Last spring, I noticed that some of the new leaves on my peach tree were distorted. The leaves puckered and curled, then died and fell off. A second set of leaves replaced the fallen leaves and the tree appeared OK. The tree had peach leaf curl (Taphrina deformans). That means that this fall I need to treat the tree so it does not come back in the spring. We did a treatment two years ago and the leaves were OK but I forgot to do it again last fall. Once you have peach leaf curl, it is best to do it every year.
Peach leaf curl is a fungal disease that only affects peach and nectarine trees. Now I need to treat the tree with a fungicide in late fall to prevent leaf curl next spring. Choose a copper-based fungicide, such as tribasic copper sulfate or cupric hydroxide are easiest to use and are most effective if applied with oil. There are several products on the market. Be sure to wait and treat the tree after all the leaves have fallen. When you spray a fungicide, thoroughly cover all branches and twigs so all spores are killed. You may also want to do another treatment in the early spring before any leaves or buds appear. Treatment in the spring after symptoms appear will not be effective.
As with all fungicide applications, be very careful. Wear protective clothing and follow the label directions careful.