When the leaves on the pear tree have red dots in spring, the mental cinema begins. Is it getting worse, will there be a poor harvest? Has the end of the tree already begun? Don't imagine the worst - we present the facts!
The leaves of the pear tree have red spots, what should I do?
Thepest pear pox miteis responsible for red spots on the pear tree leaves. Any he althy pear tree can survive a mild infestation. If possible, remove infected leaves early. You can combat a severe infestation in March and April with an environmentally friendlypreparation with wetting sulfur
What causes red spots on pear tree leaves?
If pear tree leaves have red dots, the pestpear pox mite(Eriophyes pyri) is behind it. On closer inspection, the dots can be seen asflat pocks, which can be locatedon the top and bottom surfaces. Additional symptoms may occur over the course of the year:
- Drying up leaf pox
- Leaves curl up (along the central axis)
- white petals get reddish spots
- Flowers arch irregularly and wither away
- Fruit set is lower
- Fruits can be small, stunted and inedible
How do I recognize the pear pox mite?
You practically cannot recognize the pear pox mite unless you specifically look for itwith a magnifying glass. It is only about0, 2 mm long, stretched like a worm and has a whitish-green color. An infestation is therefore only discovered when the red dots appear. By the way, in the early stages the dots are light green and are therefore hardly noticeable.
What can I do against a pear pox mite infestation?
You generally do not need to combat a mild pear pox mite infestation. Because if the pear tree is otherwise he althy, it will take it easy. Support younger trees by significantly reducing the infestation pressure by picking off and disposing of infected leaves early. A severe or recurring infestation can be combated in an environmentally friendly and effective way, but the time window for this is very narrow:
- Fight mites in March and April
- when the buds of the pear tree swell
- an approvedpreparation with wet sulphur injecting
- apply three to four times in a row
- every week apart
Can the pear pox mite also spread to other trees?
Alsoapple trees,whiteberriesandhawthorns also show symptoms of an infestation. However, it is currently not clear whether a subspecies of the pear pox mite or a separate species of mite is responsible.
Tip
Take a closer look at spots on pear tree leaves
The pear can also suffer from fungal attack, which can also lead to various spots. For example, the two diseases pear rust (Gymnosporangium fuscum syn. Gymnosporangium sabinae) or pear scab (Venturia pyrina). Therefore, take a close look to make sure you are not dealing with yellow-orange spots or rust spots.
