pear tree issue

I'm hoping to get some help with my pear trees.

It's still early in the season so these aren't as "sick" looking as they will get (based on past years' experience).  I'm attaching pics of the pears which are developing black spots now and then will develop cracks as they grow.  They still taste good overall.  Pics of bark now - I have noticed more wispy moss on them in the past and that may still develop.  Is the tree diseased or is a soil issue or?  Is it salvageable?  

They were my dad's before so not mine to interfere but since they are now in my care, I want to fix this if I can.

Is it an Asian pear?

I really don't know what kind of pear they are.  They are more shaped like traditional pears than the Asian pears I have seen in the store but when I do a google image search for Asian pears, there are some that look like them.

Looks like the fungus caused by Fabraea maculata. You may try a neem oil holistic spray.

Too much moss growing on the trunk indicates high relative moisture, may be you need to prune the middle of the tree for a better air circulation.

Some apples and pears are simply prone to black spot, through a combination of genetics and climate. Conventional growers spray nasty fungicides to combat it, or give up and rip out the trees and replace them with something more resistant.

We've got some apples (esp Gala) that get hit with this and in wetter summers some of the pears get it as well. I try to keep the trees pruned to an open basket or vase shape to improve airflow, but I don't know if that really helps. I have also tried spraying with a horsetail infusion and with a solution of potassium bicarbonate. Both of these seemed to help and neither has any bad side effects that I can see. Might be worth trying them if you have access to them.

Thank you!  I will try those things - starting with the pruning which has been sadly neglected - and see how it goes.

I thought rather than starting a new thread, I'd resurrect this one. I've seriously pruned my pear trees (even more than planned to tidy bear damage last year) and they are both doing better.

However I'm still getting some pears that look like this. Anyone know what's wrong with them?

I now believe they are bartlett.

It looks like what happens sometimes if we get heavy rains usually a little before the fruit ripens. The fruit swells so quickly from the abundant water that they crack open.

I've noticed that it seems to happen in areas with poorer soils that dry out and then suddenly get huge amounts of water. I had some fruit do this in an area like that this year. In my areas with healthier soils that have lots of organic matter, that help keep a consistent moderate amount of water, I haven't seen it happen.

Not sure if pears can be susceptible to scab but we have a few apple trees that suffer from scab and have some fruit that looks just like this. We've been able to manage with foliar sprays of nettle, burdock and fish emulsion.

Russell Apotheker wrote:Not sure if pears can be susceptible to scab but we have a few apple trees that suffer from scab and have some fruit that looks just like this. We've been able to manage with foliar sprays of nettle, burdock and fish emulsion.

Thanks, Russell. Do you make your own? Can you provide more details about how/when you apply?

Thanks, Steve. Your theory is definitely possible since we got a ton of rain at a weird time and the soil in that area needs some work. The tree that was most affected is also in more of a bowl than the other.

Hi Sonja, hopefully your tree is doing better. The cracked fruits are likely resulting from boron deficiency. Boron is part of the cell wall structure and plays important role in transportation of sugar. Thus it's required for proper fruit development. Boric acid is small and uncharged, making it easy to leach down the soil. What Steve observed is matching with this property of boron: when soil is dry there is little boron to be absorbed through mass flow; when there is a downpour, it gets washed away.  Keeping a constant supply through organic matters and soil moisture helps. Yet there are times the supply can't match up with demand during critical stages of fruit development and you can give the tree a boost. Area with sandy soil and wet climate is especially prone to boron deficiency. It's easy to fix and there are established practices of how to manage boron online if you are interested.