Help! Cleveland Flowering Pear is Loosing Leaves

[chris1958]

I have a Cleveland Flowering Pear that appears to have a disease. It was doing great, flowered well in the spring and has new growth. Then I started to notice leaves on the ground. I looked in the tree and some of the leaves have brown kind of bumpy spots on them and eventually the leaves dry up and fall off the tree. It is basiclly on the lower branches that it is happening. You can see what I am talking about in the photos. Anybody know what this is and how to treat it?

 

[Raintree]

That's an easy one, leaf spot.

From the; University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Entomosporium leaf spot - Entomosporium mespili; syn. Fabraea maculata

Small reddish leaf spots initially. As spots age, center is grayish with a dark purple border. Leaf spots may coalesce causing severe leaf blight.

Disease Symptoms:
Small reddish leaf spots initially. As spots age, center is grayish with a dark purple border. Leaf spots may coalesce causing severe leaf blight. Severely infected leaves drop prematurely. Over time severely infected plants die. Infection is favored by poor air circulation and prolonged periods of leaf wetness.

Disease Management:
Selectively prune plants to improve air circulation through plant. Increase plant spacing. Avoid wetting foliage. Apply protective fungicide applications when leaves emerge in spring and continue at 10-14 day intervals throughout growing season.