Are Your Peach Tree Leaves Turning Yellow? 8 Causes and How to Fix It ASAP – by Gemma Johnstone

John Coletti / Getty Images

When you’re growing a peach tree in your backyard, you need to offer the proper care and conditions to harvest a bountiful crop of delicious, sweet fruit. If you notice your peach tree leaves turning yellow, this can be an early sign of a problem.

Understanding some of the common causes of this discoloration can help you take steps to nurse your tree back to health.

Natural Yellowing

Before you panic, don’t forget that deciduous trees shed their leaves every fall. When you see the leaves on your peach tree turning from green to yellow at this time of year, it’s likely just their natural fall foliage color.

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How to Fix

Dropping deciduous leaves isn’t something you can fix. Peach trees do this to conserve energy and moisture during cold, dry winters before fresh green leaves develop again in the spring.

Lack of Light

Peach trees are sun lovers. Planting this species too close to a shade-making building or taller tree could result in yellowing leaves. 

How to Fix

Transplant or plant your peach tree in a location that receives around 8 hours of full sun daily.

Underwatering

You will spot yellowing foliage if your peach tree isn’t getting enough moisture. Following this, the leaves will turn brown and dry before dropping. If your peach tree goes without adequate water for long enough, it can result in drought stress.

This causes the tree’s roots to shrivel and become damaged or die. When the roots can’t provide adequate water, one of the first places you see the effects is in the tree’s leaves.

How to Fix

Water needs vary depending on the size of your peach tree and temperatures. However, providing around one inch of water per week is a good guideline for established trees.  

Water slowly and deeply—if you blast it with a powerful hose, it might run off rather than soak into the soil. Young saplings might need watering as much as every two to three days. Avoid watering only at the base of the tree’s trunk. Instead, water around the drip line (the edge of the tree’s canopy where rain naturally falls) as the roots expand outwards.

Covering the soil around the tree with a 3—to 4-inch layer of mulch helps retain moisture, especially during scorching summers. This means you might not have to water as often.

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Overwatering

While you don’t want your peach tree roots to be dry for too long when temperatures rise, stone fruit trees are prone to root rot if you overwater and the ground remains soggy, especially in sites with heavy soils. One of the early signs of this disease is fewer leaves on your peach tree, and the ones that develop will be small and yellow. 

How to Fix

Avoid letting your peach tree roots stand in saturated soils for prolonged periods. Test the soil moisture levels using a long screwdriver or metal rod, and water only once the soil around the tree roots is dry.    

If the soil doesn’t have good drainage, consider adding organic matter, such as compost or grass clippings to help lower compaction and increase water infiltration.

Nutrient Deficiency

If the soil your peach tree is growing in lacks sufficient iron or manganese or is unable to absorb them effectively, this can reduce the production of chlorophyll (the green pigment in leaves that helps plant’s create food through photosynthesis).

This common cause of yellowing leaves is frequently seen when soils have high alkaline pH levels, which make it difficult for the trees to absorb these essential nutrients. 

How to Fix

Soil testing can help you determine whether your peach tree’s soil requires more manganese or iron. Ferrous and manganese sulfate foliage sprays offer a temporary greening effect, and trunk implant capsules and chelating agent soil additives can last up to two years. 

Shothole Fungal Disease

Peach trees can be prone to shothole fungal disease (Coryneum blight). The first signs are small red spots with yellow margins that develop into holes in the leaves. 

How to Fix

Avoid overhead watering, prune your peach tree to remove infected branches, and, for more serious cases, apply a copper fungicide spray in the fall as the leaves begin to drop and again once the tree is dormant in winter.

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Peach Leaf Curl

Peach leaf curl (Taphrina deformans) is another leaf-yellowing fungal disease that peach trees are prone to. It can also cause puckering, thickening, stunting, and eventual dropping of infected foliage. The disease tends to appear in the cool, wet springtime.

How to Fix

Unfortunately, once the signs of this disease are visible, it’s not possible to control it. However, you can apply a fungicide (chlorothalonil or copper fungicide) during the tree’s dormant period in late fall after the leaves have fallen (and before new buds begin to swell) to control the problem for the following season’s growth.

Pest Infestation

If you have a big enough infestation of leaf-eating pests, such as peach tree borers, aphids or mites, it can cause damage that makes it difficult for nutrients to be absorbed, resulting in yellowing of the leaves. 

How to Fix

Vigilance and quick action before infestations get out of control is your best line of defense. Often, it’s possible to get rid of aphids or similar pests with a strong jet of water. Alternatively, apply a thorough coating of an insecticidal soap or organic insecticide, such as neem oil.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does a peach tree need to be watered?

How often your peach tree needs watering depends on the tree’s size and age, the soil type and the local climate. It’s best to wait until the roots are dry to prevent the risk of rot developing. In hot summers, you may need to water once a week or every few days for new saplings. Older trees in areas with adequate precipitation may only need watering once a month.

Do peach trees need full sun?

Peach trees thrive in a full-sun position, where they receive at least 8 hours of direct sun. Without this, leaves will yellow, and fruit will not set well. 

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