[lfcevans]

Hi All
I've got 2 peach trees in large pots that I overwintered in my small greenhouse to prevent the dreaded peach leaf curl. One is a patio type which is obviously smaller, that I bought 2 years ago to replace the larger one ( or so I thought) after the larger one succumbed to peach leaf curl after inadequate winter cover a couple of years ago. The larger one made a great recovery last year and had no ill effects of the previous years disease.
 The problem I have is that they both need to come out of the greenhouse in 2 weeks because the greenhouse is getting a new base and has to be dismantled for a week or so. The trees have both just started flowering and I have read that once this happens leaf curl is not an issue anymore. I want to be 100% sure of them being disease free again. I don't really have anywhere to put them under temporary cover so wondered if it would be OK to just cover them with a plastic sheet to keep the rain off (which brings the PLC spores) or are they really OK to leave out in the elements for 2 weeks at this time of year

Any advice appreciated

[Subversive_plot]

Peaches are grown outdoors in cold regions all the time (places like Michigan and Indiana), no winter cover.

The best prevention is appropriate fungicide treatment, both in the late autumn and in late winter/early spring. There are copper based fungicides if you want to avoid products that aren't organic-friendly. Some peach varieties (like Redhaven) are somewhat resistant to PLC.

[Yorkie]

Copper based fungicides were banned for use in the UK a few years ago now, I think .

[jezza]

Hello a garden I work in covers the peaches with plastic covered wooden frames in october,could you make a wooden frame out of roof lathes and cover with polythene either square and cover the whole tree or stand them against a wall and make a lean to  ,copper based fungicides are banned in the UK  jezza

[lfcevans]

Thank You for the reply subversive plot but Yorkie is right about the banning of copper based fungicides here in the UK
I will just have to cover with plastic and hope we don't get any High winds 

[Subversive_plot]

Thanks everyone, for the information on copper-based fungicide.  I double-checked my information (applicable in the USA), they are one of the organic-approved fungus controls over here (confirmed today).

I am curious why they were banned in the UK? If you know, please pass that on.  Thanks.

[Middle Eastern Gardener]

Here in France, we have been advised to put raw egg shells on our nectarine tree which has suffered from peach leaf curl for the last two years.  This is it’s last opportunity to show us it’s going to survive.  So far, so good.  I’m really interested that you say after the blossom, the leaf curl is no longer an issue, my tree is in flower so I shall cross my fingers.  I have no idea what the egg shells do, but, when in Rome so to speak...

[Russell Atterbury]

Here in France, we have been advised to put raw egg shells on our nectarine tree which has suffered from peach leaf curl for the last two years.  This is it’s last opportunity to show us it’s going to survive.  So far, so good.  I’m really interested that you say after the blossom, the leaf curl is no longer an issue, my tree is in flower so I shall cross my fingers.  I have no idea what the egg shells do, but, when in Rome so to speak...

I'd like to know more about this method.....like do you bag a few shells and hang them in various places on the tree, and do you start around this time of the year.