covering fruit tree's over winter and spring to protect against leaf curl?

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3759allen

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i haven't been on here for a while as haven't had any time and kind of forgotten about the veggy patch to be honest.

i'm now thinking of what i need to do over the winter. the main think i've had trouble with over the last few years is leaf curl on my stoned fruit. everyone has said that it is caused by spores carried in the rain so i'm thinking that i need to try and cover them.

the main question is what is best to cover them with? i was assuming clear plastic but also wondered weather fleece would keep enough of the rain off to prevent leaf curl?

any tips and suggesting welcome. cheers.

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Yorkie

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How big are the trees? (nice to hear from you, by the way  :) )
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days all attack me at once...

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SusieB

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Yes I'd like to know.  Fleece seems healthier and easier than polythene, but does it keep off enough rain.

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New shoot

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Unfortunately, fleece won't keep the fungal spores off.  You need a waterproof cover over the trees. 

If the trees are potted, they can move to a porch or other covered area.  If they are planted in the ground, it is more tricky as they need air flow, so you need to support the polythene so it isn't wrapped tightly round the tree.. 

It may be easier to knock some posts in and put a piece of clear corrugated plastic over them as a temporary shelter.  Also clear up any fallen leaves and bin them.

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3759allen

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the tree's will be 2/3 years old but they are quite large and healthy other than the leaf curl i keep getting.

they're in the ground so can't move them.

they're about 8 ft tall and growing in fans on post and wires.

forgive me for my ignorance but if they are dormant do they need that much air around them? i was thinking of draping polythene up and over them, securing them loosely at the bottom.

being honest i'm probably not going to have chance to build a structure due to to working and trying to finish the building work done on my house before the mrs walks out. lol

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New shoot

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Air flow is still important even for a dormant tree, plus the cover needs to stay on until May to protect against peach leaf curl.  The tree will be in leaf and flower next spring under there, so you don't want to cook it and bees will need a way in.

If you have posts and wires, can you add  horizontal spacers and extra wires to support the polythene?  That shouldn't be too time consuming.


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3759allen

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i was thinking if the polythene was draped over i could remove and replace according to weather forecast.

i don't want to cover the whole area as i haven't got time to water the trees underneath. i could possibly make make something like roof trusses covered with polythene so the rain water can fall between the rows but still be available to the roots.

is it the rain/ spores that land on the leaves that give the curl or do the rain/ spores effect the branches over winter when there is no leaves?

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New shoot

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The spores can lay dormant on the bark all winter.  The theory re. covering is that winter rain washes them into the buds, so if you protect the upper parts of the tree from rain, that stops them moving around.

i don't want to cover the whole area as i haven't got time to water the trees underneath. i could possibly make make something like roof trusses covered with polythene so the rain water can fall between the rows but still be available to the roots.

There's no chemical control available to buy these days, so that sounds like a plan  :)

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3759allen

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another job to add to the list of things to do. so is this a job that i can put until the tree's start to come into bud?

i'm now thinking that polycarbonate sheets may be better than polythene.

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New shoot

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Its not a job to put off I'm afraid.   Any covers should be on from leaf fall to May to be effective in preventing leaf curl. 

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3759allen

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just what i didn't want to hear. lol

looks like i may have to put up with another year of leaf curl, i really need to finish the work on my house before spending time in the garden.

at least i have a plan now so when i do get the time i know what i'm going.



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