Leaf curl is a common disease of many agricultural plants and trees. Peach is no exception and, being susceptible to this ailment, can lose a very significant part of the fruit. It is wrong to believe that this is only an aesthetically noticeable disease of the peach - the curliness of the leaves leads to damage to the shoots, which are deformed, and can lead to the death of the tree, not to mention the loss in yield. In this regard, at the first signs of a fruit tree disease, it is necessary to take treatment measures.
How does the disease manifest itself and how dangerous
A common mushroom provokes curliness during early spring. This usually occurs in conditions of high humidity and low temperatures. Just at this time, the tree dissolves its buds, and the spores are activated and trigger the development of diseases that the peach cannot resist. Curliness of the leaves, the fight against which should be carried out already in the early stages, is eliminated precisely by destroying the fungus. If appropriate measures are not taken, the infection affects all leaf buds against the background of marsupial sporulation of the fungus.
The development of the disease begins with the fact that the leaves turn pale, after which they change the shade to a reddish color. From this moment, the curliness of the peach leaves begins. Treatment should be started at the first symptoms, but with gentle means. If you start the disease, then curliness will affect the shoots, and eventually the ovaries. Peach fruits harden, lose their taste and become inedible. If you do not fight the disease for several years, then in addition to losing the crop, you can also lose the entire tree, which will die.
Removal of diseased leaves
Coping with curl is not easy, but if you approach the fight against fungus in a comprehensive manner, the result is likely to be positive. Pruning and then burning affected leaves and shoots is one of the primary means to defeat curly peach leaves. Treatment in this way is usually carried out in May, when the symptoms of the disease are most pronounced. Also, experienced gardeners practice removal in several stages for greater efficiency. For example, the first pruning can be done when flowering is over. A repeated procedure is performed until the spores of the fungal infection have dissipated.
How to spray from curl
Spraying remains one of the most effective means of combating tree diseases. It is important to consider in what period the peach was infected. The curliness of the leaves, the fight against which is carried out after flowering, requires the use of tank biological products. These include trichodermin, planriz and pentaphage. Also at this time, you can apply fungicides and Before bud break, use the same means, as well as milk of lime and urea. When the leaf fall has departed, it is necessary to spray the tree and soil in the area of \u200b\u200bthe stamp circle - that is, where the fallen leaves lie. In this case, treatment with the listed agents is possible, but without fungicides.
Processing with Bordeaux mixture
Protection against frizz has recently been increasingly provided with a 3% Bordeaux blend. It should be noted right away that this method has a serious disadvantage: increased phytotoxicity, which, however, well eliminates the curliness of peach leaves. The treatment is accompanied by a delay in the entry of the tree into the fruiting period and affects the low yield. In addition, treatment with such a preparation increases the copper content in peach leaves. Moreover, the availability of heavy metal will increase as the shoots grow.
Despite all the negative factors, there are obvious benefits from using Bordeaux mixture. If in the fight against other diseases its effectiveness may not justify itself against the background of negative factors, then the curliness of peach leaves, which is treated with this remedy regularly, will definitely give a beneficial result. This option is advisable especially in the fight against an infection that has developed over several years.
Clay processing
If for processing it is rather recommended as a specialized means of combating the disease, then clay is a traditional folk remedy. It is used in combination with lime and acts as an effective adhesive. But it is not only this property of the substance that is important - clay also works as an adsorbent, not to mention the presence of a number of nutrients in the composition. Among them are silicon, aluminum, sulfur and other components that help to defeat curly peach leaves. Treatment with folk remedies in the form of clay with lime improves the biological and physicochemical characteristics of the peach, while nourishing the tree and mineral elements.
If it is not possible to use clay together with milk of lime, then the option of using the first in pure form is not excluded. In this case, the fungicidal effect will be less pronounced, but the phytocidal properties will manifest themselves quite effectively, eliminating peach disease. The curliness of the leaves is most easily eliminated with a clay-lime mixture in an optimal consistency, which provides a neutral effect. For this, the ratio of clay to milk of lime must be 4: 1.
