Chilly Compost, Bambino Broccoli and Perilous Pruning
Your questions answered
A curly question about plums
Help! My plum tree is covered in tightly curling leaves. Some websites say that it can be treated with a copper spray, others say not to bother. What should I do?
Tim S., Torquay
Peach Leaf Curl Fungus (Taphrina deformans) is rampant in spring. It affects peaches and nectarines but it doesn’t affect plums. You can treat curly leaf in peaches and nectarines with a copper-based spray, but you may chose not to – I outline why here.
Leaf curl in plums is caused by the Leaf Curl Plum Aphid (Brachycaudus helichrysi).
I see plenty of "helpful" social media comments encouraging gardeners to spray their plums next winter with a copper-based spray. Given that the symptoms are caused by an aphid and not a fungus, these sprays are a waste of time (and potentially harmful to soil health).
Usually, the issue will resolve itself. The curled leaves don’t appear to have an adverse impact on yields. In past years my affected trees have gone on to produce some bumper crops. Focus on building a healthy garden ecosystem to support plenty of beneficial insects that will predate on the aphids.
Perilous Pruning of Citrus
In a recent planting guide you mentioned that now was a perfect time to prune citrus. However, my tree is still laden with fruit and has already begun flowering to produce a crop for next year? Have I missed the boat, or got something horribly wrong?
Priya G., Sunbury