I'm in the process of adjusting a newly installed drip system and we had a solid week of rain about a week ago followed by a hot, sunny week and probably too much watering from my un-perfected drip system. My garden is on the roof in containers. I am located in New York City. I have a pear tree that earlier in the season I defoliated because the leaves all turned black. I sprayed it with neem oil, assuming the issue was fungal, and as the new leaves came back they still were marked with black spots and got worse as they got bigger. The Pear Tree is in a 25" sq cedar planter, just transplanted last year...plenty of room and doesn't dry out fast at all. I thought it might be due to too much water, but it has excellent drainage and I have been letting it dry out. the problem persists. I don't think it's fire blight since the branches don't turn black and get that bent shape. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
You'd think...but it doesn't get the whole branch burned out and bent thing. I treated it with agrimycin earlier in the season. I was told that was what to do for bacterial blight. obviously it didn't help. can I use it again at this point in time? will it spread to other trees? or should I just get it out of the garden?
Maybe Cooperative Extension can help you with this. I think there it connected with Cornell University.
I had an identical looking problem with my Pear tree several years ago. I was told at the local nursery the damage was most likely caused by thrips and that spraying with dormant oil and lime sulfur shortly before bud break should help. I spray every spring since and don't have this problem any more since I started spraying.
Since this is well after bud break, can I still spray it at this point in time or is too late...and if so..what should I do?
I think you just have to be patient and wait till next spring. If it is the same kind of problem I had with my tree (it looks so), your tree will not die (my didn't) because of it.