Knowledgebase

pear leaf spot #810928

Asked September 15, 2022, 1:11 PM EDT

3 questions: 1) do I have crown rot on this moonglow pear planted this summer (see moonglow1.jpg)? If so, what can I do about it; or is it something else, and also what can I do about it? 2) do I have fabraea leaf spot on the moonglow pear? would an application or applications of liquid copper be effective to control leaf spot on a moonglow pear (fabraea)? or should I use something stronger (ferbam, etc)? does hydrogen peroxide have any effect on pear leaf spot (fabraea)? 3) I have a bartlett pear 15 ft away and it does not appear to have anything wrong with it. Assuming I have to apply something to the moonglow, should I also apply it to the bartlett? this is a home orchard in Charlotte and the moonglow came from horsford and we have apples, peaches and pears, so ideally I would like to spray as minimally as possible Thanks

Chittenden County Vermont

Expert Response

Hi Kevin,

Thank you for contacting the UVM Master Gardener's Helpline.  Your question was forwarded to our Clinical Expert in the Plant Diagnostic Lab.   Her response is below:

The bark on the lower stem of the pear does not look good. Does it encircle the tree? It is impossible to tell what is going on-it could be a winter damage thing, mechanical injury, or fungal/bacterial problem. If you are not noticing any problems of dieback I would not worry too much. I think there is not much to do other than watch it. Hopefully the damage is only on one side and often trees can heal over injuries like this. Is the site very wet?

You might be seeing some Fabrea leaf spot or it could be another leaf spot disease. It is very minor and I would not really recommend spraying for that amount of damage. The tree can live with that just fine with out long term effects. SInce the fungus overwinters on the fallen leaves, you could rake those this fall to reduce the inoculum (spores). If raking is too much, you can mow the leaves to shred them and help them decompose quicker. Also keeping the tree well pruned and opened up to air and light will help the leaves dry off quicker and you will see less disease. Keep the base of the plant free from weeds and water during periods of drought.

Here are a few references about pear tree diseases that might be helpful.

https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/Fact-Sheets/Plant-Pathology/Disease-Control-for-Home-Pear-Orchards

https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec631/html

https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/pear/infos

I hope this information is helpful.


Happy Gardening!Joelyn, UVM Extension Master Gardenerhttps://www.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardener We do not intend to endorse any products that we mention or to criticize products that we do not mention. When we include a link to a resource that recommends a chemical, it is only for informational purposes; the chemicals may not be registered for use in Vermont. Replied September 17, 2022, 2:36 PM EDT
Hi, 

yes it encircles the tree. I dont think it is mechanical damage and it could have come from horsford this way and I didnt notice at the time (winter damage); yes we have a high water table but when it was 1st planted earlier this summer I used a hygrometer to check the soil and it would dry out (i.e., not stay wet). Now I think it is too wet because other holes dug now for upcoming plantings in the spring have water in them, given all the rain, and they are very slow to drain

When I planted this 7 gallon pear, I dug a huge hole and added 4 40lbs bags of half cow manure/half compost because we have heavy clay. 

There are holes without any water that I can transplant it - should I move the pear or it is terminal?

thanks


Sep 17, 2022, 14:36 by <personal data hidden>:
The Question Asker Replied September 19, 2022, 8:30 AM EDT
Here is info. provided by the Plant Pathologist:

I am not sure.. It might be worth a try this fall, plus you could see what the root system looks like. Apples and pears do not like wet feet.
They have a lot of rot/crown rot issues. So if you have heavy clay soils, that only makes the situation worse since they hold a lot more moisture than well drained soils like loam/sandy loam. If you are going to move it, dig the largest root ball you can handle and make sure it is not planted too deep. It should have a couple months of root growth before the soils get too cold this fall. Otherwise, you can do this in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked.
Good luck!

An Ask Extension Expert Replied September 19, 2022, 10:35 AM EDT

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