Modern remedies against curliness
It happens that the action of the clay-lime solution does not help, and the use of the Bordeaux mixture is excluded because of its negative factors in relation to a particular plant. This raises the question of how to treat a peach from curly leaves with minimal harm to the tree itself. The answer lies in the drugs of a new generation, among which are fast, delan and chorus. They can be used one at a time, in combination or alternately. In addition, an addition in the form of a clay-lime mortar can significantly prolong the effect of the same product. According to experts, such drugs provide 98% biological effectiveness in the treatment of curly leaves.
Planting and growing a peach tree can be equated with real art, because this activity requires a careful study of your own and others' mistakes. The peach tree is prone to disease if not properly cared for, but when the peach is cared for in the spring is sufficient, it can reward you with tasty and large fruits.
Spring peach pruning
In most cases, peach pruning should begin in the first half of March, when there is no longer any risk of damage to the tree by low air temperatures.
But here it is worth considering that if in the winter the air temperature dropped below 18 degrees, then pruning of the plant should be postponed until the vegetative period. This must be done to objectively assess the degree of damage to the tree, and apply the required effort to pruning, the greater the percentage of damaged buds on the tree, the less active pruning should be, and vice versa. Caring for a peach in spring also depends on the degree of frostbite of the shoots (see video).
Top dressing of peach trees in spring
Like most other fertile trees, the peach needs to be fed in the spring season. Top dressing of the tree in spring is done while digging the soil around the tree trunk. Fertilizers can very actively affect the final quality of the fruit and the overall health of the tree, for example, the leaves of a fertilized peach can be 3 times the size of leaves growing on unfertilized ( on video).
Fertilizers that you are going to apply to the soil around the tree in the spring should contain the following components:
- Nitrogen fertilizers (about 70 grams).
- Ammonium nitrate (50 grams).
Also, peach care includes fertilizing with organic fertilizers, but organic matter is allowed to be applied to the soil no more than 1 time in 3 years.
Watering the peach and caring for the trunk circle
It is preferable to water the peach along the furrows, usually for young plants 1 furrow on each side is enough, for older plants approximately three furrows should be installed on each side or in a circle (in the picture). Peaches are always planted in well-planted soil, so the depth of the furrows should not exceed 10 cm, and the distance between them should be between 30 and 40 centimeters (see video).
With an obvious shortage of natural rainfall and insufficient melt water in spring, watering is carried out 10 days before the beginning of the flowering period, and continues periodically (with the calculation of rainfall). Watering must be suspended 2 weeks before the expected removal of fruits from the tree, since excess moisture in the soil can negatively affect the taste of the fruits.
A large mass of roots in this plant is located at a depth of 60 cm, therefore, for the most part, not so much water is used for irrigation. The main thing is not to overdo it, and not to turn the earth into a swamp, this can completely destroy the peach root system.
To retain moisture, caring for the near-trunk circle may include mulching the soil around the trunk for? crown diameter.
Peach tree health
The health of a plant can depend not only on the climatic conditions in which it grows, but also on the many diseases that peaches are susceptible to.
Before planting, you should choose a place with non-contaminated soil, and if you are planting a shoot, then check it for any diseases. Peach care in spring and during the growing season, treatment and prevention of plant diseases should be carried out by spraying with special chemicals mixed in certain proportions.
In addition to common tree diseases, mycoses caused by fungi or living organisms in the tree or its shoots are also common. For example, the peach moth, which, after wintering in the spring, bites into the shoots, which causes them to dry out ( on photo and video).
For the treatment of each specific disease, a separate chemical or a combination of them should be used, depending on the disease, purpose (treatment / prevention), season. Two weeks after the first spraying against diseases and pests, it is worth repeating the spraying with the same substances to consolidate the result.
Chemical protection
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to obtain marketable peach products without constant chemical protection. On a fruit-bearing tree, the first spraying should be done not in spring, but in autumn, during leaf fall, when half of the leaves are still on the tree.
