This is a fungal disease that infects peaches, nectarines and apricots. It is very apparent as leaves appear deformed and turn reddish in spring.
Plant Parts: Leaves
Season: Spring and early Summer.
Symptoms: Leaves become lumpy, curled and deformed, becoming reddish/purplish in colour. The leaves are infected when they are bursting from the new buds.
Control: If left untreated, the problem will get worse year after year, seriously weakening your tree. Once this fungal disease has appeared on your tree, you need to take action immediately – Remove all infected leaves and place them in a bag to be placed in your Red bin for disposal. You will need to wait until next May to apply a Winter spray application. Keep up a good water and fertilising regime.
Prevention: Keep the area around your Fruit Salad Tree clean; Spores of this fungal disease are formed over winter.
As recommended in the ‘Care Instructions’ apply a Lime Sulphur spray to your multi-grafted Fruit Salad Tree. This needs to be completed around early May at “Leaf Fall”, paying close attention to any cracks in the bark and buds.
If your stone fruit tree has been attacked by this nasty fungal disease in previous years, it is beneficial to also apply a Copper Oxychloride spray at bud swell (when the buds are beginning to get plumper – before bud burst). Warning: do not apply any sprays after the buds have burst on your tree; it will just burn the new leaves.
References: NSW Department of Primary Industries, our FST Team.
