Peach Tree - Disease

[Savanna]

Over the past few summers I have noticed an issue with the leaves on our peach tree. I have tried to spray the tree with Yates copper oxychloride twice a year as per the instructions but each year the issue is back. Half way through summer the leaves will die and fall off along with small peaches. Would anyone mind advising what this is and how I can get rid of it?. Any help appreciated. Thank you

 

[Chuck]

Over the past few summers I have noticed an issue with the leaves on our peach tree. I have tried to spray the tree with Yates copper oxychloride twice a year as per the instructions but each year the issue is back. Half way through summer the leaves will die and fall off along with small peaches. Would anyone mind advising what this is and how I can get rid of it?. Any help appreciated. Thank you

I believe that what is showing is called Shothole disease. It looks very similar to Peach Rust. With Shothole disease spray your fungicide in the fall after leaf drop and again in early spring just before bud break. With peach rust spray just before bud break and as needed if and when you see it. Daconil is probably the preferred spray.

 

[Savanna]

Thank you very Much. Since taking that photo It has spread considerably to 60% of the leaves already. Here in New Zealand we have just started summer. I will have a look and see if that brand or product is available here or a may need to look for an alternative. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Chuck]

Thank you very Much. Since taking that photo It has spread considerably to 60% of the leaves already. Here in New Zealand we have just started summer. I will have a look and see if that brand or product is available here or a may need to look for an alternative. Thanks again for the advice.

The active ingredient you should look for is Chlorothalonil

 

[Chuck]

Thank you very Much. Since taking that photo It has spread considerably to 60% of the leaves already. Here in New Zealand we have just started summer. I will have a look and see if that brand or product is available here or a may need to look for an alternative. Thanks again for the advice.

I was thinking about your tree and went back through my fruit journals. It is NOT rust or Shothole disease. It is Peach Leaf Curl. Control is exactly the same as Shothole. Spray after leaf drop and at bud swell. The fungus overwinters mainly in the bark.

 

[Savanna]

Thank you very much Chuck. I have done a little searching online and it does look like I may have the right fungicide after all but maybe not applying it correctly. I have attempted to apply it like you say (twice a year) but keeps coming through. Is it normally something that can be cured or an ongoing twice yearly thing forever?.

 

[Chuck]

Thank you very much Chuck. I have done a little searching online and it does look like I may have the right fungicide after all but maybe not applying it correctly. I have attempted to apply it like you say (twice a year) but keeps coming through. Is it normally something that can be cured or an ongoing twice yearly thing forever?.

Spraying at the PROPER TIME is of upmost importance. You must spray shortly BEFORE leaf opening. This rule applies to most fungal leaf diseases. If you wait until the leaves have opened, you allow the disease to spread and it is much harder to eliminate the spores. But, if you spray before leaf opening AND if you have reoccurrence spray again. You may have to do this multiple times before the disease is eliminated. But once the disease is eliminated you should still propolactally spray each year before bud break. You should spray fungicide and dormant oil/neem oil about a week apart to ward off fungal problems and insect problems.

 

[YumYum]

Spraying plants with Chlorantholanil (and some other types of fungicides) is like putting Armor-All on car tires. It puts a protective layer on the plant and leaves that fungi does not stick to so they don't attach and eat the plant when they land on the plants surface. Rain can wash that protection off of the plant so then fungi can then stick to the plant. Even it does not rain for awhile, fast growing plants (like vegetables) can also what I imagine is "stretch" the protection so there are gaps in the protective layer that fungi can then stick to and eat the plant so time between sprayings can be considered a variable.

This type of protection does not protect the plant from soil borne disease entering through the roots (vericillium, fusarium, southern blight, etc) and also does not protect the plant from every type of air borne fungi.

 

[Chuck]

Spraying plants with Chlorantholanil (and some other types of fungicides) is like putting Armor-All on car tires. It puts a protective layer on the plant and leaves that fungi does not stick to so they don't attach and eat the plant when they land on the plants surface. Rain can wash that protection off of the plant so then fungi can then stick to the plant. Even it does not rain for awhile, fast growing plants (like vegetables) can also what I imagine is "stretch" the protection so there are gaps in the protective layer that fungi can then stick to and eat the plant so time between sprayings can be considered a variable.

This type of protection does not protect the plant from soil borne disease entering through the roots (vericillium, fusarium, southern blight, etc) and also does not protect the plant from every type of air borne fungi.

Peach Leaf Curl is not soil borne. It is moved by water and wind onto the leaves during wet weather and overhead watering. It has nothing to do with soil or roots.

 

[DirtMechanic]

The ammonium, potassium, and sodium salts of phosphorous acid are used primarily for controlling downy mildew and brown rot, harmful fungi that attack a variety of food and non-food crops. In addition to controlling the fungi directly, these active ingredients appear to enhance the plant's natural defense mechanisms. No harm to humans or the environment is expected when users follow label directions.

They are fundamentally systemic and supress a wider host of fungi as you read the labels.

 

[YumYum]

Peach Leaf Curl is not soil borne. It is moved by water and wind onto the leaves during wet weather and overhead watering. It has nothing to do with soil or roots.

I was trying to paint a picture of how those types of fungicides work. That is how I learned the hard way. I too was in their shoes forever and didn't realize how those types of fungicides actually worked since I thought it actually killed the fungi, which it does not.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I was trying to paint a picture of how those types of fungicides work. That is how I learned the hard way. I too was in their shoes forever and didn't realize how those types of fungicides actually worked since I thought it actually killed the fungi, which it does not.

Functionally they fake the plant out into accepting them as a nutrient to get inside but being slightly different cannot be used so they rattle about internally until some enzyme dripping fungi penetrates the outer layers and meets them unexpectedly. They are curative to the degree the plant can regrow which is not always the case.

 

[YumYum]

Functionally they fake the plant out into accepting them as a nutrient to get inside but being slightly different cannot be used so they rattle about internally until some enzyme dripping fungi penetrates the outer layers and meets them unexpectedly. They are curative to the degree the plant can regrow which is not always the case.

Didn't know that. Is that just with Chlorantholanil or something else?
I have to use Myclobutanil on my apple tree early in the season and I know it is systemic type.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Didn't know that. Is that just with Chlorantholanil or something else?
I have to use Myclobutanil on my apple tree early in the season and I know it is systemic type.

The problem with systemic fungicidal properties is that so many come from materials that are not edible. Even then something that defeats one form of life can go on to hurt another. Myclobutanil is used on some crops I read about like grapes and almonds but is also supposed to harm the muscle bees use to fly and keep warm. It is so difficult to fight fungi without collateral damage.

This article points the way. https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/08/health/phage-superbug-killer-life-itself-wellness/index.html