Tips for Peach Trees Drying & Losing Leaves
In addition to their sweet, succulent fruit, peach trees (Prunus persica) add an ornamental touch to the landscape with their lavender flowers and shiny green leaves. Peach trees thrive in United States Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 9, but even in the perfect environment, you may encounter issues as diverse as insect pests, stunted blooms or dying leaves. Although the effort pays off in spades, peach trees require careful observation and maintenance.
Leaf Curl Tips
Peach leaf curl is a serious disease that affects peach trees, causing the leaves to distort and die. If left untreated, it may lead to the tree's death. This affliction first appears in spring. Leaves pucker and exhibit reddish spots, which eventually turn yellow and then grayish white as fungal spores appear, causing some leaves to fall off, says Clemson University Cooperative Extension.
To prevent leaf curl, treat your peach tree with a fungicide – such as a copper, bordeaux or chlorothalonil mixture – after it sheds its leaves and again as flower buds swell, but before they bloom. Prune any infected leaves and gather any fallen leaves. Remove them from the vicinity of the tree and burn them. For new plantings, plant resistant varieties such as Frost, Indian Free or Muir.
Overwatering causes yellowed leaves or, in extreme cases, root rot, which can lead to the death of the tree. Never allow standing water, which is the clearest sign of overwatering, to accumulate at the base of the tree. To prevent over-wet roots and fungal root rot, mix soil from the surrounding area with the growing medium when you plant the peach tree. This introduces a gradual soil change and encourages root growth, rather than boxing in roots and moisture.
Deficiency of a certain element, such as nitrogen or potassium, in your peach tree's soil may cause leaves to wilt. Take a soil sample and have it analyzed by a local Cooperative Extension office, suggests North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. If the soil exhibits a deficiency, amend it with fertilizer, adding high-phosphorus fertilizer to low-phosphorus soil, for example.
In general, peach trees require 10-10-10 general-use fertilizer, says the National Gardening Association. For optimum growth, apply 1/2 pound of fertilizer 10 days after planting and again 40 days later. After the first year, apply 3/4 pound of fertilizer once in early spring and once in late spring. Up the amount to 1 pound for mature trees.
Other Care Tips
If your peach tree doesn't get the care it needs, its leaves could wilt, or the tree could die. According to Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet, peach trees require full sunlight and elevated planting sites with sandy loam soil. They need about 6 feet of space and should be planted in spring.
Prune your peach tree each year, building a balanced frame of scaffolds using the open center system. To prevent the spread of disease, disinfect your pruning shears with a bleach solution before use. Apply organic mulch in late winter or early spring. In winter, apply dormant oil spray to control insects.