Question
Bradford Pear Tree
My neighbor's pine tree has grown to about 100ft tall and large over the years, so much that it all now hangs over my property and my Bradford Pear tree. The Bradford Pear that I planted 13 years ago started looking spiny around the top last year. This year it looks even worse- like it it dying from the top. we did not have weather that would have damaged it, Is the pine sap killing it, or is the pine tree sucking the life from underground? Will tree spike food and extra water help my poor tree?
AnswerThe pine is not the problem. IF the pine roots were competing with the Bradford the whole crown would be dying back and have small leaves. The average life expectancy of a Bradford pear is about 15 years. While the tree is capable of producing viable foliage for more than 15 years, this is typically how long the tree will last before it begins to fall apart.
There aren抰 any know major insect problems and only two disease that commonly get into Bradford pears: fire blight and bacterial leaf scorch. Fire blight needs to be caught early to prevent significant damage. In fire blight the disease starts at twig ends and progresses back toward the main stem. The dead foliage will be a very dark brown and remain attached to the tree. In bacterial leaf scorch the leaves will turn a light color brown and fall from the tree similarly to normal leaf drop.
I would not use tree spikes since these concentrate the fertilizer and will damage the roots. I would try fertilizing with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good. Apply just before a rain storm and you will not need to water. This will increase the root health and the foliage growth.
