What disease do these pear trees have and how can I cure them? - Ask Extension
Hello! I planted three Bartlett pear trees in the fall (2023) that I got on sale at the end of the summer season. They were dry, stressed, and missing...
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What disease do these pear trees have and how can I cure them? #875760
Asked July 03, 2024, 2:15 AM EDT
Hello! I planted three Bartlett pear trees in the fall (2023) that I got on sale at the end of the summer season. They were dry, stressed, and missing a lot of leaves, but alive and planted before any winter frosts.
They made it through the winter and this spring they had lots of blooms and looked great.
But soon after, I started to see black dots on the leaves of one tree. At first it looked to be on only the newest growth, but it spread to all types of leaves in all three trees in a short amount of time. This week it’s gotten worse and now I see yellow dots on some too. (See pics)
What can I do to help them?
They are in a location with clay soil on a slight slopes so they have drainage. I also added some compost and wood chip mulch around them all this spring to keep them watered, and haven’t seen signs of under/overwatering yet.
They are on the west side of my home that’s on a hill, so they get morning sun, and ambient afternoon light, but no afternoon direct sun.
Also, I have underplanted them with strawberries, and close by are baby lupine and baby string bean plants, so ideally any treatments won’t hurt those plants or the edibility of their produce too.
However, helping the trees fight disease is a higher priority to me, so if I need to dig up and move the under planted plants while fighting the disease, then so be it!
Thanks so much in advance for your help!
Washington County Oregon
Expert Response
Looks like two issues. The black dots seem scattered on some leaves but on others they clearly forma row on either side of the mid-rib. This is a mite problem called blister mite. You read all about this one here: https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect/tree-fruit/pear/pear-eriophyid-mite
The orange spots are due to a rust fungus and since they seem to have developed a little later in the year I suspect Pear Trellis Rust. You can read all about that one here: https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/pear-pyrus-spp-trellis-rust-european-pear-rust
Since you have garden plants under the trees be careful not to let irrigation water wet the tree leaves. That will encourage lots of disease if they remain wet for extended periods. Here is a guide for managing problems in the home orchard: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/ec-631-managing-diseases-insects-home-orchards
The orange spots are due to a rust fungus and since they seem to have developed a little later in the year I suspect Pear Trellis Rust. You can read all about that one here: https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/pear-pyrus-spp-trellis-rust-european-pear-rust
Since you have garden plants under the trees be careful not to let irrigation water wet the tree leaves. That will encourage lots of disease if they remain wet for extended periods. Here is a guide for managing problems in the home orchard: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/ec-631-managing-diseases-insects-home-orchards