small-pear-tree
Chris Lyon
Posts: 15
Recently retired and now getting to grips with my garden. Can anyone tell me what the problem is with a small (potted) pear tree I'm trying to grow. Almost all the leaves hve completely shrivelled up, almost as if they have been burned.
Can i post photo's on here, if so, I can show you what I mean.
Chris
0
Posts
Yes, photos would be helpful. Click on the picture of the little tree in the toolbar above where you type your post and follow the instructions
Have tried to upload a photo but no joy. Maybe the file is too big. I'll try to do it via Photobucket.
Well that worked - except for the orientation!! Anyone any ideas??
That doesn't look too good.
Are there any signs that the tree is still alive? - any green leaves etc? Is this just a particularly bad branch or typical of the whole tree?
If this is typical of almost all of the tree try gently scraping a small area of one of the affected branches. Is there any green under the bark?
What has been the regime for watering / feeding (especially during the very hot / dry spell in July)?
What size tree is it & what size pot? Is it in a sheltered location or windy? What is the aspect - ie does it get the full brunt of the sun - especially at the hottest part of the day or does it get some shade?
Are there any obvious signs of disease? - weeping wounds, scabs (yuck - sounds like Emergency Ward 10 - to show my age!).
Sorry to ask so many questions but from the picture the tree looks like a gonna - so just trying to help you identify why this might be. If, however, there's a bit of life in it we might be able to save it if we have enough info.
Right. Off to the garden to suss out a few answers!!
Here we go. Tree seems to be alive right up to the top. There are still green leaves. It is in a partly sheleterd position (alongside a Magnolia tree). No signs of anything obvious on the leaves as per the photo's. I watered it fairly frequently during the summer but have not fed it. for info' it's a Pyril's conference and is around 3ft tall. I'll attach a photo and add two others in separate posts as I'm not sure how many I can get on each post.
That healthy green shoot near the base - is that coming from above or below the graft point?
From the pics of the leaves it might be fruit (apple & pear) scab. My trees have been badly affected following last year's extremely wet summer which provided ideal conditions for fungi.
Suggest you Google for more pictures to see if it is that.
If so, you can spray with an appropriate fungicide and give it plenty of TLC. If it's been in the pot for a while it will almost certainly need feeding - maybe repotting - I've never grown trees in pots so have limited knowledge on their requirements.
If you don't want to spray just give it loads of TLC. The good news is that scab isn't terminal but it is unsightly and will affect any fruit.
Good garden hygiene is very important. So burn any leaves that fall and dont allow them to sit on the soil where fungal spores can be splashed onto the tree by rain thereby reinfecting it.
Good luck. I now need to follow my own advice for all my trees!!