Peach Tree Leaf Drop

[kpg7121]

I have a 2 yr old peach tree which in the past 10 days has lost probably 75% of it's leaves & I don't know why. The leaves have red spots all over them but otherwise the tree appears healthy with no sign of stress/disease or insects on the limbs & main trunk. I sprayed the tree a few days ago with Neem oil mixed with water because of Japanese Beetles. If anyone has any idea what's going on here I'd appreciate some advice. Thanks!

 

[Meadowlark]

Welcome @kpg7121 .

Which came first the spray or the leaf drop? What was the mixture ratio for the neem oil spray? Reason I ask is because summer application of oil must be carefully done to avoid leaf burn...which sounds like you may possibly have.

 

[Martin Mikulcik]

Either it dried up or herbicide

 

[kpg7121]

Welcome @kpg7121 .

Which came first the spray or the leaf drop? What was the mixture ratio for the neem oil spray? Reason I ask is because summer application of oil must be carefully done to avoid leaf burn...which sounds like you may possibly have.

It started probably less then a week after I sprayed. I used a couple tbsp to a gallon of water in a garden sprayer. I didn't know not to use it in summer. Sheesh!

 

[Sluggy]

Lack of water is a possibility.

 

[Chuck]

I have had the same problem. IMO you have either Leaf Curl where the leaves turn red or pinkish, some of the leaves get thicker and curl downward and have little red spots all over them or you have another disease called Bacterial Spot where there are angular areas of the leaf that are purplish and have reddish brown spots. Spraying now will do nothing. You have to wait until the tree is dormant and then you spray a copper based fungicide such as Bonide Capt. Jacks Copper Fungicide which is what I used but Monterey and Southern Ag also make a good product. I sprayed my trees twice, once during early dormancy and again at bud swell. Pictures of the leaves would help a lot.

 

[Meadowlark]

It started probably less then a week after I sprayed. I used a couple tbsp to a gallon of water in a garden sprayer. I didn't know not to use it in summer. Sheesh!

Spraying oil in summer should only be done in the coolest part of the day, like early morning, and the plant sprayed should be provided shade. Neem will definitely burn leaves if applied in direct sun during summer.

 

[Sluggy]

I wish I had read your advice a couple of years ago Chuck as I dug mine up after several years of this problem.

 

[Chuck]

I wish I had read your advice a couple of years ago Chuck as I dug mine up after several years of this problem.

The secret to these fungal problems is to CLEAN the ENTIRE area of ALL debris, and by this I mean every leaf and every twig from the entire orchard area every year. Most if not all fruit trees should be sprayed while dormant and close to the date of bud break to ensure that the disease is not present during blooming. This is not an easy task especially if you have numerous fruit trees such as myself, but, it must be done. If any of my trees show signs of fungal diseases during the growing/fruiting period I spray with the copper during dormancy. If no signs are present I spray with Neem at bud swell. At minimum I always cut the grass/weeds close to the ground as possible and rake the entire area and burn the debris. It is at this time when I re-apply a fresh layer of mulch around all of the trees. Most fungal problems arise when the weather stays damp for a longer than normal and by watering issues. At fruit set if a tree looks iffy in any way I usually spray with Spinosad to take care of any insects, Neem if it looks like a fungal problem and I allways spray Neem right before it gets dark as it can damage fruit and foliage during hot sunny periods. As a side note, if a bottle of Neem has been opened it has a limited shelf life.

 

[kpg7121]

I have had the same problem. IMO you have either Leaf Curl where the leaves turn red or pinkish, some of the leaves get thicker and curl downward and have little red spots all over them or you have another disease called Bacterial Spot where there are angular areas of the leaf that are purplish and have reddish brown spots. Spraying now will do nothing. You have to wait until the tree is dormant and then you spray a copper based fungicide such as Bonide Capt. Jacks Copper Fungicide which is what I used but Monterey and Southern Ag also make a good product. I sprayed my trees twice, once during early dormancy and again at bud swell. Pictures of the leaves would help a lot.

Here's what they look like today. I sprayed Neem oil twice. First time it rained right afterward so I repeated the application at night.

 

[Chuck]

Well, the pictures show signs of both diseases. You can tell it is fungal by the yellow halo around the spots. It really doesn't make any difference if you have both diseases or not as the result and the treatment is the same. You will not change anything now by applying Neem or anything else. The most important thing you can do is collect and destroy any and all affected leaves, starting now. The fungal spores will transfer from the dropped leaves onto the soil and next year will be worse than this year. These diseases aren't fatal to the tree but will severely curtail production. You may as well spray the ground under and around the tree now as by this fall the Neem will have lost everything except the oil which smothers insect eggs very effectively. It will have lost its miticidal, insectcidal and fungicidal properties by then.

 

[kpg7121]

Well, the pictures show signs of both diseases. You can tell it is fungal by the yellow halo around the spots. It really doesn't make any difference if you have both diseases or not as the result and the treatment is the same. You will not change anything now by applying Neem or anything else. The most important thing you can do is collect and destroy any and all affected leaves, starting now. The fungal spores will transfer from the dropped leaves onto the soil and next year will be worse than this year. These diseases aren't fatal to the tree but will severely curtail production. You may as well spray the ground under and around the tree now as by this fall the Neem will have lost everything except the oil which smothers insect eggs very effectively. It will have lost its miticidal, insectcidal and fungicidal properties by then.

Thanks! I have some Neem that I mixed a few days ago. Should I toss it & start over with a fresh mix?

 

[Chuck]

Thanks! I have some Neem that I mixed a few days ago. Should I toss it & start over with a fresh mix?

Yes. Spraying before cleaning up ALL debris is basically a waste of time. Spraying the ground under and around the tree is essential. I do not know the exact number of days Neem becomes ineffective but around 6 weeks after opening it starts to loose its effectiveness and sooner if the bottle is opened numerous times.

 

[Peaches]

That may have been the issue with my peach as well ….and Plum ….its winter here in Australia so come spring …I'm not holding out much hope for my plum ….but a maybe for the peach

I posted these photos shortly after joining the forum in May

Only got a small areas for growing fruits / bit of veg but I make the most of what room we have

 

[Sluggy]

I see that your large tree branch have been pruned Peaches. What did you use? When I lived in Ayr Scotland our street had a a row on both sides of flowering cherry tree. After the council pruned them they all died. Spoke to our tree expert when he came to do some work and his explanation was that whoever carried out the work had never cleaned his chain saw blade which was probable used previously on a diseased tree thus spreading the disease.