The Bordeaux mixture (Bordeaux liquid - medicine No. 1 for green patients) at a concentration of 3% gives the best effect, since it is not washed off by rain and snow, which means that copper, which will stick to branches and fallen leaves, will reliably protect the garden from fungal infections. In addition to spraying, it is also necessary to whitewash the trunk and large skeletal branches with Bordeaux mixture, which will also prevent burns on sunny winter days, from overheating and premature kidney development.
The first spring spraying is carried out even before bud break - in the last decade of March. Again, it is better to do the first spraying with Bordeaux liquid. After 10-12 days, repeat the treatment, but with the use of cuprosate (40 ml per 10 l of water).
These three treatments practically save the peach from curliness and monilia, but, of course, they do not guarantee 100% of the effect. If, nevertheless, signs of curliness on the leaves begin to appear, then just before flowering (but before the color opens), it is necessary to process the foliage with Topaz (concentration 5-6 ml per 10 l of water). This systemic fungicide gives excellent results at low temperatures. And since during the flowering of trees, bees carry spores of harmful fungi along with pollen, topaz will protect your peaches from the inside and prevent diseases from developing.
Full schedule of peach tree disease treatments
Peach's biggest problem is leaf curl. It is caused by a fungus that is extremely difficult to fight.
To get a good harvest of peaches, it must be protected from fungus, generously "fed" with fertilizers, and properly cut.
How to spray a peach in spring from curl
Dissolve in a bucket of water 300 grams copper sulfate and a spoonful of washing powder for better adhesion. Spray all branches and trunk generously with a solution. You need to spray the peach several times at the beginning of the growing season.
- First time we process with copper vitriol very early - in February-March.
- Second time - in the phase of a pink cone with strobilurins Quadris or Strobe... These are some of the safest yet most effective systemic fungicides.
- Third timepeach is sprayed with a weak infusion of mullein or extractor from vermicompost after fruit setting. This will increase the disease resistance of the peach. How to spray apricots for diseases in the spring read.
Cool folk remedy against curly peach - decoction yarrow... Boil a large meal of dry grass for 5 minutes in 3 liters of water. Insist for two hours and generously spray the branches and leaves.
Curly leaves must be torn off before processing. After a week or two, repeat the procedure. You can spray a peach with a decoction of yarrow during any growing season.
Taking proper care of your peach in spring will ensure a bountiful harvest
How to trim a peach
The peach bears fruit on last year's growth. But the problem is that the new growth branches out horribly in the summer. New twigs-shoots make their way from almost every bud. Having given fruit, the branch is bare and will bear fruit at the very tip - a new growth.
Therefore, to get a harvest of peaches, it is necessary pruned in the pink cone phase, when you can already see which branches have already borne their fruit and do not bloom, but only take on nutrients.
Peach is very light-requiring... A dense crown plus a fungal infection leads to a strong weakening of the tree and it dies. Therefore, the crown of the peach is formed in a bowl-like shape, and approximately the same volume of branches is maintained annually by pruning.
Spring peach pruning
In the spring cut off everything that is weak and looks down. In a peach, flower buds can be located either on the branches of a branch, or closer to their base. This is a feature of the variety. If in spring the peach blooms mainly at the bases, then the branches are made shorter. And if the flowers are located at the very tips, then only the top of the branch is cut off.
Summer cut off the upper half of the branches from the new growth, which are directed to the middle of the crown. All branches are also shortened, except for two strong external shoots. Like this:
We cut off the branches directed towards the inside of the crown over 2 leaves, and those that look down we shorten
A pair of twigs untouched by the pruning shears will become skeletal. And the shortened lower branches will branch out over the summer, become fruitful. Highlighted in green on the diagram:
Summer peach pruning
How to grow a strong and healthy peach
Step 1... Choose quality seedling with a powerful root system.
Step 2. Put in a smart pit... A smart pit is a deep, generously filled with manure and mineral water, a planting pit with good drainage and a pipe brought up for spot deep irrigation of the root system.
