Coryneum blight almost completely defoliated my young (non bearing age) peach trees earlier this season. After I figured out what it is was (by folar identification) I was able to get my peaches back growing again. Here what I learned and what I did to get my peach trees back growing again.
I checked my soil PH around each peach tree with a calibrated soil PH meter to the depth of normal moisture. My probe reading were consistent 5.8 - 6.2. Over the course of a full week, I watered in well powdered barn lime and checked the soil PH the next day to a depth of normal moisture. It took 3 applications of barn lime to raise the soil PH to 6.5 - 6.7 at normal moisture depth. In hind sight I wouldn’t have changed this approach at all because I had no idea how much barn lime to add. So I would add a little at at time and it worked well.
week two I applied just nitrogen fertilizer and after several days I could see buds breaking I was relieved and happy I was able rescue my peach trees. But wait a minute it was not over yet!
As the leafs started to regrow, I could see Coryneum blight reemerge as red circles that became purple and grew to the point where the centers fell out giving the leafs a ragged shot hole appearance.
Not going down with out a fight! I sprayed the maximum allowable rate of copper octanoate (copper soap) and much to my surprise it worked and worked well . I have since followed up after 10 days and sprayed copper octanoate again this time at its minimum allowable rate. And it appears I have gained the upper hand, at least for now anyways. But any sign of coryneum blight will be delt with swifty with a spray of copper octanoate!
What I learned about Coryneum blight can best be summed up in the PSU article below. If you to spot it, it really needs to be addressed sooner rather than later, before it defoliates the tree, like it did mine.
Please contribute to this thread, help others win their battle against coryneum blight!
I sprayed my plum trees early this am while temps were low, how many days did it take before your foliage began to come back. I had Monterey Liqui-cop so I used that. Its instructions advise reapplication in 7-10 days. Some of my leaves are folding rather than curling and some have shot holes. Some in first pic just dried up no holes or shot holes. So I think I have several infections going on.
Dennis
Kent, wa
That doesn’t look like shot hole (Cornyeum blight).But it took a little less than two weeks before the foliage buds to break. Do your tree have ample water? They appear dehydrated? do you have moles/voles?
I don’t think water is the issue, in the first pic all other scaffolds on this tree appear healthy. In the second pic an adjacent tree all foliage is healthy. All are watered once a week.
Dennis
Since my last posting I have sprayed all my plum trees within 60’ of the ones that defoliated twice with liquid copper. Also .fertilized with a dose of ammonium sulfate and spread a compost and chicken manure mulch around each defoliated plum tree. I noticed today that new foliage is emerging on the majority of my defoliated limbs, even had a potted fig tree that dropped its figs and foliage but is now after faking dead putting out new foliage! I still have no idea what caused the defoliation that on several plum trees lost life in several scaffolds. We have had an unusually long hot spell without rainfall but since my trees are mulched and I water weekly, it’s some what of a mystery. I believe the copper sprays helped although it’s also seemed to cause more defoliation. I need to find a good all purpose fungicide for use during this next dormant season. If you have any idea what could cause this type of defoliation of otherwise healthy plum trees let me know.
Dennis
Kent, wa
If multiple trees are getting affected I can’t think of anything else but herbicide. Some herbicides get into vapor form and can reach quite a distance. Other guess is verticillium wilt probably.
Kind of looks like nitrogen deficiency. you could use a regular water soluble well ballanced fertlizer like 20-20-20 with chelated minor elements as a root drench.
I have no affiliation… but seedranch is about as cheap as your going to find on a good professional grade fertlizer, they also ship free or atleast the did last month when I ordered from them. I did have to call them to place my order.
I agree they did look deficient and I gave them 10-10-10 last week. But, I was going off of the overall green lightening up. I didn’t think nitrogen deficiency causes holes?
I picked up a end of season 6 foot potted contender peach at the farm store for $15.00, that looked just like your pictures. I knew it was sick when I bought it. I gave it some of the fertlizer that I mentioned above as a root drench twice and have watered it every other day. The newer leaves have grown a dark blue green. The older leaves with holes turned yellow and fell off but the buds are still healthy.
I suspose I rescued a 6 foot dying contender peach for $15.00 plus some water soluble ferlizer. It still has one peach growing one it to enjoy later this year. So I feel good about it all. I’ve found out that it’s really hard to overwater a potted peach tree, if the pot has sufficient drainage holes. Water every other day in this heat and fertlize every couple weeks is about right for us here in zone 7a over the summer months.
Thank you for the anecdote and advice. I’m new to container plants going from zero to 30. I potted everything with a mix of pine nugget, coir, compost, perlite and a little fertilizer but clearly not enough because everything started looking nutrient deficient in 2 months. Learning that container plants need a lot more additives. Since I just gave them 10-10-10 last week, how long do you think I should wait until giving more/adding in some kelp, alfalfa, azomite, epsom salts, whatever else I can find around? I figure they’re probably deficient in more than just NPK.
Here’s this year’s potted grafts and orchard stuff, so I know what you mean. I use a 5 gallon bucket to capture air conditioning condenser water based on the weather, i get 5 gallons of water a day, it free water so i might as well use it.
The grafts in the coffee cans get one pint of water every other day, #5 potted plants get 2 pints of water everyother day. One 5 gallon bucket will water half of the of potted plants so it works out nice. I use whatever is on sale bagged soil. I dont really care what kind it is because i’m going to fertlize with water soluble 20-20-20 with chelated minor elements anyways. Chelated means it’s readly availability for the plant / root uptake.
The tall peach tree in center is my $15.00 rescue contender peach i mentioned above. It is now growing, nice dark blue green leaves. But looked very bad when I brought it to the farm.
Here is the fertlizer seed ranch sent me when I ordered. It’s what I would consider a complete fertlizer. And the label calls for 1 teaspoon per gallon of water for drenching.
Hope this helps you some.
If you are going to order from seed ranch shoot me a private message first. I have a coupon for you.
I was relieved and happy I was able rescue my peach trees. But wait a minute it was not over yet!
. I have since followed up after 10 days and sprayed copper octanoate again this time at its minimum allowable rate. And it appears I have gained the upper hand, at least for now anyways. But any sign of coryneum blight will be delt with swifty with a spray of copper octanoate!
