Fruit tree advice?

[Moonraker]

Are there any horticulturists/arborists out there by any chance? I'm wondering what to do about a sickly tree;

Three years ago I planted 8 different fruit tree saplings, 7 have fruited to a greater or lesser extent for the first time this year (a single solitary Mirabelle!), but the Williams Bon Chretien pear tree is looking very sorry for itself, not much growth, virtually no blossom this spring and only sparse weedy foliage:

Already last year it wasn't too happy but I thought I'd give it another season to see if it sorted itself out. The Beth pear tree I planted at the same time has gone great guns and had a really good crop of succulent pears (but not enough to make Perry - yet) so it's not the soil or growing conditions. The trunk and branches have a greenish deposit on them and the leaves are spotty and blackened - fungus infestation? (my roses and other apple trees have had problems with black spot and apple scab this year)

I'm thinking it's had it and I may have to dig it out and plant something else, what fruit tree is fast growing/heavy cropping and good for wine making?

 

[simon12]

Not much of an expert here and no idea specifically of this trees problem but if you want a replacement that will produce alot of fruit in a few years anything on a dwarf root stock, it will only grow to about the size of the tree you pictured but they fruit like mad in 2-3 years. Also try to stop grass (and anything else from growing within a meter of it).

 

[Clint]

I'd give it a good mulch with some compost or rotted manure and see how it fares in the spring. It's been hot and that may have affected it. Also see if there's any broken or damaged bits,if so nip them off.

 

[Gerryjo]

Not much of an expert here and no idea specifically of this trees problem but if you want a replacement that will produce alot of fruit in a few years anything on a dwarf root stock, it will only grow to about the size of the tree you pictured but they fruit like mad in 2-3 years. Also try to stop grass (and anything else from growing within a meter of it).

That may explain why mine seldom has apples as there is grass all year round it.Maybe a bit of digging in the spring to sort that out.

 

[foxy]

Are there any horticulturists/arborists out there by any chance? I'm wondering what to do about a sickly tree;

Three years ago I planted 8 different fruit tree saplings, 7 have fruited to a greater or lesser extent for the first time this year (a single solitary Mirabelle!), but the Williams Bon Chretien pear tree is looking very sorry for itself, not much growth, virtually no blossom this spring and only sparse weedy foliage:
View attachment 32018
Already last year it wasn't too happy but I thought I'd give it another season to see if it sorted itself out. The Beth pear tree I planted at the same time has gone great guns and had a really good crop of succulent pears (but not enough to make Perry - yet) so it's not the soil or growing conditions. The trunk and branches have a greenish deposit on them and the leaves are spotty and blackened - fungus infestation? (my roses and other apple trees have had problems with black spot and apple scab this year)

I'm thinking it's had it and I may have to dig it out and plant something else, what fruit tree is fast growing/heavy cropping and good for wine making?

I give my apple and pear trees a spray one mid winter and one just as they start to bud sounds like you have black spot which is common. The spray will sort them out use one called Bluestone which is copper sulphate base and another sulpher spray you will have to look up what they are called in the UK, I also use the same spray for leaf curl on nectarine, peach and apricot.
Give them a feed around the drip line in spring.

 

[Moonraker]

Thanks to everyone for the advice, I've been doing a bit of research and my plan for alll the trees is:

- clear grass from around the trunks @simon12
- give a mulch of rotted horse manure @Clint
- spray anti-fungal @foxy what you are describing came up as "Bordeaux mixture" on google; a mix of copper sulphate and hydrated lime, seems to be a common treatment for all kinds of fungus on varying crops, to be applied just after leaf fall and just before budding.

But closer inspection of the pear tree shows damage to the base of the trunk I hadn't noticed before:

Ouch! Closer inspection of next year's buds also shows them to be affected by the fungus, I'll try the spray on it, but I won't be suprised if it doesn't bounce back next Spring.