Peach Leaf Curl Control in Your Garden

Leaf Curl is a disease that commonly affects stone fruit trees like Peaches, Nectarines and Almonds. It can affect both fruiting and ornamental varieties.

Leaf Curl disease spores overwinter (live through winter) in the crevices of the tree bark and around the leaf and flower buds. In spring, the Leaf Curl disease spores infect the new leaves.

Leaf Curl causes new leaves in spring to be severely twisted, deformed and discoloured. Infected leaves ultimately turn brown, shrivel and drop from the tree. Fruits may also fail to develop and can be discoloured.

Trees infected with Leaf Curl disease are not able to photosynthesise (absorb and process as much sunlight) sufficiently, and tree health can decline.

Leaf Curl is a disease that needs to be prevented. Once leaves are affected, they cannot be cured. So, the Leaf Curl disease spores are killed during winter before they have the chance to infect new leaves in spring.

To prevent Leaf Curl, spray trees thoroughly during winter with Yates Lime Sulfur, when the trees are dormant and before bud swell (when leaf and flower buds start to enlarge).

Alternatively, once buds start to swell, trees can be sprayed with Yates Liquid Copper Fungicide. Correct timing is critical and it’s important to spray when the buds are swelling but before and within one week of the buds opening. Where Leaf Curl has been severe in the previous year, trees can also be sprayed with Yates Liquid Copper Fungicide in autumn when the leaves have fallen, plus at the first sign of bud swell and again one week later.