Tag: resources
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Deformed leaves: when aphids are the culprit
A little bit of warmth in the spring air and aphids are round the corner. Some of them feed on the underside of leaves, which causes blistering and/or deforms the leaves, so they curl up. Given as I spent some time in the last few weeks explaining red blistered and curled leaves, this post on…
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When pear shoots go black
After coming out green and fresh, full of life, pear shoots can suddenly turn black and droopy. The sight is quite dramatic but can really signify anything from harmless to “quick, remove that and burn it!”. Below are two of the most frequent reasons, starting with the harmless one. Pear shoot sawfly (Janus compressus) Not…
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Peach leaf curl (Taphrina deformans)
Another plant species that is commonly known to suffer from red, curled up leaves in the spring is peach. The curling up is caused by a fungus, Taphrina deformans. The fungus, which favours cool and wet weather, causes leaves to pucker; the blisters are often red and rather showy, just before the fungus starts producing…
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Pear pests and diseases
One of the joys of horticulture is the continuous learning process you go through while caring for and observing your plants through the seasons, year after year. One of the frustrations is that we seem to know rather less than we think we do about plants and the environment: it is sometimes difficult to be…

