Twisting pear leaves

Twisted pear leaves are a fairly common problem that most gardeners face sooner or later. Often this phenomenon is accompanied by a change in the color of the leaves, the appearance of brown and yellow spots on the leaf plate, and even dropping foliage. The causes of leaf curl in pears are both errors in the care of plantings, and infectious diseases, as well as pests.

Why do pear leaves curl into a tube

At the first signs of twisting of the leaves of a pear, the tree must be carefully examined – timely diagnosis helps to correctly determine the cause of the disease. Depending on what caused the deformation of the leaf plate, they choose how to treat the plantings.

Improper care

In most cases, the cause of leaf curl is gross violations of the agricultural practices of planting and growing pears. Specifically, the most common mistakes include:

• lack or excess of moisture in the soil;
• overfeeding plantings or, conversely, lack of fertilizers;
• improper preparation of the tree for winter, as a result of which the roots of the pear freeze due to low temperatures;
• weakening of the pear by excessive harvest;
• mechanical damage to the tree when caring for it, which can lead to infection of the pear with a fungus.

Contrary to the misconception, an excess of nutrients does not always benefit the planting and harms the pear in the same way as a lack of fertilizer. However, leaf curling is caused primarily by a low concentration of certain microelements in the soil:

1. The lack of calcium leads to the fact that the leaves first turn black, and then twist along the edges, in an upward direction.
2. The lack of a sufficient amount of boron in the soil is fraught with inhibition of the growth of shoots and a slowdown in the metabolic processes of the pear, especially in seedlings, after which the leaves begin to curl.
3. The low content of phosphorus causes pear leaves to shred and subsequently blacken the leaf blade. If the composition of the soil is not corrected in time, the tree will completely shed its foliage. An insufficient amount of phosphorus in the soil is observed when planting in acidic soil and the absence of organic top dressing.
4. A lack of nitrogen is accompanied by a lightening of the color of the foliage and its subsequent fall.
5. Pear leaves can also curl from a lack of potassium in the soil. Then the process is accompanied by blanching of the leaves and twisting of the very tips of the leaf plates down.

Diseases

Pear leaf curl is most often caused by the following diseases:

• furrowed trunk;
• bacterial burn;
• powdery mildew;
• scab.

The furrowing of the trunk affects pears in March-April and manifests itself in the form of large cracks on the tree bark. Through these crevices, various fungal infections penetrate into the core of plants, thereby disrupting the metabolic processes inside. Most often this happens in cloudy, wet weather, when a number of fungi are activated.

At the first stage of the disease, pear leaves curl, as seen in the photo below. Then the infection passes to the fruits, which are covered with dark spots. In the last stages of the disease, the tree looks burned.

Trunk striation virus is usually transmitted during pruning or after pear grafting. Most often, this disease affects young seedlings about 2 years old.

A bacterial burn is expressed in the rapid blackening and twisting of the foliage, however, the leaves do not crumble. In the later stages of the disease, the branches and bark of the pear die off. Most often, a bacterial burn affects plantings during prolonged rains. The infection spreads very quickly. Pear cultivars that are not immune to this disease eventually die. Fire blight-resistant varieties recover in 2-3 years.

Powdery mildew overcomes pear plantings in cool years with high humidity. The peak of outbreaks of this disease occurs in early spring, especially if there is thickening of trees in the garden. It is at this time that it is recommended to carefully inspect pear leaves for possible infections.

The first sign of powdery mildew is the appearance of a whitish coating on the leaves. At the next stage of the disease, the leaf plate of the pear begins to turn yellow and dry out. Eventually the leaves will curl up and fall off.

Scab is a fungus whose spores are dispersed over long distances by the wind. In windy rainy weather, the disease spreads very quickly.

The first sign of scab is the appearance of a brownish coating on the pear leaf plates. Soon after, fruit cracking and leaf curling begin.

vermin

Typical pear pests that cause leaf curl include the following insects:

• aphid;
• pear itch;
• pear gall midge;
• pear tube turner;
• leaflet.

What to do if the leaves of a young pear curl

When young leaves begin to curl in a pear, the most important thing is to correctly determine the cause of this phenomenon. Depending on this, a further plan of action is determined.

Agrotechnical events

Leaf curl in a pear is often accompanied by a number of additional phenomena: the appearance of spots of different colors, plaque, the death of shoots, etc. These side effects help determine what nutrients the plantings need, after which the composition of the soil in the near-stem circle can be corrected:

1. nitrogen deficiency in the soil is replenished by enriching the soil with ammonium nitrate. To do this, 20 g of the substance is dissolved in a bucket of water and the solution is poured under the root, preferably in the evening, when the evaporation of moisture is lower. Instead of saltpeter, you can use a weak solution of urea, which is used to process pear leaves.
2. Lack of phosphorus correct by adding a small amount of superphosphate to the ground in combination with organic fertilizer. 15 g of the substance is mixed with 10 kg of manure.
3. Potassium deficiency correct by loosening the near-stem circle and then fertilizing the pear with wood ash or potassium sulfate.
4. If the tree lacks calcium, then it is fed by adding lime to the soil. To do this, the trunk circle is loosened and the soil is fertilized with 100 g of the substance. Before that, 2-3 buckets of water are poured under the pear. After 2-4 days of planting, they are fed with potassium sulfate, after which the trunk circle is mulched with humus.

The leaves on the pear are also twisted due to the drying of the soil. With insufficient soil moisture, top dressing is not absorbed by the roots of the plant, as a result of which the metabolic processes of trees are disturbed. In this case, it is not recommended to flood the plantings, since the high moisture content in the soil can provoke root rotting. For better retention of water in the soil after rains and irrigation, it is recommended to mulch the area around the trunk circle. For this you can use:

• peat;
• weed grass;
• torn paper;
• wood bark or sawdust.

