You’ve probably noticed the distorted leaves on your peach trees by now! Check our linktree in bio for our new blog post about this common and easy to identify disease. We also have a new POP Peach Leaf Curl Action Plan for what to do about it. You’ll find a link to all our pest and disease action plans in the linktree! Peach leaf curl (Taphrina deformans) is a highly common fungal disease that affects peaches and nectarines. Signs and Symptoms: Peach leaf curl causes leaves to thicken, pucker, and curl turning from reddish to yellow to gray and then falling off. It can sometimes cause disfigurement and drop of fruit, but this is less common. Once spotted in spring, it is too late to treat the fungus until the dormant season. What’s going on with an infected tree: The tree is in a weakened, under-resourced state. The fungus is disrupting the tree’s ability to photosynthesize so it has less resources than normal. Additionally, the fungus often causes the tree to drop infected leaves, and grows new ones requiring more than normal resources. If the tree continues to be significantly under-resourced for several years in a row, it could weaken and die. What you can do to support an infected tree in the spring: Infected trees often drop infected leaves and regrow new ones causing a need for plenty of nitrogen. Spreading compost or applying fish emulsion can help. Apply holistic sprays such as compost tea, Effective Microbes, and/or neem oil to boost tree immunity every two weeks from late March to early May. When fruitlets on stone fruit such as peaches are about 3/4 inch, thin fruitlets to increase light and air circulation and reduce rate of infection from fruits too closely touching. Peaches should be thinned about 8″ apart (if you have squirrels, thin to 4″). Infected trees are weakened and their fruit load should be thinned in correlation to the severity of the infection to protect the trees resources. Don’t allow tree to become water stressed. If rain accumulation is less than 1”/week supplement with irrigation. Most importantly, plan for a dormant season spray the following year to reduce next year’s infection! See linktree for more info. (fb)

POP’s spring plant sale is on! Here at The Woodlands from 10 to 1. Orchard Tour at 11am! 1. Welcome table! 2. Landhealth Institute selling native perennials. @landhealthinstitute 3. Star Apple Nursery selling veggie transplants. @starapplenursery 4. Bee Guild with honey. @phillybeeguild 5 & 6. POP selling figs, berries, rhubarb and more! @woodlandsphila (fb)