The service pear is basically a fairly robust and undemanding plant. Unfortunately, however, there are often problems with fungal diseases that make repeated control measures necessary.

If the pear turns red early, a disease may be behind it

Clearly identify fungal diseases

If your serviceberry in the garden shows possible signs of a fungal infection, you should first rule out other reasons for the abnormalities before taking appropriate countermeasures. After all, there can be different reasons for changes in the leaf color of the service pear:

  • premature reddening of the leaves due to climatic extremes
  • Fire blight infestation
  • fungal diseases such as powdery mildew

With the various varieties of the pear tree, it can sometimes happen that cold snaps or dry phases in summer cause the leaves to drop prematurely. In this case, no special maintenance measures need to be taken. Individual leaves that turn red can also be a sign of fire blight infestation. However, this is not a fungal disease, but a plant disease caused by bacteria.

Identify and fight powdery mildew

Various factors such as the location, the planted variety, the weather or the proximity to other plants susceptible to powdery mildew can play a role in the occurrence of powdery mildew (fungus Podosphaera spec.) on service pear trees. Powdery mildew can be recognized as a white coating on the leaves, with small, white spots initially appearing on the upper side of the leaf, which then spread. The leaves then curl up and are thrown off in a timely manner. This is a so-called "fair-weather fungus" that cannot be kept in check by regular pruning and a correspondingly well-ventilated plant structure alone. However, any outbreak should be contained by removing affected shoots as quickly as possible and disposing of them with organic waste.

Prevention is more effective than treatment

Rock pear trees do not necessarily die due to powdery mildew, but in addition to the appearance of the plants, the usability of the actually edible fruits also suffers. If powdery mildew occurs in a garden before the service pear is planted, more resistant wild forms should be preferred over cultivated varieties. Like a well-dosed, regular cut, fertilization with a low nitrogen content can strengthen the general plant health. At the first signs of powdery mildew infestation, the affected shoots and buds should be cut out over a large area in the infested area, as the fungus overwinters in them. From spring onwards, preventive spraying should be carried out every 7 to 14 days with a 1:5 mixture of milk and water.

tips

If pear trees repeatedly suffer from fungal infestation over the years and are treated with appropriate fungicides, then the preparations selected for this should be changed regularly. In this way you can prevent the development of fungicide resistance and ensure effectiveness.

Category:

Trees