new pear tree with leaf curl.....

[flowergirl]

We just bought a dwarf bartlett pear tree, probably 3-4' tall. Put it in the ground, following directions. Now the leaves are curled up. I've given it plenty of water. I've inspected the leaves and there aren't any worms that have made a home in the curled up leaves. What's happened? When we bought it, the leaves were ok. From the time we purchased to the time it went into the ground was one day....and that was 4 days ago......thanx for any info you can provide.

[cynthia_h]

I would cut off an end of a twig with three or four leaves and put it in a plastic bag.

Then drive ASAP to the place where you bought the tree (I'm hoping this isn't a Big Box store) and ask the staff for help.

There may be a local problem (virus? fungus? tiny insect?) that they know about and can help you with.

Good luck!

Cynthia H.
El Cerrito, CA
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17

[flowergirl]

Thanxalot Cynthia for the suggestion, I may have time to drive there tomorrow. It's a family nursery....so, hopefully they can help me. I'll let ya know.....pray it's a quick fix,

[damethod]

My citrus trees seem to be affected by "leaf miners". Try a search on Wikipedia.

If you see what looks like a maze of tunnels on the leaves...it's a leaf miner. It tunnels inside the leaf leaving scars and causing it to curl.

[flowergirl]

Thanx damethod. I did bring 2 different small branches from the tree to a local nursery (not the one we bought it from) and the young man said it is 'some kind of fungus' and sold us a powder for 'funguses' (sp?) to mix up with water and spray it with. I don't see any evidence of leaf miners, no tunnelling or anything like that. The leaves continue to be curled and some have black spots, some don't. Also, starting at about the middle of the tree to the top (it's still young, so I can see the top at eye level) all the leaves undersides are white and fuzzy. The fellow at the nursery seemed to think this also was a fungus.....any ideas, anyone???? (I've already sprayed it once and the problem persists) I really want to return the tree, but hubby doesn't..

thanx, Pam

[damethod]

There are a boatload of fungal diseases. I've heard of one called "powdery mildew". I'm assuming maybe that's it since you see powder...but, I can't give a good guess without pics.

My mango tree had developed black spots on the leaves as well. The leaves would then dry and curl up from the tip down. I was recommeded "Liquid Copper Fungicide". It worked like a charm. You can find it at any nursery, Home Depot, and online. If what you have now doesn't work in the next 2 weeks...give LCF a try.

[flowergirl]

I'm going to try to put a picture here.....the stuff from the nursery is called 'mancozeb flowable' and the main ingredients are: zinc, manganese and ethylene bisdithiocarbamate ion and is good for: cercospora, leaf spot, rust, gummy stem blight, downy mildew, early and late blight, black spot....mix 2-5 tsp per gallon of water...

[flowergirl]

[url=https://img501.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf0434br9.jpg][img]https://img501.imageshack.us/img501/7997/dscf0434br9.th.jpg[/img][/url]

Here's one picture....

[flowergirl]

[url=https://img381.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf0437xv3.jpg][img]https://img381.imageshack.us/img381/9958/dscf0437xv3.th.jpg[/img][/url]

Here's another picture.... I tried macro....guess I didn't get close enough..

[damethod]

I would go by the nursery that I bought the plant from and ask them what it could be. The product recommended by the other nursery should work fine..but, you may get better results from the original nursery in the sense that maybe he'll offer to replace the diseased tree if he can't diagnose the problem. You've got nothing to lose at this point.

[flowergirl]

Ok, here's the question....do I really want to dig the tree up and bring it back to the place that sold us a 'diseased' tree, in the hopes that they'll replace it....with another diseased tree????? When we bought the tree (only $12.00) it had no s/sx of being diseased. I'm thinking, we're going to tuff it out, try this, try that. If nothing works....we're only out $12.00. We have 2 other apple trees. One we bought from the same nursery and is doing fine and the other apple tree that we bought from a different nursery and it is doing fine as well. They were all bought and put in the ground within 2 weeks of each other. Today I sprayed it for the second time, per directions. I'll just wait and see......if we have to, we'll dig it up, bring it back, ask for our $ back and buy another pear tree elsewhere. I really appreciate your input. This is a nice place.....

[Gardencrazy]

Hi my pear tree has the same curled leaf as yours I think it's a fungus