Sequence

• Peach leaf curl first appears in spring. Reddish-brown areas appear on new leaves. These are spores of the fungus. The leaves become thickened, covered with the spores and then they curl. They can turn yellow or brown and either remain on the tree or drop. A second set of healthy leaves will form, but the fungus is not gone. Because the tree has to work to produce the second set of leaves, tree growth and fruit production are reduced. Another problem is that when the branches lose many leaves they can be injured by sun or wind.
  
  

Treatment

• Treat leaf curl with fungicide. The proper time to do this is each year after the normal time for leaf fall: late October and November in the North, early January in the South. Apply one treatment of fungicide. If you live in a wet, humid climate or experience a very wet winter, apply another dose just as the buds just begin to fatten. When using fungicides use proper precautions such as wearing face protection and gloves. Learn about the toxicity of the product and follow manufacturer's instructions.
  
  

Fungicide Products

• The most effective fungicides and also the safest, are fixed-copper products. Copper is effective only when wet. The label will give an MCE rating and application instructions. The higher the rating the greater the amount of copper. The most useful fungicide will also have additives such as agricultural oils that allow it to adhere to the treated tree. Bordeaux mixture, a combination of copper sulfate and hydrated lime is another option, but you have to mix these ingredients just before application.
  
  

Pruning

• Pruning itself will not stop the fungus. But it can help to prune the trees after the normal leaf drop season. This will reduce the number of spores settling in for the winter. It can also help a badly infected tree if you thin the fruit late in the season. Pruning when you see the leaf curl at its worst in the springtime is not useful.
  
  

• Consider planting fungi-resistant trees if you are starting over. Cultivars that have some resistance include Indian Free, Q 1-8 and Muir peaches. Some of these may need fungicide in the first few years.