Peach Leaf Curl - How to Spot It and Protect Your Trees

Peach Leaf Curl – How to Spot It and Protect Your Trees

Peach leaf curl is a fungal disease causing young leaves to become thickened, red, puckered, and distorted, eventually dropping off. It overwintered on trees and spreads in wet spring weather. Manage naturally by covering trees from before foliage emerges until mid-May, removing and destroying affected leaves, and supporting overall tree health. Early detection and protection help maintain healthy, productive peach and nectarine trees.

If your peach or nectarine tree starts showing thick, red, puckered leaves in spring, you may be dealing with peach leaf curl. This common fungal disease can weaken trees and reduce fruit yields if left unchecked, but with early detection and simple preventative measures, you can keep your trees healthy and productive.

What Is Peach Leaf Curl?

Peach leaf curl is caused by the fungus Taphrina deformans, which overwinters on tree surfaces. When wet weather hits in early spring, spores infect emerging leaves, causing them to become distorted, red, and puckered. While rarely fatal, severe infections can reduce fruit set and overall tree vigor.

Symptoms of Peach Leaf Curl

Signs to watch for:

Young leaves thickened, red, and puckered
Leaves become distorted and crumpled
Eventually, infected leaves drop off, leaving bare branches

Early detection is crucial for managing the disease before it spreads widely.

Key Identifiers

The clearest indicators of peach leaf curl are:

Thick, red, crumpled leaves appearing as foliage emerges
Leaf distortion and premature leaf drop

These markers differentiate it from nutrient deficiencies or other leaf diseases.

Natural Ways to Manage Peach Leaf Curl

Protect Trees from Early Spring Rain

Covering young trees with horticultural fleece or protective nets from before leaves emerge until mid-May can prevent fungal spores from infecting new foliage.

Remove and Destroy Affected Leaves

Prune infected leaves and dispose of them away from the garden to reduce the fungal load for the next season.

Promote Tree Health

Healthy trees recover faster. Regular watering, mulching, and feeding support vigorous growth and fruiting.

Peach leaf curl is a visually alarming but manageable fungal disease. By spotting thick, red, puckered leaves early, protecting young foliage from rain, and removing infected leaves, you can reduce damage and support a healthy, fruitful tree. With these simple steps, your peaches and nectarines can thrive year after year.

Meet the author

Nelly

Nelly works in the She Grows Veg marketing department and is an incredible cook! She's learning how to grow veg fast in her very own container garden. Her favourites so far are the Dwarf Sunflower called 'Sunspot' and our Dwarf Pea called 'Tom Thumb'.