Grow a seedling... The fact is that the peach inherits 60% of its maternal properties. Important: the seeds must be planted immediately where you plan to grow the peach, so that the seedling does not have to be dug out and thereby damage the taproot. And he just is the basis of a strong and healthy tree.
In autumn bury 3-4 bones in a layer of sand in a prepared hole. Mulch on top. In the spring, choose the strongest seedling, and remove the rest.
Step 3... Constantly pour manure into the trunk circle, mulch the soil and water abundantly.
Step 4. Plucking off excess fruits... Like no other culture, peach does not tolerate overload. Do not spare the fruit, the load rate for the tree is 1 fruit per 15 cm of the branch. We wrote about how to increase the yield of apricots in.
Almost everyone loves peaches, because these fruits are very sweet and have an incomparable taste. But you need to know that the peach tree is a very demanding plant in terms of care. It is constantly exposed to negative influences, which must be prevented in time during the year. Processing the peach in the fall is incredibly important as it helps protect the plant from parasites and possible diseases.
Features of autumn processing
Before planting a peach tree on your site or in the garden, you need to evaluate your strengths. Without proper care, it will not be able to please with a rich harvest.
Key manipulations include:
- fertilizer;
- trimming;
- regular watering;
- spraying.
With the onset of cold weather, humidity indicators increase significantly, respectively, such an environment is most suitable for the rapid growth of fungal bacteria that can destroy the tree. And if you do not process the peach in the fall from diseases in time, then in the spring it may have a large number of defects. Due to the fact that fungal spores penetrate into the bark, this can cause difficulties with the flow of moisture and nutrients, as a result, the leaves will fall off for no apparent reason, underdeveloped buds may appear, and the branches will dry out.
But the time for spraying depends largely on the region of location and weather conditions. It is recommended to process the tree at least a month before the first frost, but after all the leaves have fallen off.
Tools for work
Scheme of the correct execution of pruning plums in the fall
Spraying protects against fungi and other negative factors. The logical question is how to process the peach in the fall in order to protect it as much as possible. Taking into account the large number of diseases and pests, experts have developed many different preparations for processing wood.
As already mentioned, before winter, the tree must be sprayed against fungi. In this case, you need to take Bordeaux liquid or copper oxychloride or cuprostat. Autumn processing of peaches with their help should be as abundant as possible so that the film can be evenly distributed over the branches, leaves and trunk.
Wood processing rules
Pathogens and sources of pests usually accumulate on the tree when the peaches are ripe or after harvest. Treatment of peaches in the fall for diseases using chemistry should not be carried out when the fruits are still on the tree. If the attack is too noticeable, then you should first harvest, and then process the plant. In order to prevent the appearance of pests in the fall or diseases during the ripening of peaches, you need to spray the tree in the summer for prevention purposes.
It is better to start work in September, focusing on the period of foliage falling. It is advisable to do this at lunchtime, so that the solution dries before nightfall, the weather should be calm, the temperature not too high. Rain can ruin the whole effect. It is undesirable for it to be in the coming days after the procedure, therefore, it is recommended to study the weather forecast for the coming days before processing.
Other rules include:
How to plant an apple tree step by step in spring: grafting methods
Before the spraying procedure, you need to prune the tree, if really necessary. After her, the places of the cuts are thoroughly lubricated with garden pitch. Then the trunk should be whitewashed. And only after that you need to start the processing itself.
To enjoy delicious peach fruits, you need to properly organize the care of the crop. The fact is that this plant is quite delicate and is attacked by pests and various defects almost all year round. Therefore, the struggle for the harvest must be carried on constantly.
At the same time, it is worth highlighting that if you correctly spray the peach in the fall, then in the next growing season, the gardener will have less work. So, how to properly process the peach crop, what tools you need and some useful tips from experienced gardeners.
