Subject: Re: peach leaf curl???????

From: Nancy Harrison <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 14 May 95 08:34:00 -0500

Andrew, I live in the same area and I never succeeded in
getting rid of it no matter how much rain we had.  The problem
is that you have to take ALL the infected material (leaves,
mostly) and remove it completely from the area, destroying it
(burning used to be the method) so that reinfection can't
occur. The classic control is a sulfur spray of some kind, that
must be applied at a very particular time of year (see Sunset
Western Garden book).  The disease is caused by an ascomycete
fungus.  There is no "organic" cure, as far as I know...you
have to use the nasty chemicals.  Good luck - Nan

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From: [email-masked] (Andrew Johnson)
Date: 11 May 1995 17:52:39 GMT

My peach tree this year is badly overcome with peach leaf curl.  I 
think it's probably because of the tremendous amount of rain we had this 
winter.  But I was just wondering how I could prevent this from happening 
next year.  Is there some kind of safe treatment I could use to cut back 
on this disease?  All suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks.

-Andy Johnson

P.S.  I live in California in the bay area.

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From: [email-masked] (TGray)
Date: 21 May 1995 11:31:02 -0400

Peach leaf curl (_Taphrina deformans_) is a fungus.  Removing infected
material is important, but you have to spray the tree to really control
it.  I use copper sulfate, sold commercially as Bordeaux mix, a wettable
powder that is applied twice for best results.  I apply it once in early
December right after leaf drop and once in mid- to late January before
flowers and new leaves come out.  Copper sulfate is pretty benign stuff in
the environment; it's the only spray I apply besides NAA (a synthesized
natural plant growth regulator).  I use one of those cheap $7 spray units
that you screw onto the end of your hose, and it works fine, but here's a
tip: Mix the powder with hot water, it emulsifies better.  (I don't mean
the hose water, just what you put in the spray unit.)

T. Gray Shaw, ISA Certified Arborist