Introduction
Yes, it’s fair enough to be anxious if you don’t find the contrasting colors of deep green foliage in your peach tree. Chances are you may be facing some issues like this since you are on this page.
Okay, maybe the case is, you are in a state of utter confusion as to why your peach tree leaves turning yellow and how you can solve this. Fear not anymore as this article is going to answer all of your questions.
Here we listed some common causes and solutions for yellowing peach tree leaves and also kept an FAQ section for making things crystal clear.
Let’s jump in, shall we?
Why Are Your Peach Tree Leaves Turning Yellow?
Before you deal with the yellowish leaves of your peach tree, you need to know the concise answers to what causes this issue. This is why we made a shortlist in the very first place and want you to look over them before you move on to the solutions.
Let’s know the answers of WHY(?):
- Improper watering
- Chlorosis
- Scale
- Leaf curl
- Phytophthora root & crown rot
Now, let’s get to know the problems in a detailed manner with the solutions.
Problem 1: Improper Watering
‘My peach tree leaves are turning yellow and falling prematurely’ if your problem looks like this, it may be a sign of too little water.
In warm weather, newly planted trees need between 5 to 10 gallons of water per week. On the other hand, fully grown trees need around 15 to 20 gallons per day when it’s a really very hot summer day.
Now, see, if you didn’t water your plants properly then it can be a reason for yellowing the leaves for any plant.
Solution: Water your plants with a daily drip irrigation or with sprinkler once every 1 to 3 weeks (depending on temperatures and soil type).
Problem 2: Chlorosis
Well, Chloris generally occurs in the peachtrees only when iron is not readily available in their soil. As iron is essential for the formation of chlorophyll, a peachtree’s photosynthesis becomes compromised if there is a lack of iron.
Consequently, the tree’s leaves start turning yellow at the edges. So, you have to keep the soil pH below 7.5 to help it retain nutrients for optimum peachtree nourishments.
Solution: Amend the soil with iron sulfate, it will lower the soil’s pH so that tree roots can absorb the newly available iron easily. Using a pH meter and keeping the soil pH in balance will be a wise step.
Problem 3: Scale
Scale is often misidentified as a pathogen, but the scale is basically tiny insects that reside on peach tree’s leaves and stems.
What wrong they do with your plant is to steal necessary plant liquids from a leaf by making a hole in its surface with their sharp mouths. As a fair amount of essential liquids (included chlorophyll) are removed by the scale, the leaves cannot perform photosynthesis. These lead to yellowing the leaves.
Solution: Apply horticultural oil across their leaves (during the tree’s dormant season) to prevent scale in peach trees. Insecticides also will work against scale. But worth noting, you must apply them when peach trees are not blooming. Because insecticides can hinder pollinations (while flowers are open to pollinators).
Problem 4: Leaf Curl
When yellowing is caused by a fungus named Taphrina deformans, it is called leaf curl. When the fungus grows into the leaf structures, the foliage generally turns from green to red to yellow.
Solution: Apply a fungicide to avoid leaf curl. Use the fungicide after the peach tree’s leaves drop in late fall or early winter. It will protect the trees throughout their dormant period.
In case, the trees are in a location that experiences a wet winter period, then an option is open for applying fungicide again near the end of winter.
Problem 5: Phytophthora Root & Crown Rot
This is a very important disease that affects stone fruits. Generally, trees die within weeks or months of the first symptoms. But in some cases, the decline is gradual, occurring over several growing seasons.
Trees that are infected by this have stunted shoot growth and leaves become sparse, yellow, and small. About fruits? They will become small and sunburned. Crown rot symptoms will appear as black decayed areas on the root crown and trunk base near the soil line.
Solution: The bad news is, there is no chemical control for this issue. Careful water management is the most useful control strategy. Plant your trees’ shallow raised beds and select a well-drained site for planting.
Additional Information
Well, you should know that the yellowing of peach tree leaves should not be addressed with pesticides or fungicides.
Applying pesticides or fungicides will add a small amount of their chemicals to your future edible fruits. Moreover, it will affect the natural pollination process by contributing chemicals to bodies of pollinators (e.g honeybees).
This is why implementing alternative solutions such as using horticultural oils and planting fungi-resistant peach trees will preserve the health of the trees.
FAQs
Question: What nutrient deficiency causes yellow leaves?
Answer: The most common problem is the lack of iron. Other causes can be manganese, zinc, or nitrogen deficiencies.
Question: Can a yellow leaf turn green again?
Answer: No, yellow leaves are not going to turn green but don’t worry, by taking all the steps, you can save the rest green leaves from turning yellow.
Question: Should I cut off yellow leaves?
Answer: Well, it’s not necessary. If a few yellow leaves look appealing and bother you, you can snip them off.
Conclusion
So, that’s all we have kept for you. We hope that, at the end of the article, you are no longer confused about why your peach tree leaves turning yellow and how you can possibly fix this.
Peachtrees are not hard to maintain, but you need to take regular care of them from the very first days. Proper watering, fertilizing, shading, and being careful about insects/pests are essential.
By the way, you now know how to fix the issue, go ahead for it then. Good luck!
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