"David E. Ross" wrote in
:
It is more likely a fungus: peach leaf curl. Untreated, this can
defoliate the tree. I do not know of any non-chemical treatment.

On my own tree, I use a copper sulfate spray right after pruning and
then again just before the flower buds open. This year, however, rains
interfered with my spraying schedule. The second spraying had to be
delayed until after the flowering was done. (I do not spray where bees
are active.) By the time I was able to do the second spraying, leaf
curl had already attacked my tree. I think this second spraying did
halt the progression of the disease, but nothing can undo the damage
that already happened.


On the other hand, my newly planted peach tree developed leaf curl (I
presume from the nursery). I forgot to water the thing for a little
while and a good number of the damaged leaves fell off. Then, it was
attacked by deer and they striped almost all of the remaining leaves off.
I think that, for the most part, my peach leaf curl problem is gone for
this season. (I'll be spraying the tree this coming fall, though.)

However, I don't recommend this season's method of, uh, "treatment" for
anybody else.

--Bryan

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