When is the best time to spray
As described above, without proper care, the peach will not delight you with a good harvest. Therefore, if you decide to plant this southern culture in your front garden, please note that in addition to performing such manipulations as:
- fertilization;
- humidification;
- pruning.
Timely spraying is also very important.
Spring processing
With the onset of spring, gardeners have a lot of trouble in the garden. Spring is considered the hottest time, because it is necessary to have time to carry out pruning and processing on time. By the way, spraying at this time of the year is performed several times, namely:
- first treatment before bud break;
- the second during the formation of buds;
- and the third immediately after flowering.
But keep in mind that urea-based solutions are not used in the first treatment. Since such a product contains nitrogen, which stimulates the growth of green mass. And if such preparations are used in the first spraying, then the culture will come out of dormancy ahead of time. Which will negatively affect the harvest.
The second spraying is performed to combat dangerous diseases of fungal origin, such as:
- powdery mildew;
- monoliosis;
- scab.
Summer processing
With the onset of summer, the treatment is carried out with insecticides or fungicides. It should be noted that spraying any product should be done at least 20 days before harvest.
As a rule, in the summer, one peach treatment is performed, and it is purely preventive.
Autumn processing
Autumn processing is the most important and very necessary. It is done to prevent the development of fungal bacteria. The fact is that the autumn period is characterized by high levels of humidity. And as you know, it is moisture that is the ideal environment for the rapid development of new spores that are dangerous for the peach tree.
At the same time, keep in mind that if you do not perform the autumn processing, millions of new defects will appear on the peach crop in the spring, which can ruin the plant.
What drugs to choose
First of all, it is worth starting with the fact that the peach crop is regularly attacked by the following defects:
- foliage curl;
- fruit rot;
- powdery mildew and many others.
As well as “savoring” this culture, insects such as:
- fruit moth;
- eastern moth;
- various ticks;
- weevils.
Considering the number of diseases and insect pests that can harm the peach crop, many different preparations have been created.
It should be noted that the processing of fruits with chemical agents is strictly prohibited.
How to properly process
To get the maximum result from the spraying carried out, it should be carried out, adhering to some rules, namely:
- With the onset of autumn, before starting processing, you should carefully remove the front garden from dry foliage.
- Then trim, provided that such manipulation is necessary. Do not forget that this procedure is performed in the fall in extreme cases.
- If pruning was carried out, then all the places of the cuts will need to be thoroughly covered with garden pitch.
- Next, whitewash the trunk, and then proceed to spraying.
First of all, the treatment should be carried out on a calm and windless day. Also, make sure meteorologists do not forecast rainy weather for the next two days. Well, after all the preparatory measures have been completed, they begin spraying, which is desirable in the afternoon.
To carry out the treatment, you need a spray bottle, from which the trunk is treated first, then the branches, and then the foliage on both sides.
In this case, there is only one piece of advice, regularly change the chemicals, since it will not be difficult to find and buy the necessary product in a specific market.
Well, in conclusion, it is worth considering one important point separately, such as treating the garden with ferrous sulfate. The fact is that this tool is most often used in gardening. Therefore, it is worth knowing how to work with him correctly, so as not to harm your own health.
If you are a novice gardener and decide to process peach trees with iron sulfate, then it should be borne in mind that, despite its comparative safety for human health, when working with this substance, you must take precautions, such as:
- wear special protective clothing, goggles and gloves;
- if the solution gets on the membrane of the eyes or mouth, immediately wash that part of the body with soap and plenty of water;
- this product is not stored near food;
- after processing the garden, all equipment must be thoroughly washed with water and soapy water, and then doused with boiling water;
- this also applies to the things in which the processing was carried out.
It should be noted that all these precautions are strictly observed when working with other drugs. But since it is recommended to carry out the autumn processing with the help of iron sulfate, in this case, protective measures for working with it are relevant.
So, above we looked at what processing is, why it is so important, and how to do it correctly. It remains only to add that carrying out this procedure will provide the gardener with tasty and juicy peach fruits. Therefore, you should not ignore it.