Gardening. It’s something I come back to time and time again and now that I have a lovely (and huge) garden I really do want to create a haven rather than just a field. However, it must be stated that I do not have green hands, the only time they’re green is when they’re physically green from either grass stains or playing with paint with Little Piglet. So I really do have a serious handicap and quite often any free time is spent looking at the garden wondering where to start!
So far this year I have managed to successfully plant (and keep alive) 35 laurel tree cuttings and some strawberries.
Not so lucky were my Oliver tree, Oleander bush and Japanese Maple tree all of which died throughout the winter.
Desperately clinging on now is my pear tree, I believe it is in trouble and I’m not sure what to do with it. I really hope that one you will be able to help identify what is wrong with it and maybe suggest a treatment please? I tried Traitement Totale (total treatment) spray last week and it doesn’t look any better for itself but maybe that is normal?
What I often hear with plants (something you probably know already) is that the problem is often that: the plant either has too much or too little water. Your tree does look sick but not hopeless. I wish you luck!
P.S. Nice property you’ve got there!
Thanks! Well with all the rain we’ve had this summer I’d not be surprised if it had too much water, really hoping the weather picks up soon!
I’m pretty useless, but I think it might be peach leaf curl. This may help: http://www.france-forum-frenchentree.com/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=122864
Thanks, that’s what I thought could be the case too but didn’t think it affected other fruit trees. Our poor peach tree is recovering/fighting (?) this at the moment. I’ve received a suggestion for a similar disease called leaf blight and the treatment looks similar so fingers crossed…
Mr. Fly thinks photograph 2 is due to a caterpillar installingitself in your tree and that the bottom one shows a sort of black spot…which he’s never seen in pears, but might be worth checking.
Goodness, a caterpillar? I HATE caterpillars especially after a hairy one crawled up my sleeve last autumn, eeewwwwkkk! I’ll speak to the garden centre about treatments for that, they’re pretty good at giving treatment suggestions but absolutely useless at telling you what disease/issue your tree has.
As for the black spot I also posted on a gardening forum and some savvy people have come back to me and suggested Leaf Blight, fabraea maculata (http://www.caf.wvu.edu/kearneysville/pdfFiles/fabraealfsp.PDF) so inline with what Mr Fly thinks non? All the symptoms seem to fit so I’m off to get some treatment tomorrow and fingers crossed.
Traitement Totale is usually pretty effective: diseased plants usually either have some kind of fungus, or bug infestation, and Traitement Totale is supposed to treat both.
I’m not sure, off the top of my head, if the fungicide and insecticide in Traitement Totale are both systemic or not, but it should say so on the packet. If they are not, it would be better to use systemic ones. Get yourself a systemic fungicide, and a systemic insecticide and use them one after the other (on separate days), unless the plant is in flower (cos the insecticide will kill the bees).
Regardless of whether or not your treatment works this year, next Spring, give the plant the same treatment, as soon as it has a reasonable number of leaves are out. (About three weeks after the first leaf buds open)
Hi Mark! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your tips, they’re really useful! I would never have thought to treat the tree again next year so I’m going to put it in my diary to put in my diary once the tree buds. I’ll be looking at the packet tomorrow so will work out what to do from there, cheers!
I was thinking blackspot too – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Spot_(disease)
Good luck ! Lovely garden xx
Thanks Cheryl! The garden is certainly going to be hard work but we hope to (eventually) have it really nice and as a haven for us to relax in.
I’ve been given a diagnosis of Leaf Blight, fabraea maculata (link to disease info in reply to Fly above) which I guess is similar to black spot.
Your tree doesn’t look beyond help so I think there is a good chance it could come around and thrive for you. Good luck with your gardening.
Thanks! I do hope it does survive, it was a gift and I love pears!
Your tree doesn’t look too bad off, so whatever is wrong I’m sure you’ll catch it in time. I wish I knew what was wrong with it so I could help you.
Come up with a soap and water solution, mix a teeny bit of pesticide in there, and spray away, it’ll stop whatever common ground bug it is thats sneaking up on your lovely greens and munching away. Or poisoning.
-Carlos Hernandez
In Lille in north of France, the town gave some small area they cannot use and peolple and their neighbour can use it as a public garden. It’s a great way to know our neighbour in that big town
Hi !!!! je ne savais pas que tu avais un blog !! Je découvre tout juste ! Bon j’y comprends rien pour l’instant, mon niveau d’Anglais est trop faible pour que je lise entourée de mes Trolls. Mais je reviendrais très vite te découvrir !Bises.