Peach Leaf Curl: Control, Symptoms & Treatments

Peach leaf curl is a fungal disease found in peach and nectarine trees. It causes distorted leaves and makes them fall early. In this blog, we’re going to talk about what peach leaf curl is, its symptoms, and how to treat trees.

What is Peach Leaf Curl?

Peach leaf curl is a fungal disease that affects peach and nectarine varieties. Apricot trees and Almond trees may also be affected. It’s caused by the fungus Taphrina deformans – it’s one of the most common problems faced by home gardeners in early Spring.

It attacks young leaves just as they emerge, causing them to become thickened, blistered, curled, and discoloured. If left unmanaged, it can weaken the tree, reduce fruiting, and cause affected leaves to drop prematurely.

If you live in the South of the UK most seasons peaches will not be affected by leaf curl however more northern sites may be.

Peach Leaf Curl Symptoms

Peach leaf curl symptoms typically appear about two weeks after leaves emerge in the Spring.

• Young leaves become curled, twisted, and distorted
• Thickened, blistered leaf tissue, often puckered in appearance
• Leaves show red, pink, purple, or yellow discolouration
• A bloom of white fungal spores appears on affected leaves
• Infected leaves often dry up and fall off early
• Trees may produce new leaves later in spring, weakening overall growth
• Reduced fruit production and yield in severe or repeated infections
• Overall loss of vigour, especially if the disease occurs year after year

How do you treat Peach Leaf Curl?

Once symptoms appear, you can’t cure infected leaves. Treatment is all about how to prevent peach leaf curl and reduce the infection.

When you first spot Peach leaf curl, remove and bin all infected leaves as soon as possible. Try to remove them before the white spores to help reduce the amount of fungus carried over into the next year.

To treat, you can use a copper-based fungicide early in the dormant season and the growing season. If you live in an area with lots of wet weather, you can also apply in the late dormant season.

Non Chemical Preventative Measure

If your peach tree is a wall-trained tree, a rain shelter can help to prevent the infection, as this disease, caused by Taphrina deformans, thrives in wet spring weather, as spores are splashed onto buds by rain in the late winter or early spring, leading to infections as the buds break.

Your plastic sheeting should cover the top of the tree and the front within 30 cm of the wall. Remember to keep the ends open to allow pollinating insects in. Pop it up after the leaves fall in November and keep the cover up until mid-May. This helps to prevent the disease by keeping young shoots dry, so you have healthy leaves on your peach tree.

Is it Safe to eat Peaches with Peach Leaf Curl?

Yes, you can still harvest and eat peaches that grow on your tree, even if it is infected with peach leaf curl. This is because the disease spores do not affect the fruit, only the leaves and young shoots. The only thing you might notice is that the fruits might be smaller or fewer if the tree is badly affected.

Peach Leaf Curl Resistant Varieties

Avalon Pride

Avalon Pride is one of the most resistant varieties to peach leaf curl. It produces large, red-fleshed fruits that are juicy and have a quality flavour.

Red Haven

Red Haven is described as having some resistance to peach leaf curl, but we recommend fan training on a sheltered wall to avoid any fungal growth. It produces a fruit that is easy to eat straight from the tree and is self-fertile.