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peters1938

pear tree

PeterS1938
11 years ago

Hi

I have a 4 year old pear tree which for the second year has suffered a problem where the leaf end turns black mainly at the top of the tree.I at first thought it was fire blight but it doesnt seem to travel and the branch ends do not have the fire blight shepherds crook at the end.The tree is in a very large frost proof pot and is fed and watered on a regular basis.The tree is treated with a winter wash at the seasons end and I do not know what else to do.Any help with this problem would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance,

Peter.

Comments (15)

  • calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
    11 years ago

    It sounds to me like a late frost burns the new growth at the top of the tree. Al

  • PeterS1938
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Al
    Thanks for the response but this all happens mid summer when frosts are long gone.Yours is the only reply so I guess no one really knows what the problem is.
    Many thanks
    Peter.

  • steve333_gw
    11 years ago

    Has it been dry and windy at your location? I sometimes see what looks like frost damage to pear leaves well after freezing temps have past, and I believe it is due to dry windy conditions.

  • PeterS1938
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Steve
    The weather has been the exact opposite,rain sleet snow,you name it we have had it.This is the second year running I have had this problem.I also have two small pear trees I over winter in the greenhouse but they to have the same symptoms.I dont believe its fire blight because it doesnt travel like fire blight and as I have previously said there is no tell tale shepherds crook at the branch ends.
    Many thanks for your reply
    Peter.

  • PeterS1938
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Steve
    The weather has been the exact opposite,rain sleet snow,you name it we have had it.This is the second year running I have had this problem.I also have two small pear trees I over winter in the greenhouse but they to have the same symptoms.I dont believe its fire blight because it doesnt travel like fire blight and as I have previously said there is no tell tale shepherds crook at the branch ends.
    Many thanks for your reply
    Peter.

  • alan haigh
    11 years ago

    Trying to diagnose any but the most common disease issues without a photo is pretty hard- especially given that you have a different pest complex than those of us in the U. S. I'm sure you can find sites with pear disease photos and see if symptoms match any common diseases in your region.

  • PeterS1938
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    This is a photo of my pear tree with the problems I've previously explained. More to follow.

  • PeterS1938
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Photo 2

  • PeterS1938
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Photo 3

  • PeterS1938
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Photo 4

  • PeterS1938
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Photo 5

  • PeterS1938
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Bump.

  • itsgoodtobeme
    11 years ago

    I don't think it is a disease. I am not an expert by any means, but I can share my experience.

    I bought a pear tree from Raintree a couple of years ago and all the leaves came out black around the edges, so I asked for a replacement and the replacement did the same thing. I tried emailing them and asking if it could be a disease. They honestly were not helpful and they only replace a tree once, which I suppose is understandable. I think I posted on here too and didn't get any good answers. That tree died and for a while I assumed that they either sent me 2 diseased trees and then wouldn't help me figure it out or that since my climate is super dry and Raintree is in a wetter area, perhaps they weren't the best place for me to buy trees.

    Then this year I bought a couple of bare root pears from Costco. One leafed out the same way as the ones from Raintree, black around the edges of the leaves. I thought it was going to die too, but it started putting out new growth mid summer up top with no black on the leaves. The original leaves are still black around the edges, but the tree looks healthier than the ones from Raintree ever did. We will see next spring, but I think it is going to make it.

    I have had success with other trees. I planted a bare root 4 in one pear tree from Lowes this year (75% off, couldn't resist) that leafed out and grew really well this year. I have an asian pear that I planted the same time (and right next to that one from Raintree) that is thriving, I just picked about 20 pears from it last week. And a couple other fruit trees (ok around 25 apple trees, a couple of cherries, a peach and a nectarine) that are doing fine.

    So my theory of the moment is that it is stress of some sort, not sure what sort. It seems like it is only happening to my pear trees, so maybe it is just how pear trees show stress? I read somewhere (probably here) that pears are hard to transplant, maybe more temperamental than other fruit trees? I know that may not be much help, but since none of he more expert people were responding I thought I would share.

  • milehighgirl
    11 years ago

    If your pear trees are in pots they are more likely to have uneven temperature and water levels. I did have my pears in pots for two years while I got my land ready. I had the same issue. And just as itsgoodtobeme mentioned, they did come out of it also. With a potted tree it's really hard to keep things consistent. I even had this problem with a Moonglow I used to pollinate another tree. I knew I didn't want to keep it there so I left it in a 20 gallon pot and put that in the ground. Even then I had the same issue. My other fruit trees did much better in pots than the pear.

    With pots it could be water, fluctuating soil temperature, or potting soil that retains too much or not enough moisture.

    One thing I did notice is that when I tried to correct the problem I usually made it worse, as in thinking it needed more water or more fertilizer when it really did not.

  • PeterS1938
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for all the help and welcome.I will post the outcome with the new leaves come summer.
    Peter.

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