finally established exactly whats up with my plum tree and its called aphid leaf curl. Last year aphids were rampant and caused the leafs to curl, drop, and stunted growth, resulting in very few flowers this spring. Also caused a good few branches/stems to die, which i removed last weekend.

this year i've got the aphids under control, however the newer leaves are again curling and turning brown.

ideally i'd remove tree and plant a new one, but this unfortunately isn't an option due to its position.

I read that growth after May shouldn't be affected, but i'm wondering if anyone's had any success controlling this disease? Should i hard prune the affected shoots to healthy leaves lower down after May in hope of tree responding in healthier growth.

thanks for your help.

In article , Tiger303 Tiger303.1ox9
writes
I read that growth after May shouldn't be affected, but i'm wondering
if anyone's had any success controlling this disease? Should i hard
prune the affected shoots to healthy leaves lower down after May in
hope of tree responding in healthier growth.

The important thing to remember about the leaf-curl aphid is its life
cycle. It appears on the leaves of prunus trees, but that is at the end
of the life cycle. The aphid's eggs drop to the ground under the tree,
to overwinter, then the larvae hatch, the adult emerges and climbs up
the tree to infect the leaves.

If you prune affected shoots, make sure to burn them. After that, have a
thorough clean up all round the base of the tree and do that again in
autumn time. Grease bands round the trunk can help, but they are not
100% effective.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

My wife uses 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap to a liter of water and hand
sprays her indoor plants every couple of weeks to control aphids. Maybe you
could make this method work for you. You need to get both sides of the
leaves. The other method is with the use of lady bugs. Their best Sunday
meal consists of aphid eggs.

Dwayne

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Tiger303 Tiger303.1ox9
writes
I read that growth after May shouldn't be affected, but i'm wondering
if anyone's had any success controlling this disease? Should i hard
prune the affected shoots to healthy leaves lower down after May in
hope of tree responding in healthier growth.

The important thing to remember about the leaf-curl aphid is its life
cycle. It appears on the leaves of prunus trees, but that is at the end
of the life cycle. The aphid's eggs drop to the ground under the tree,
to overwinter, then the larvae hatch, the adult emerges and climbs up
the tree to infect the leaves.

If you prune affected shoots, make sure to burn them. After that, have a
thorough clean up all round the base of the tree and do that again in
autumn time. Grease bands round the trunk can help, but they are not
100% effective.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

In article , Dwayne jenco@st-
tel.net writes
My wife uses 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap to a liter of water and hand
sprays her indoor plants every couple of weeks to control aphids. Maybe you
could make this method work for you. You need to get both sides of the
leaves. The other method is with the use of lady bugs. Their best Sunday
meal consists of aphid eggs.

Agreed, but by the time leaves can be seen dying from leaf-curl aphids,
they have already mated and laid their eggs for the next generation. The
eggs will be on the ground under the tree and they need to be eliminated
before they can hatch out.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

On Fri, 13 May 2005 19:41:52 +0100, Alan Gould
wrote:

In article , Dwayne jenco@st-
tel.net writes
My wife uses 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap to a liter of water and hand
sprays her indoor plants every couple of weeks to control aphids. Maybe you
could make this method work for you. You need to get both sides of the
leaves. The other method is with the use of lady bugs. Their best Sunday
meal consists of aphid eggs.

Agreed, but by the time leaves can be seen dying from leaf-curl aphids,
they have already mated and laid their eggs for the next generation. The
eggs will be on the ground under the tree and they need to be eliminated
before they can hatch out.

And the leaves are so badly damaged as to be effectively useless to
the plant by then anyway.

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

Alan Gould wrote:


. . . by the time leaves can be seen dying from leaf-curl aphids,
they have already mated and laid their eggs for the next generation. The
eggs will be on the ground under the tree and they need to be eliminated
before they can hatch out.

How do we do this?
(I also had this aphid plague last year)

Brian Mitchell

In article , Brian Mitchell
writes
Alan Gould wrote:


. . . by the time leaves can be seen dying from leaf-curl aphids,
they have already mated and laid their eggs for the next generation. The
eggs will be on the ground under the tree and they need to be eliminated
before they can hatch out.

How do we do this?
(I also had this aphid plague last year)

Thoroughly clean up under the tree. Mow or strim the grass as closely as
possible. Burn all herbage. Even better if you slice off an inch or so
of topsoil with a spade. Do it when curl has shown, and again in autumn.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Alan Gould wrote:
Thoroughly clean up under the tree. Mow or strim the grass as closely as
possible. Burn all herbage. Even better if you slice off an inch or so
of topsoil with a spade. Do it when curl has shown, and again in autumn.

Right. Through this thread I've just discovered the aphids causing a tree
to suffer from leaf curl.

So is it best to prune affected shoots now so that the tree doesn't put more
effort into feeding the aphids? And then clear the ground under the tree
too.

[I'm new to gardening so I wouldn't have a clue what type of tree it is]

What's a grease band? Just a sticky strip, or impregnated with pheromone or
something else.

Thanks
Theo

In article , Theo Markettos
writes

Right. Through this thread I've just discovered the aphids causing a tree
to suffer from leaf curl.

So is it best to prune affected shoots now so that the tree doesn't put more
effort into feeding the aphids? And then clear the ground under the tree
too.
Yes do both. Leaf curl is a persistent pest.

What's a grease band? Just a sticky strip, or impregnated with pheromone or
something else.
They vary, they work like sticky fly traps, but none are 100% effective.

--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

Alan Gould wrote:
In article , Theo Markettos
writes

Right. Through this thread I've just discovered the aphids causing a tree
to suffer from leaf curl.

So is it best to prune affected shoots now so that the tree doesn't put more
effort into feeding the aphids? And then clear the ground under the tree
too.
Yes do both. Leaf curl is a persistent pest.

Thanks, will do.

Theo