I’ve read a deficiency in boron can manifest itself in many ways. Blossom blast and other problems are said to be worse under those conditions. Anyone have experience with blossom blast or boron deficiencies? Those buds that do not have leaves I think are infected with blossom blast. This is the first time I’ve saw the disease outside of books. It greatly reduces fruit set I’m told. I used both copper and antibiotic this spring. This is an Asian pear that I grafted new wood to this spring. Several leaves have also been crinkled and curled in which is likely rust. Prior to the rain last night I applied 2 cupful’s of azomite and 2 cupful’s of magnesium. The soil is very poor in this location. The trees have been sprayed with immunox / captan fungicides and triacide / Malathion pesticide.
I know a lot of folks feel otherwise but in my opinion Azomite is a lot more hype than it is fertilizer. In particular I don’t care for the very high levels of aluminum salts (in the form of aluminum nitrate). I believe most growers would do better with a fertilizer that contains a full spectrum of micronutrients, each of which at levels that are appropriate for their crop.
Clark, could you dissolve a small bit of borax in some warm water and soil apply? I’ve applied borax to my trees before with no ill effect.
Azomite has a small amount of boron in it so that’s what I used since I had it on hand. It has already dissolved in the soil so I should know more in the next week or so. Jeff have you seen much blossom blight before? I think it’s more common than I realized.
Nope…never seen it. I applied it, as an effort to reduce bitter pit. I think boron increases calcium levels and another element also, I’m thinking it’s magnesium, but I may be remembering wrong.
At any rate, bitter pit was greatly reduced (in fact, pretty much eliminated), but I done other things along the way too, so it’s difficult to say what, if any, positive effect it had. It certainly had no negative effects.
Clark,
Do you mean blossom blast, not blossom blight, right?
My 20 C A.pear got blossom blast about 3 years ago. At first I thought it was fire blight but after reading more about the difference between fire blight and blossom blast, my pear trees, that specific low branch damage, fit the description of blossom blast to the T.
Mamuang,
Correct blossom blast. Has it been difficult to manage it? Does it mostly affect the Asian pears? Someone posted a picture of blossom blast once I thought it was Fireblight like you.
My pears were infected with blossom blast (pseudomonas syringae). They started out with orange spores on leaves and fruit that turned black with age. New growth might appear to be struck by fire blight. The fruitlets fell off, and cankers formed at infection sites on the branches. “Warren” was almost completely girdled. “Ubileen” failed to fruit due to the infection. So far, “Bartlett” and “Seckel” have been the only pears to fruit for me. “Seckel” showed a lot of damage. Infections are worse in very wet, poorly drained, or rainy areas. Cankers can be burned out, but I know of no organic methods of controlling the infection. Best of luck to you.
Thanks Jeff I will focus on soil nutrition and see how things go. I considered removing the tree but I suspect it wouldn’t matter.
Asian pears are more susceptible to pseudomonas. Shinseiki and Yoinashi are said to be resistant. Hosui is susceptible.
Thank you it sounds challenging to control using organic or non organic methods.
Unfortunately, I resorted to looking for those varieties with enough resistance. I have been testing pears in our area for about ten years. There aren’t many “keepers”.
The same bacteria that causes bossom blast effects everything from tomatoes to maple trees and occurs just about everywhere. I am forming the opinion that it is now a normal part of the landscape here and just got a foothold here becuase if a very mild winter. I found it at multiple locations. Next year nature will favor another form of fruit plague.
Is it the same as blossom end rot in tomatoes? I mean, caused by the same pathogen?
It does not contain what I would consider a reasonable dosage for a single application.
In my experience and research throughout the U.S. it is easily controlled with inorganic methods.
It occured only that one partcularly wet- during - blooms time that year and only that branch which is the lowest on the tree and gets the least sun.
Mine happened when the whole branch was covered with blooms. The next thing I knew, every single flowers wilt and turned brown all of a sudden (it seemed). It did not affect the branch but the leaves looked crinkly and slow to come to size.
Until then, I never sprayed pear with copper. After that year, all pears have got copper spray at dormant. So far, so good.
That is a bit more complicated. It can be due to lack of minerals in the electrolyte series, in some environments a lack of available Calcium or Phosphate ions, and so on. Where I’ve noticed “blossom end rot in tomatoes” the most is propagation in purely organic media (compost, etc.) without the presence of soil minerals.
Richard,
It is only 29 ppm http://azomite.com/resources/rare_earth_elements.html. I figure since it was the best I have for now it will work in a pinch. Now I need to find some bulk boron.
Mamuang,
The scary part is I used copper this spring during dormancy. I think the bacteria numbers build quickly under the right conditions. I’ve already seen crinkled leaves.
39thparallel,
It sounds like this weather may have set us up for it regardless of what I sprayed or did. Pseudomonas syringae seems impossible to control if weather is perfect for it Ontario CropIPM
The grocery store might be able to supply you. One box of 20 Mule Team Borax will go a very long way since it’s used so sparingly.
I’ve used borax as a boron supplement for years on my garden and orchard. The soils all tested low in boron. You can check online, but recommended amounts are fairly small, like a Tspoon per trunk diam inch every other or third year, spread at drip line. Too much boron is toxic, ironically often with similar symptoms to a deficiency.
EDIT: thought I would check, and a few Tspoons of borax per small-mid sized tree every 3-4 years sounds about right. BTW there is almost as much online for using borax as a herbicide as for trace boron, so be cautious.
If you want to get it into the tree more quickly, there are water soluble boron foliar sprays you can use (again don’t overdo it remember the toxicity). I don’t think I would try dissolved borax as a foliar as I have never seen that recommended.
Might be a good idea to pick up a box or two of borax while you can, rumor is there were thinking of pulling it from the market.