How to prevent peach tree diseases
Introduction
Peach tree diseases is a term that is used to describe the diseases and problems that affect the peach tree and its fruits. The exposure to the outdoor environment, insects and the sudden weather changes makes the peach trees prone to many diseases and infections. Most of the peach tree diseases are caused by the bacteria and the fungi. Fungal infections attack the peach tree once the organisms invade the tree. These fungal infections can affect the growth of the tree and its fruits or worse still, kill the peach tree. With proper care, the peach tree diseases can be avoided.
Types of peach tree diseases
There are very many types of peach tree diseases but discussed below are the most common types.
- Leaf curl: it is a fungal disease that affects the peach tree that mainly occurs during the early spring when the leaf buds are infected by the fungus spores. The leaves tend to curl and turn yellow or red before dropping.
- Peach scab: this peach tree disease is caused by a fungus known as Cladosporium carpophilum. It is characterized by dark spots that appear on the fruit and sometimes the fruit may crack.
- Brown rot: this is a fungal disease that affects the shoot and the flower blossoms. It is characterized by brown round spots on the fruits and wilted blooms.
Treatment of the peach tree diseases
Different peach tree diseases are treated differently depending on the cause of the diseases. The following are the treatments for the peach tree diseases discussed above.
- Leaf curl: this disease can be treated by adding nitrogen and watering the peach tree frequently to reduce stress to the tree. This should be followed by an application of copper fungicide to the affected peach tree. The application of the copper fungicide should be done during the spring and fall to reduce the chance of the leaf curl disease attacking the peach tree.
- Peach scab: this disease is treated fungicide chemicals like the captan, wettable sulfurazoxystrobin or azoxystrobin that help in the control of the spread of the disease. The instructions should be read carefully before using these chemicals.
- Brown rot: it is treated by the use of the azoxystrobin or the captan chemicals that help in the cure of the fungal disease. The infected peaches should be removed before the chemicals are applied.
Prevention of peach tree diseases
Preventing the peach tree diseases is always better than having to treat them as you will avoid loses and buying expensive fungicides for the peach tree diseases.
- Ensure that your peach tree has enough fertilizer, water and sunlight that rhymes with the professionally required standards. These requirements may vary depending on the type of peach tree so, it is important to research for the requirements that cater for the type of peach tree you have.
- Always isolate the fruit that is infected by any type of peach tree diseases to avoid spread of the disease.
- Remove the infected leaves from the ground and the peach tree.
- Regular and proper pruning is essential to ensure that your peach tree enjoys good air circulation and removal of any infected parts of the tree.
- Spraying the peach tree with preventive fungicide after the leaves have fallen will prevent reappearing of a disease that might have affected the fallen leaves.
- Make sure you plant your peach trees at the area where there is good soil so that they can be at their best.
