Why do plum leaves curl, what to do and how to treat them

There are several reasons why plum leaves curl. What should gardeners do in order not to be left without a harvest and not to destroy the tree? First of all, they identify the characteristic symptoms and find out what is associated with such a plant signal. A thorough inspection and timely measures will help avoid negative consequences.

What do curling leaves look like?

The appearance of curled plum leaves depends on the cause that led to this deformation. The leaf can not only curl into a tube, but also wrinkle, change color, dry out and fall off. The reasons for this may be different:

1. Curled leaves on a young tree indicate damage to the roots.
2. Yellowed and curled foliage in the middle tier of an adult plum indicates a rise in the groundwater level or excessive watering.
3. Green leaves rolled into a tube signal a lack of moisture in the soil.
4. Curly leaves forming a cap on the top of the plum indicate excess nitrogen fertilizers.
5. Deficiency of phosphorus, iron, potassium or magnesium also causes tree leaves to curl.
6. When the processes of chlorophyll production are disrupted (chlorosis), leaf curling is also observed.
7. A fungal disease such as verticillium also causes plum leaves to curl.
8. Leaves twisted into a tube often signal the negative impact of pests (plum aphids, elephant aphids, leaf rollers, mites).

Why do plum leaves curl?

Correctly identifying the cause of curling leaves on a plum tree will help you quickly navigate and take measures to eliminate it.

Plum pipe gun

This pest has another name - plum elephant. Outwardly, it looks like a weevil, only very microscopic. The female insect lays her eggs on all parts of the plant, including the leaves. The emerging larvae not only eat away part of the plate near the petiole, but also roll it into a tube. Over time, such a leaf dries out and falls off.

To combat the tuberworm on drains, use the product “Lepidotsid”.It can be used a week before the expected harvest, in dry and warm weather. After a day, the insects will stop their activity, and after a week they will die. To combat pipeworms in drains, broad-spectrum insecticides are also used (for example, Fitoverm or Aktaru).

Leaf roller butterfly

An adult butterfly does not harm a plum tree, but the same cannot be said about its offspring. Caterpillars are capable of destroying all green parts of a tree (from buds and leaves to buds and ovaries). They roll the leaf blade into a tube and pupate in it. If you shake a plum, the caterpillars will fall out and hang on a thin web. It is recommended to deal with them in the same ways as with the tube worm.

Plum aphid

The danger of this pest is that it spreads very quickly. During the growing season, up to 15 generations are reproduced. Controlling aphids is difficult even when isolated cases of infestation are detected. The parasite settles not only on the outside, but also on the inside of the plum leaf plate, rolling it into a tube and making processing difficult. A sooty fungus often settles in habitats, cutting off the plant’s nutrition and clogging its pores.

Experienced gardeners recommend treating plums with Inta-Vir every spring for preventative purposes. Plants with a characteristic repellent odor are also planted in the garden:

• coriander;
• marigold;
• chamomile;
• sage.

If the plum tree is already affected by aphids, then all the foliage is torn off and burned, and the tree itself is sprayed with insecticides containing karbofos (“Decis” or “Iskra”).

Adverse environmental conditions

The condition of plum leaves also depends on environmental factors. In particular, freezing leads to curling and wilting of the green mass.This phenomenon is typical for regions with a changeable climate, where spring recurrent frosts or early autumn cold snaps often occur. The tree should be protected with good shelter for the winter, otherwise it may die. This is especially true for young seedlings.

A common reason for plum leaves to curl is excessive moisture or close groundwater. In this case, the green mass not only curls up, but also turns massively yellow. If such symptoms are detected, watering is stopped, and if necessary, the tree is transplanted to a higher ground.

Damage to the root system

When replanting or loosening the soil in the tree trunk area, damage to the root system occurs. If the plum leaves begin to curl for this reason, then it should be fed. In the spring, 20 g of urea is added to the soil.

Nutrient deficiency or excess

Inexperienced gardeners often make mistakes when feeding plums. With their excess or deficiency, the plant not only shrinks, but also turns yellow and then leaves fall off. The lack of nitrogen affects not only the state of the green mass, but also the growth and development of the tree itself and its shoots. But as a result of its excess, it’s the other way around: greenery grows abundantly, and a cap of twisted leaves forms at the top. Flowering and fruiting are scanty.

