My Harrow Sweet set a good number of fruit this year. Most of them look a little funny though. They have these black markings on them and some fuzziness that looks like fungus. Is this a pathogen that I should be spraying for? None of my other pears have ever looked like this.
Fireblight?
I’m losing tons of them that look like that as well. They turn black and dry up.
Lost good amount of fruit on my two pears. @clarkinks and @mamuang thinks it is blossom blast. I have posted this in
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Here read this. They are correct. This is the first year I have seen it this bad. Usually it’s pretty minor and I never worried about it.
That is looking more like fireblight. If it spreads in the stem you know for sure. Watch it very closely. Amputate the blackened branch the first sign of it entering the wood. See this thread Late season Fireblight
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Thanks for pointing out again. Mine is not that bad or spreading only effected fruits so far and I have removed all effected one.
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I just sprayed Immunox on the pears yesterday to prevent quince rust which is a minor but annual problem for me. Hopefully that’ll take care of this if it’s scab. The Asian pears don’t show signs of this, just Harrow Sweet.
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I’m sorry but that’s downright ugly. Also, I believe your spray treatment is too late. On the other hand, you’ll be more motivated next winter!
Andrew and @Naeem ,
It can happen to Asian and Euro pears. My first time having blossom blast was on a Korean Giant. Blossoms of the whole branch wilt and turned black in 2 days. The bacteria stops there.
For us, the easy distinction between blossom blast and fire blight is that the former only affects blossom and fruitlets, nothing beyond that while the later affects leaves, branches and the whole tree if you let it spread.
Blossom blast condition - wet and cool
Fire blight - wet and warm
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That might be specific to your region. It doesn’t work that way here. How about in your location @clarkinks ?
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Very true. I lost most of my asians and euros this year. Looks like all of us on the east coast are learning about blossom blast. I’ve seen it plenty of times, but it was so minor I never worried about it.
Ayers and Chojuro seem to be completely immune though.
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Of course, this is how it works where I live. Please see info from New England that Robert @robert linked.
Andrew and Naeem are in PA and MD, it is applicable to them.
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I, unfortunately, have learned about this 5-6 years ago.
I think the weather we have had recently has been wet and cool (at least in New England).
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Many people talk about the 65/65 rule 65 % humidity and 65 F. There is some truth to that about temperature and humidity. Fireblight is greatly reduced in lower temperatures because fireblight only attacks growing tissue. Tissue grows fastest in the spring and fall in my climate because that is when i have water in the form of rain or snow melt. It is when insects and birds fly from tree to tree carrying the disease. When new shoots grow quickly and flowers and fruitlets form. Noone has to worry about fireblight here in the winter. Blossom blast is a minor disease here usually we dont have enough moisture or spring like conditions. We were 98F today 93F tomorrow then back to 80F /60F. Keep in mind im a terrible person to ask about disease because when in doubt i cut it out. Many of my pears are highly resistant to disease.
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They surely will be maimed if they survive. I guess my copper and sulfur sprays prior to bloom weren’t effective against this malady.
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@PharmerDrewee
What I’m reading in the crop literature is to combine
copper hydroxide, or miclobutanil – or both
with
mancozeb (e.g. Manzate Pro-Stick).
Follow the directions on the labels for when and how much to apply.
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Do you think your fruit were affected by scab?
Pear scab - Integrated Pest Management.
Have you seen lesions on twig, spots on leaves besides fruit turning black?
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I checked my pears today. Fruit and leaves look good. My records show I sprayed chlorothalonil March 18, copper April 4 and straptomycin April 14. Location Long Island NY. That schedule was not ideal but at the moment trees look ok.
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