tt-145 BY DON MEEHAN

CONTROLLING PEACH LEAF CURL

For anyone who has tried to grow peaches on the west side of the mountains they know it can be a challenge. For years the varieties available to the home gardener were highly susceptible to a disease called Peach Leaf Curl. Many of those trees are still around and needing special attention. The disease can be managed and this is the time of the year to begin gearing up for it. If you are not familiar with the disease and how to diagnose it, the most obvious clue is that the leaves begin to curl quite early in the spring. Often times this curling can be confused with aphid damage. The leaves also take on a yellowish to reddish color. Touching the leaves will indicate they are rather thick and crispy instead of the pliable and soft feel of a normal leaf. At this time of the year most leaves should have begun to fall off. Those suffering from Peach Leaf Curl often remain on long after the others have fallen off. The fruit will exhibit swollen reddish growths on the surface lacking the normal peach fuzz. Controlling this disease needs to take place in the fall and winter months. The first step is to do a good job of cleaning up all old leaves since they provide a source of the fungus to grow and reinfect the new buds for next year. Do not compost these leaves; burn them or put them in the garbage. Spraying with fungicides is almost essential if the tree is to survive over the long term. Any time spraying is done it is important to remember that Timing is Everything. This is the case with this disease. Mid December and late January spray applications are required. The most important one will be the January application; however, better control of the disease will be had with both applications. There are a number of fungicide materials available for the homeowner to use. The most effective seems to be a material called Cyprex, but it may be difficult to find. Lime sulfur and copper sulfate (Bordeaux) have also been shown to be effective and are readily available in most garden stores. If you find that it is March and you forgot to spray, don't bother to make a belated effort. You will be wasting your time and money. If you are tired of fighting this problem, there is one variety tested by WSU which has been found to be resistant to the disease. It is called "Frost". For more information, contact the WSU Education Center located in Coupeville at 679-7327.




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