Chemicals

From leaf curl, pears affected by a fungus or virus are treated with the following chemicals:

1. If the cause of twisting is a bacterial burn, then the trees are disinfected with antibiotics. Enough 2 tablets per 1 liter of water. The solution is sprayed with pear shoots and leaves. All diseased shoots are cut out with the capture of a healthy area, while the cutting tool is then thrown away.
2. Another remedy for a bacterial burn is a Bordeaux mixture, which is treated with plantings 2-3 times during the growing season.
3. Against powdery mildew, fungicides are effectively used according to the instructions. In Our Country, the Topaz chemical preparation is quite popular. It is impossible to delay the treatment of powdery mildew, otherwise the tree will die.
4. From scab, pears are sprayed with biofungicidal preparations, for example, Fitosporin-M or Bordeaux liquid. If these funds do not have the desired effect, the trees are treated with fungicides. To do this, you can use the preparations “Skor” and “Fitolavin”.
5. A mixture of potassium nitrate (15 g), potassium sulfate (15 g) and ammonium nitrate (10 g) has proven itself well in the fight against scab. The resulting mixture is sprayed with a pear from a spray bottle.

Sometimes pear leaf curl is caused by pest activity. In this case, plantings are treated with insecticides or special chemical solutions.

It is recommended to use the following remedies against pear gall midge:

• “Chlorophos”;
• “Antiochus”;
• “Zolon”;
• “Nexion”;
• “Dursban”.

Trees affected by aphids are treated with the following preparations:

• “Metaphos”;
• “Antio”;
• “Vofatoks”;
• “Decis”;
• “Trichlorol-5”.

Against the leaflet, it is better to use not potent insecticides, but biological compounds, such as Lepidocid and Bitoxibacillin. Enzymes “Akarin” and “Fitoverm” are also suitable.

There are also a number of universal preparations that cope with most pear pests:

1. Kinmix. The drug is used in March or April, before the buds open. Dosage: 2,5 ml diluted with 1 liter of water. The resulting mixture is diluted again in 10 liters of water and the plantings are sprayed.
2. “Agravertin”. This tool is suitable for processing trees before flowering. Proportions of the solution: 5 ml of the substance per 1,5 liters of water. The mixture is diluted again with 10 liters of water.
3. “Spark”. Enough 1 tablet per 10 liters of water. This is a mild drug, so it can be used both before flowering and during the formation of ovaries and fruiting.

All of these chemical treatments have an intense effect on trees. Their use must be carried out in accordance with a number of rules, otherwise you can cause serious harm to plants:

1. Insecticides and fungicides are used only according to the instructions.
2. Chemical treatment is carried out only at temperatures from +16°C to +25°C.
3. The last pear spraying is carried out no later than 25 days before harvest.
4. It is better not to delay treatment. In the early stages, curing plantings is much easier.

It is recommended to first fight the disease with folk methods and agrotechnical measures, and only then resort to treatments with fungicides and insecticides.

Folk methods

Folk methods for dealing with twisted pear leaves include the use of the following measures:

1. A good prevention of the fungus is the treatment of trees with a solution of soda ash and liquid soap. Solution proportions: 50 g of soda and 10 g of soap per 10 liters of water.
2. An alcohol solution also effectively copes with fungal infections. To do this, water and alcohol are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1.
3. A copper-soap solution can help even in the later stages of the development of a fungal disease. To do this, 150 g of grated soap is mixed with 5 g of copper sulfate and poured into 10 liters of water. The mixture is thoroughly stirred and sprayed with it not only on a sick pear, but also on neighboring trees.
4. Against aphids, plantings are sprayed with a solution of celandine. Prepare it like this: 5 branches of celandine are finely chopped and poured with boiling water. 1 bucket is enough. The resulting mixture is infused for 5 days. Then 200 g of the solution is mixed with 10 liters of water.
5. Since ants are carriers of aphids, pears protect against them with the help of adhesive belts. They can be replaced with cheaper fly tapes. They also come across leafworm larvae, earwigs and cap moths, which provoke twisting of pear leaves.

preventive measures

Pear treatment can drag on for a whole season and there is no guarantee that the process will be successful. That is why it is recommended to regularly carry out preventive treatments of plantings and other preventive measures so that pear leaves do not curl into a tube:

1. In March-April, the trees are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid. It is prepared as follows: 8 g of copper sulfate is diluted in 100 liters of water. Then another 100 g of quicklime is added to the resulting mixture. Properly prepared solution has a bright blue color. Sometimes a dark sediment falls to the bottom.
2. The appearance of leafworms and some other pests is prevented with the help of spring whitewashing of pear trunks.
3. You can reduce the likelihood of a fungus infection by timely cleaning of fallen leaves.
4. To protect against pests, hunting belts or traps with bait are installed.
5. Sanitary pruning of the pear crown is necessary for the prevention of scab.

In addition, it is necessary to monitor the level of soil moisture and the fertilizing schedule. It is also important to properly cover the trees for the winter.

Conclusion

Twisted pear leaves are a common phenomenon, but in most cases it can be remedied if the disease is not started. Moreover, a number of infection and fungus resistant pear varieties tolerate leaf curl without much harm to development. The risk of disease is significantly reduced if plantings are periodically treated as a prophylaxis against fungus and pests. It is also important to monitor the composition of the soil and the condition of the topsoil – it should not dry out.

You can learn more about diseases of pears and other fruit trees from the video below: