Several other fungicides that are equivalent or even more effective than copper for managing peach leaf curl are ziram, chlorothalonil (Echo or Bravo), and dodine (Syllit) when applied at the optimal time. Ziram is most effective.
The safest, effective fungicides available for backyard peach trees are copper soap (copper octanoate) or copper ammonium and are known as fixed copper fungicides. Apply either of these copper products with 1% horticultural oil to increase their fungicidal effectiveness.
Use fungicides with propiconazole or captan; make sure they're safe for peach trees. Start spraying at full bloom and repeat twice at 10- to 14-day intervals. Once your peaches begin to change color, start spraying every seven days. You also can use fruit bags to prevent infection.
permethrin or [Pyrethrum] or spinosad Permethrin and Pyrethrum are for use only on peaches. After this spray, no further spray needed. 1 Refer to Disease and Insect Control Programs for Homegrown Fruit in Kentucky, ID-21, for pictures of floral stages.
Begin your spraying routine in fall after leaves have fallen and you have correctly pruned the tree and cleaned it up. November, December, and January are the times to use dormant sprays as discussed, explained, and described in detail in my organic book on pages 57 to 59, 382, 384, 385, and 403.
Most copper products have long residual activity, even during prolonged wetness. Therefore, one application in the dormant/delayed dormant period is sufficient except in areas of high rainfall or where leaf curl has become an increasing problem.
First use this spray when the flowers have just fallen off your trees – not before, to protect any pollinators still buzzing around. If needed, spray again after two weeks and again mid-summer. Fungicide spray is used in the spring when temperatures are around 60 degrees but leaves have not fully opened.
Fruit trees: Neem oil can be used on fruit trees such as apple, cherry, nectarine, pear, peach, and plum. Use to control aphids, spider mites, caterpillars, coddling moth, meal worms, powdery mildew, scab, rust, and black spot.
Plant Sticky Traps for Pests
A sticky trap will catch bugs and pests before they reach the ripening fruit on your trees and trap them. One of the most popular sticky traps is Tanglefoot, a sticky substance which you paint on the trunk of your fruit tree.
The ingredients usually include one or more insecticides (such as carbaryl, permethrin, malathion) and one or more fungicides, usually captan, sometimes sulfur. Captan is generally considered a good choice for management of many fruit diseases.
Applications of copper to stone fruit trees during late winter or early spring will help limit available fungal (brown rot) and bacterial pathogens (bacterial spot) for the coming season. Use copper at the rate of 2 pounds of metallic copper per acre.
Peach leaf curl, caused by the fungus Taphrina deformans, is a springtime leaf disease favored by relatively cool, wet spring weather. The fungus causes a thickened, reddish-purple discoloration of developing leaves. These leaves become puckered, primarily along the midvein, and appear distorted and stunted.
Vinegar is an all-natural, non-toxic, and eco-friendly pantry standby that can protect the fruit trees in your backyard due to its antimicrobial properties.
Managing Peach Gummosis Fungal Disease
Avoid pruning in summer when wounds are more vulnerable to infection. There is no good way to treat this fungal disease with fungicide, but when healthy trees are infected they can recover.
Combining two trusted products, Ridomil Gold® Bravo® SC provides constant disease protection to protect the quality and value of vegetables and potatoes. With its Weather Stik® technology, Ridomil Gold Bravo SC protects against downy mildew, late blight diseases and vegetable diseases even in adverse weather.
Water regularly during the growing season. Mulch annually – in spring or autumn – with garden compost or well-rotted manure. Peaches flower early in the year, usually from March but sometimes even earlier, when the risk of frost is still high.
Copper-based fungicides, like copper sulfate or copper oxychloride, are effective organic options for treating peach leaf curl. Make sure to spray trees thoroughly during the dormant season, particularly on the branches and bud scales, to prevent the disease from taking hold.
Garden netting is probably the best solution for protecting fruit from squirrels, as well as birds. POYEE polyethylene netting is a well-reviewed product and widely available through online vendors.
If planting new trees, select resistant cultivars. The most effective fungicide practice is a single fungicide spray in late autumn or before spring budbreak.
Avoid using neem oil on seedlings or young plants, as they may be more sensitive to the oil's effects, says Funk.
Neem oil is safe to use on ornamental and edible plants. It can be sprayed on all kind of fruits, vegetables and edible flowers. Just wash them thoroughly with water before consuming.
Yes, you can use too much fungicide on your lawn. Always refer to the product instructions on the amount of fungicide that should be used, as too much can burn your grass or kill good microbes, negatively affecting the soil quality.
The higher the temperature and lower the relative humidity, the greater the opportunity for fungicide evaporation or volatilization. This can be avoided by spraying early in the morning when temperatures are lower and the relative humidity is higher.
Captan 50 WP and/or Spectracide's Immunox
Both these fungicides work well for preventing apple scab. Both products are listed for apple, cherry, peach, plum and grapes.