Phosphorus deficiency manifests itself in the curling of the edges of plum leaves closer to autumn. The fruits of the tree either fall off green or ripen tasteless. Leaves begin to fall prematurely. If a plant lacks potassium, it may become infertile. In this case, the leaf blades turn yellow at the edges and curl, then acquire a completely yellow color. Over time, they turn black, but do not fall off even with the onset of cold weather.

With a lack of magnesium and iron in the soil, the foliage on the plum tree turns yellow, curls towards the bottom and wrinkles. Outwardly, this resembles signs of curl in raspberries or gooseberries. If there is a deficiency of magnesium, then the adult leaves are modified, and if there is iron deficiency, the young leaves are modified.

Chlorosis

This disease is a consequence of a disruption in the production of chlorophyll in plums. The foliage first acquires a yellow color, then brown, then curls up and forms a tube, which turns black over time. Its edges begin to dry. Gradually, the disease moves to young shoots; the upper leaves of the plum are already curling.

The branches become very fragile and break easily. Carbonate soil contributes to the development of the disease. To treat plums, the drug “Antichlorosin” is used, alternating it with “Hilate”. Treatments are appropriate throughout the growing season.

If you neglect treatment and let the disease take its course, over time it can affect the entire garden.

Verticillium

The spores of this fungus survive winter well right in the soil. As soon as it gets warm, they penetrate into the roots through the resulting cracks and wounds. The mycelium prevents nutrients from moving along the trunk; as a result, the foliage on the plum tree first turns yellow, then begins to curl upward and dies. At the initial stage of damage, the tree is treated with Topsin-M or Vitaros.

If the disease is advanced and the leaves on the tops of the plum curl, the question of how to treat it is no longer relevant. It is better to uproot the plant and burn it to prevent the infection from spreading further. For prevention, every spring and autumn, plantings are sprayed with Previkur.

Coccomycosis

Every year this disease is becoming more widespread. It affects not only plums, but also other stone fruit plants, causing damage to shoots, leaves, fruits and flowers. The first sign of infection is small red dots on the foliage. Over time, they cover the entire plate, after which it curls up into a tube. When unfolded, small pale pink pads are clearly visible - traces of spores.

Favorable conditions for the spread of fungal diseases are high humidity and damp weather. If the disease is started, the spores are clearly visible even on wounds and cracks in the bark. Treatment with Bordeaux mixture (3 times per season) will help save the plum. Not only the tree and its trunk are sprayed, but also the soil in the circle around the trunk.

What to do

Timely preventive measures can avoid many problems and keep trees healthy. When the first signs of a disease are detected, measures should be immediately taken to treat the plant and eliminate the causes of the disease.

Control of insects and diseases

Digging the soil in the tree trunk in late autumn helps to destroy wintering plum pests and their larvae. Once on the surface of the earth in the cold winter, pathogens and pests die. With the onset of spring warmth, insects that eat the ovary actively accumulate on the branches. But to attract beneficial insects, it is recommended to plant honey plants next to the plum tree.

The codling moth is caught using traps in the form of hanging jars with fermented compote or beer. In the spring, ticks emerging from their shelters are destroyed by spraying with acaricides.Also at this time of year, it is necessary to clear the wood of old bark and whiten it with a lime solution to get rid of overwintered larvae and pests.

Rationing of tree feeding and proper care

In the first year of life, the plum tree does not require fertilizing at all. This is especially true for nitrogen fertilizers. If the plant is overfed, then by autumn it will begin to grow the root system and young shoots, as a result of which it will not survive the winter. As for organic fertilizers, they are used no more than 3 times throughout the year.

Caring for a plum tree involves more than just regular watering and fertilizing. The tree needs to shape the crown, remove weeds, loosen the soil in the tree trunk, and preventive treatments. In regions with cold climates, plants are prepared for winter, insulated and covered.

Preventative work in the garden

When spring comes and dangerous insects fly out, it is recommended to spray the plum with an infusion with a strong aroma (for example, coniferous trees or wormwood). This will not kill the pests, but it will confuse them and force them to find another place to stop.

Prevention of the appearance of aphids is carried out by treating plums with ash-soap infusion. To prepare it, take 1 kg of ash per 10 liters of boiling water, leave the resulting mixture for 2 days, then add 100 g of soap and mix well. Trees are sprayed with this preparation every 2 weeks.

To prevent the appearance of dangerous diseases in the garden, plums are treated with insecticides 3 times a season. The first time spraying is carried out before the buds open, then before flowering begins and before the crop begins to ripen. Autumn treatment with Bordeaux mixture will help prevent the development of fungal diseases in the garden.