Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Help identifying pear tree disease

lozzydaviesj-xfWd0tlozzydaviesj-xfWd0t Posts: 5
in Problem solving
Hi All,
I need some help identifying what disease my pear tree has. I thought it was fireblight but I'm not sure. Last year I think it had a bad case of rust as it had these bits growing off the leaves. I had it as a present last year but I'm not having much luck with it. I have already sprayed it with some antifungal spray this year but it looks worse. Does anybody know what it could be and how i should treat it? I think my bluberry bush had something similar on it but I havent noticed it yet this year. Any help would be much appreciated!
«1

Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Bumping up for any advice  :)
  • lozzydaviesj-xfWd0tlozzydaviesj-xfWd0t Posts: 5
    Thank you!
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I can’t see anything there that would concern me to be honest. A bit of insect/weather damage but no more than I would expect as normal. 

    Whereabouts are you, roughly? Are the photos from last year or this?  My pear is in blossom but the leaves aren’t out yet. 

    What sort of soil and aspect is it planted in?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • lozzydaviesj-xfWd0tlozzydaviesj-xfWd0t Posts: 5
    It's against a south facing wall in a very large pot of ericaceous compost. I took the picture yesterday. The plant has lots of leaves and it looked really healthy but in the past couple of days I've noticed those black spots appearing and the leaves looking holey. I'm in south wales. The pear tree across the street is full of blossom so the weather must be quite mild here. 

    I just thought I would try and treat it before I lose all the leaves again like I did last year.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Is the compost loam-based or multi-purpose?  I would’ve used John Innes No 3 (loam based). 

    How large is the large pot and do you know the variety of pear and which rootstock it was grafted onto?  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • lozzydaviesj-xfWd0tlozzydaviesj-xfWd0t Posts: 5
    Umm I'm not sure. It's just B&Q ericaceous compost. It's in a large waterbutt I cut in half. There's drainage holes as well. 

    It's a comice. 

    I've had a little look this morning and I can see some silvery sticky bits on the leaves. I can't really capture it on photo but see below. The leaves are beginning to curl  as well. 




  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    My pear tree always has some curled leaves early in the year … I put it down to aphids … but the leaves always recover and the tree fruits well  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited April 2023
    Comice is not self-fertile so does need a pollination partner to produce fruit.
    See here-
    https://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/pollinationchecker.aspx?v=10061
    Without a suitable pollinator in the area you won't get any (or just very few) fruits.

    You've used multi purpose compost which is not suitable for trees in pots.
    As Dove mentions, it needs to be in a soil-based compost - e.g. John Innes.
    A suitable mix would be 60% John Innes, 20% multi purpose compost (you can re-use the compost you have in the pots for that) and about 20% horticultural grit.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • lozzydaviesj-xfWd0tlozzydaviesj-xfWd0t Posts: 5
    Oh dovefromabove maybe one day I will have pears like that! 👍🏻 

    Thank-you Pete.8. For that website. I'm going to look at getting another tree! 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Probably the easiest pear to grow is Conference-
    https://www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/trees/pear-trees/dessert-pears/conference

    Unlike Comice, it's quite an easy pear to grow and produces well.
    It is self fertile and will also pollinate your Comice.

    Read up about how to harvest pears as they need to be picked when mature then ripened indoors. Don't wait until they look ready to pick as the inside will often start to rot.
    Unlike apples, pears ripen from the inside.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Sign In or Register to comment.