Cleveland Pear Tree - Leaves look like fall

[Avenger]

Hello everyone! Our cleaveland pear tree has struggled all year so far. The winter was pretty dry this past year, and the spring was pretty much record breaking rain. The leaves came out about as usual, but only grew to about 2/3 their normal size at best, and aren't as green as they usually would be. And, for about a month now, they've been turning fall colors. I guess it's not making chlorophyll, so the leaves look red like they would in October. But, it's June! The tree is probably original to our house, so it would be around 20 years old.

Is this a sign we're going to lose this tree? It's the only large mature tree we have on the property, so I would hate to lose it. Our local greenhouse said it's stressed, but they weren't sure it would kill it. I would really appreciate the thoughts from you fine arborists here.

Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it!

 

[ATH]

The first thing I am looking at is the root flare. It is buried - at least in mulch. Wouldn't be surprised if it is below grade. That is a good recipe for stem girdling roots - especially on pear (and maple, linden...anything really, but those are the 3 worst i see).

What is that dark spot at the bottom right of the trunk?

If all looks good once you excavate that, I'd consider a soil and foliar tissue nutrient analysis. Perhaps you State Extension service helps with these. If not, you can use a private lab. I suggest this because I don't see anything jumping out saying there is a pest or pathogen attacking the leaves, so it may well be a nutrient deficiency....which would be the case with a girdle trunk as well - just a different cause (on a girdled tree, the nutrients aren't getting from the soil to the tree while in a deficient soil, they nutrients just aren't there to be gotten).

 

[Del_]

This tree is an invasive, so best to get it removed.

 

[Avenger]

Thanks AHT! I'll have a look for roots that appear to be circling the tree. I installed the mulch bed about 8 years ago or so (the tree was mature then too), and don't recall seeing anything then. I just put a border down and started laying mulch only around the tree for decoration. I suppose as that breaks down it leaves behind some soil material. But, every year when the mulch breaks down, I can see the tree roots that poke above ground, and always did even before I laid the mulch. The tree has been fine every year we've been here except this year.

Would it harm the tree to go ahead and give it some tree fertilizer spikes? We've never done that, and our soil is very much a red clay around here.

I think the dark spot is just shadow. There is an area of bark near that spot, about the size of a small peach, where the bark has come away loose from the tree and a dark brown dirty powder was under that. I can pull away the loose bark in that spot. Other than that, the trunk looks normal, no sap or holes that I can see.

 

[Avenger]

This tree is an invasive, so best to get it removed.

Well, if that's true there are many others just like it in yards all around me. This neighborhood was originally built using bradford and cleaveland pears for front yard ornamental trees. We lost a good number of bradford pears in an ice storm a few years back, but many, many pears like ours still grow here. If this one dies, we'll likely go with a different tree. But, like I said, it's the only mature tree we've got sadly.

 

[ATH]

.....
Would it harm the tree to go ahead and give it some tree fertilizer spikes? We've never done that, and our soil is very much a red clay around here.
.....

I don't know if it will do any good because I don't know if there are deficiencies in your soil. If you address, for example N and K with fertilizer, but the problem is low P, they you have done no good...and maybe more harm. Generally, you aren't going to put enough spikes in the ground to make a difference on a tree that size. It would need at least several dozen.

 

[ATH]

Well, if that's true there are many others just like it in yards all around me. This neighborhood was originally built using bradford and cleaveland pears for front yard ornamental trees. We lost a good number of bradford pears in an ice storm a few years back, but many, many pears like ours still grow here. If this one dies, we'll likely go with a different tree. But, like I said, it's the only mature tree we've got sadly.

It is true that the callery pear are invasive. However, I agree, removing your one tree isn't going to impact the bigger landscape level picture. I don't plan pear trees. Their invasiveness is just one reason on a list of reasons why. However, in a situation like you have I tend to agree with your line of thinking: keep what you have and replace with another species when it is time.

 

[Del_]

It is time.

