Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard

Question: I noticed spots on my pear tree leaves and a lot of the pear fruit was aborted this year. I’m not sure if it is pear scab or pear rust? Or are they the same? How can I treat this? I also have a plum and peach tree in the area, are they at […]

Question: I have 24 high bush blueberry bushes purchased about 20 yrs. ago (from a reputable garden store). This is the first year their production is considerably lower than in all past years. Should I be concerned that these plants are near the end of their productive years? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional […]

Question: My Granny Smith Apple tree has been losing leaves leaving the bottom half of the tree leafless. The leaves have brown spots on them and I can see them dropping off when a squirrel jumps on a branch or a breeze blows through. It has been many years without getting pruned, but has born […]

Question:  I have had a peach tree for six or seven years. This year we seem to have a bumper crop of peaches growing on our tree. However, the majority of them have some grayish spots on the surface which seems to be only on one side of the peach. I have attached three pictures. […]

Question: We have two apple trees that seem unhappy. They are five years old and this is the first time we’ve seen this issue. What is wrong with them? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional There are potentially a couple of things going on here. The circular spots on the leaves in your first […]

Question: What do you recommend to treat brown rot on peaches? All of our seven-year-old tree’s fruit has fallen to the ground, half rotten, or rotted when picked to ripen indoors. In late June, many green fruits had tiny extrusions that looked like airplane glue–clear–as well as early signs of rot. Could this have anything […]

Question: I have a pear tree in my yard that I keep meaning to treat for fungus. Its branches hang over blueberry bushes and an herb garden. This always makes me hesitant, wondering whether treating the pear tree will hurt the other plants. What advice do you have about that? I assume that I missed […]