Hi there! I have some kind of bug I think on both my Bartlett Pear Trees. One is over 4 years old and the other is 2 years old and has just developed what looks like the same problem. I"ve scanned leafs from the tree to help with ID. The older tree has had this problem every year, and eventually all the leaves get it and wither. This year it seems to have less, but my 2year old tree now has what looks like the same thing! I have Anjou pears as well, and they don't have this problem. Thanks for any help you can give!
Hard to tell from the photo but you could be dealing with pear rust "The first sign of Pear Tree Rust will be the small but very visible bright orange spots - later enlarging - on the surface of the Pear Tree leaf. A closer inspection will reveal typical rust fungal growths on the underside of the leaves. These rust fungus spots house the spores which are easily spread in the wind. The Pear Rust infection will not kill your pear tree, for it only lives on live tissue, and a dead tree serves no useful purpose to the clever Rust Fungus. It will however weaken the tree for the current and following year." It is commonly spread by - and transferred to and from - junipers. It won't outright kill the tree but will weaken it to the point of no return. There are some junipers in my neighborhood so I have this problem with my pear trees every year, and even the ornamental pears in front of our house (that the city insists on replacing every few years when they look so bad....and then they put the same tree back in.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnosporangium_sabinae
Agree w/ pmurphy. Pear Trellis Rust first starts out looking like a drop of red/orange jelly on the top of the leaf. Eventually long hair like tendrils will appear on the under side of the leaf. Pull infected leaves off and burn them. Do not compost!!
thanks for your ideas. I'm really not sure this is correct for the following reasons: 1) no juniper trees nearby 2) I don't see any tendrils or the bright orangeness described in the Wikeopedia site given. This is more like black dots - which are surrounded by orangy circles. I've observed it for several years on my older pear, which is starting to get some again this year, but hopefully not like last year. THe newer one is having more challenges, as mentioned in my original post. Any other suggestions??? I may try to get better scan of it, if noone else comes back with anything. Really appreciate the help! It sure is good to see good apple blossoms this year, plus the mason and larger bees now pollinating my raspberry patch!