 

[Avenger]

I got time to remove the mulch around the tree. I found nothing growing up into my mulch. I laid black landscape fabric down when I did that years ago, and it's still there. I pulled up the fabric around the tree, and used a garden hoe to remove some of the dirt underneath the fabric, and I have found a number of roots growing in a circle around the trunk. I think this is the problem. I'm going to have to do some research to see how I fix this. It still has some green leaves, and all but the very ends of some branches are alive. Hopefully it's not too late, and hopefully I can get enough of these roots.

 

[ATH]

Post some pics...we can probably help figure out which roots to cut. The hard part is excavating enough to see what is going on. A hose with a "jet stream" nozzle is probably the average homeowner's best bet...but it makes a muddy mess. I use an AirKnife hooked to a 185CFM compressor... It is a mess, but not a muddy mess!

 

[Avenger]

The first root is the smaller one, only about an inch and a half to two inches thick. This was the first one I hit. The next one is quite large. I remember this root poking up above ground when we moved in years ago. I didn't think anything of it, but it is growing around the trunk. I've remove the top layer of dirt around the tree, but who knows if there are more problems I'm not seeing. It rained this morning, making this a lot easier than it would have been at least.

 

[ATH]

Those are not bad. A girdling root is one that is putting direct pressure on the trunk of the tree. They look more like this:


or


When you cut them off, you can see the indentation in the trunk...looking like this:

 

[ATH]

That smaller one on your tree is probably more of a result of the landscape fabric than planting problems. It is on the outside of the root flare...it will probably graft into that root flare tissue. Roots will graft to other roots (there is no such thing as a "root girdling root"), but they will not graft to the trunk...

 

[Avenger]

Excavated a little more, and sprayed things down with water. Most of the problem is on the north side of the tree. The south side looks pretty good, unless it has issues deeper.

This is a closer shot of the large root. It kind starts as a really crooked stub, makes a big knot that sticks above ground, and then takes off around the tree.

 

[Avenger]

Hmmm. Okay. Do you think I've excavated enough to have revealed any girdled roots then? I wonder what the problem is with this tree. I was pretty sure it had to be girdled roots the way that sounded.

The tree has continued to turn fall colors, with far more red and brown leaves than green now. The leaves that turn red, are drying out and turning brown on the branch, and then falling slowly. Maybe it's just dying of old age, or just its time. Is it possible it will just look ugly this year and bounce back next?

 

[ATH]

IF there is a girdling root, it is here:


But, I'm not convinced that is the problem. I suspected that at first, just because it is so common. You did a good job getting a look down there, I think we can rule that out.

 

[Avenger]

No girdling root in the area marked in red. Right up against the trunk, it's clear all the way around.

Do trees ever have bad years like this and come back the next spring? I've grown a lot of plants over the years, and it seems like once they start to go downhill, they typically die.

 

[jefflovstrom]

I will say that maybe the stress on the tree helped contribute to blight, they get blight even when not stressed, so maybe prune out the blight and fix your root issue's and go from there. Once you cut it down you can not put it back up.
Jeff

 

[Jason Douglas]

Looks like some bark cracking and start of bleeding canker in one pic. Phytophthora gone systemic? Quite possibly...combined with stress of SGRs may have brought in flatheaded apple tree borer and maybe a touch of fireblight while were at it?

Good luck!

 

[Avenger]

Looks like some bark cracking and start of bleeding canker in one pic. Phytophthora gone systemic? Quite possibly...combined with stress of SGRs may have brought in flatheaded apple tree borer and maybe a touch of fireblight while were at it?

Good luck!

Again everyone, thank you so much for trying to help me figure out what's going on. I appreciate your replies and you sharing your experience.

There certainly are some parallels in the description I found on this condition, and crown rot. The prognosis doesn't sound good if this is the problem. I guess the good news right now is that I already removed the soil down to the main root system when looking for girdling roots, which I read was advisable to dry out the base of the tree. This could make sense given that this past spring was record rainfall for our area. I don't see hardly any sign of insects though. There is one BB sized hole in the tree about 2 feet up the trunk, and I couldn't see any other holes or signs.

Close up of one of the now exposed top roots, that got a nick from the hoe.

Here's another part of the trunk where I was able to pick away a small piece of bark just below the soil level and scrape with my fingernail to reveal under the bark.

Is this the wound you were talking about?

And one of life trying to find a way: