Author Topic: pear disease ID , please (Read 3912 times)

northfifeduckling · « **on:** May 20, 2014, 06:20:16 pm »

I hope it can be seen well on the pics. My Comice pear was doing absolutely fine up to the wilting of fabulous blossom. Whatever it is is now affecting the leaves near the blossom. Any ideas and rescue tips would be welcome!

pgkevet · « **Reply #1 on:** May 20, 2014, 07:34:07 pm »

It looks powdery on those pics? Mildew?
http://www.keepers-nursery.co.uk/apple-pear-powdery-mildew.htm

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #2 on:** May 20, 2014, 10:39:26 pm »

It looks like lichen on the branches but not so sure about the buds.

Coeur de Chene · « **Reply #3 on:** May 21, 2014, 08:02:42 pm »

Blossom wilt?

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #4 on:** May 21, 2014, 08:41:51 pm »

it's not mildew. When I put my glasses on and turn over a leaf, there seems to be a fine web underneath and I can detect some brownish tinies - has anyone ever had mites on a fruit tree?

?

pgkevet · « **Reply #5 on:** May 22, 2014, 10:15:56 am »

I had a traw around on the net but couldn;t find a mite species of fruit trees that has the webbing appearance you mention.
I had woolly aphids on an apple tree once.. but they're big enough to be obvious once you smear out the woolly stuff.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #6 on:** May 22, 2014, 10:28:12 am »

Thanks, that's probably it!

Now what did you do? The RHS site only gives chemical sprays as an antidote and I've never done that - or natural predators ( I will gently guide any ladybirds there, should I find any...)....Would a soft soap spray possibly help or do the beast have a shell?

pgkevet · « **Reply #7 on:** May 22, 2014, 11:27:52 am »

woolly aphids are quite large whereas mites are tiny. They're also greenish coloured and have themselves wrapped in that tiny cocoon.

If that is what you have then i treated mine with the wife's eco washing up liquid (saponins) and some cooking oil mixed and diluted in water. One spray wasn't much help so i sprayed them daily a few days and it did shift. It was a 7foot high espaliered red devil apple tree (12 foot wide espalier). It only had them that one year. My only other trees at that time were a cox and a conference both were unaffected.

HesterF · « **Reply #8 on:** May 22, 2014, 10:21:13 pm »

I had a trawl through my fruit tree book and found a variety of mites but none of them seemed to concentrate on the flowers - more the leaves. So woolly aphid does seem to fit more. I've got wax sticky strips round my fruit tree trunks to stop the ants farming the aphids but I don't know whether that applies to woolly aphids.