) | + fungicide "Skor" (½ norm) | |||
2 | Horus (2 g / 10 l of water) | "Speed" (2 g / 10 l of water)
| Lime milk (2% solution) | |
3 | Copper sulfate (1% solution) | Copper oxychloride (0.4% solution) | Bordeaux liquid (3% solution) | |
4 | Bordeaux liquid (1% solution) | Polychom | Urea (6-7% solution) | |
Folk measures to combat peach curl
Clay is a proven folk remedy used to combat the curliness of peach leaves by many years of experience. Traditionally, this natural material is used in combination with lime, which acts as an adhesive. In addition to the antifungal effect, clay serves as a kind of adsorbent. It also nourishes the plant with a variety of nutrients that help fight leaf curl. Such as:
- sulfur;
- silicon;
- aluminum, etc.
Treatment with clay and lime helps to improve the physicochemical and biological properties of the peach, has a phytocidal and fungicidal effect. A solution is prepared in this ratio - 4 parts of clay and 1 part of lime. Spray the trees immediately after preparation, until a sediment has formed in the mixture.
Also, gardeners use tobacco infusion to combat the curliness of peach leaves. To prepare a medicinal solution, you need 1 kg of raw materials, which must be dissolved in 5 liters of water. The mixture is infused for about 3 days, after which it is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 2. Trees infected with curly leaves are sprayed with the prepared solution. After 7 days, the procedure is repeated.
A set of preventive measures
Preventive measures to combat curliness of peach leaves begin in the fall. When the ambient temperature drops to 10-15 ° C. The preventive complex includes the following procedures:
- pruning of affected trees, followed by their processing with copper sulfate or sulfur-lime solution;
- collecting leaves after they have fallen, followed by composting or burning, since spores of pathogens remain on them;
- soil treatment with filling in fallen leaves, around the trunks of affected trees, as well as in the aisles of the garden.
In the first decade of March, trees should be sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate (1%) or Bordeaux liquid (3%). It is recommended to repeat the treatment after a few days. In order to prevent the development of curliness in peaches, it is necessary to plant young trees from the sunny side of the garden, in dry areas. You should also pay attention to the peach variety, choosing varieties for growing that are most resistant to curliness.
The most susceptible to the development of the disease are peach varieties such as Armgold, Cornet, Earley Cornet, Stark Delicious, Dixired and Collins. The rest of the species are somewhat resistant to the onset of this disease.
Conclusion
Peach leaf curl is a disease that cannot be ignored. Treatment should be started as soon as the first signs of infection are found on the trees. Treatment of fruit trees from diseases is a mandatory procedure when maintaining a garden. By following these simple recommendations, you can easily get rid of such an unpleasant disease as curly leaves and enjoy a rich harvest of peaches.
