Pear Scab: Santa Claus

One venture that looks like it may not be a success is my planting of a previously vigourous Santa Claus maiden as one half of an arch in the front garden. Unfortunately it really does not like the situation and has been virtually defoliated by scab for the second year running, with die-back of the growing tip and no new growth to tie in to form the shape. The infection is much worse than suffered by it's partner grown as a cordon in the back garden, in a much more sheltered and humid space. 

The soil is decidedly less good in this situation, barely better than subsoil, even with extra top soil and compost added. Most of the pears don't seem to mind but variety obviously isn't thriving.

Pear rust

Yet another disease that seems to increase in degree with time. I remove all leaves with orange well before they develop their horny fruiting bodies on the underside of the leaves. According to the RHS it has increased in frequency and severity in recent years, and juniper species also play a part in the disease life-cycle (interesting as the neighbours have a a couple of juniper-like dwarf trees).

RHS information on pear rust

Powdery Mildew - apples

I grafted a single spur of Roter Ananas onto a half-standard of a different variety about 4 years ago to evaluate this variety, but every year it succumbs to powdery mildew just as the fruit sets, just about the only apple cultivar I grow which suffers. The parent variety is completely unaffected.

More on Powder Mildew

Pear Scab

As usual I'm kicking myself for not spraying for scab. Only a couple of pear varieties are usually affected, Conference and Santa Claus. The damage on the former (bottom) is usually just cosmetic, though last year all the Santa Claus were inedibly dry and corky.

more on pear scab

Max Red Bartlett: RIP

My only real pear disaster. I grafted this onto the previous stepover to make a double-tier espalier, but this variety has been consistently unhealthy, with about 30% of spurs showing significant canker-related die-back this year, with the few flower buds failing to develop properly. It did fruit reasonably well early on, but not for a couple of years and the plant is frankly quite unsightly. I have now taken a pruning saw to it and will either probably just let the Red Comice make another tier (if it has the energy!). I have Double de Guerre in mind, though perhaps for a different location.

Bacterial Canker?

Another reason why I'm feeling cavalier about my plum tree. For a number of year it has been oozing gum from a number of lesions, including quite a sizeable area low on the main trunk.

The oozing and dieback of smaller branches do suggest bacterial canker, but I'm not absolutely convinced. I've never had any young growth die back or every seen any spotting on the leaves. Also, the damage first appeared after a particularly cold spring with severe frosts, and new lesions this year also correspond with possible damage from severe frosts.

I can remove small branches, but not the bigger area on the main trunk, so we just have to hope the  tree can live with the problem, as so far it has done. Branches affected are more likely to produce blossom, not something this tree is naturally adept at!