Tree Disease/Pests?

Question: I'm writing for some advice (and hopefully a diagnosis) of what is happening to this tree alongside the house.  It has been losing leaves this summer and seems to have attracted a pest or disease that has holes appearing in the remaining leaves.

My questions are:
1.	   What is causing this to happen?
2.	       What can we do to treat the problem?
3.	       Is it too late to begin trying to treat the problem?
4.	       Should we begin treatment now or wait until Spring?
5.	       Would you recommend some fertilizer stakes to be put in the ground this Fall?
We look forward to hearing from you and whatever assistance and advice you can provide.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied October 03, 2024, 12:50 PM EDT
response: Hi John and Julie, thanks for the question. A little more information would help in determining what is going on with the tree.  Unfortunately, I could not make a positive ID of the tree. If you could give some more info and a well-focused pictures a leaf front and back (preferably ones that show the full leaf outline).  Check the trunk and branches for any abnormalities.  Have you watered the tree regularly?  Have you had a recent soil test If not you can get one here: Home | MSU Soil Test. The tree does look sparce.  The holes are probably not severe enough to affect the trees health, but the leaf loss does indicate some sort of stress. If it is a disease problem, it would be a good idea remove and destroy the dropped leaves that could harbor the pathogen.  Any kind of treatment will most likely wait until spring.  Trees in stress due to extremes in weather (heavy rain, high temperatures) can also show leaf drop.  Many trees in West Michigan have been dropping leaves from the previous high temperatures and lack of rain, you still have time to fertilize but without a soil test it would only be a guess. Turnover on tests is usually pretty fast in the fall.  I look forward to your response.

responder: The Question Asker Replied October 10, 2024, 2:05 PM EDT
response: Thanks for your response and follow-up questions   It's my guess that the tree has not been watered regularly (limited largely to rainfall only).  I didn't see any abnormalities on the trunk or branches.  We have not had a soil test done, but the tree is planted near Lake Michigan and the soil around the house is quite sandy.  I've attached a couple photos of a leaf that I hope is helpful in your identification.   Look forward to hearing from you with any additional suggestions you may have for what we can do yet this season.   Jon & Julie      From: ask=<personal data hidden> on behalf of Ask Extension  Sent: Thursday, October 3, 2024 10:50 AM To: Jon & Julie Bulthuis  Subject: Re: Tree Disease/Pests? (#0156761)    Dear Jon, here's the response to your question: Hi John and Julie, thanks for the question. A little more information would help in determining what is going on with the tree.  Unfortunately, I could not make a positive ID of the tree. If you could give some more info and a well-focused pictures a leaf front and back (preferably ones that show the full leaf outline).  Check the trunk and branches for any abnormalities.  Have you watered the tree regularly?  Have you had a recent soil test If not you can get one here: Home | MSU Soil Test. The tree does look sparce.  The holes are probably not severe enough to affect the trees health, but the leaf loss does indicate some sort of stress. If it is a disease problem, it would be a good idea remove and destroy the dropped leaves that could harbor the pathogen.  Any kind of treatment will most likely wait until spring.  Trees in stress due to extremes in weather (heavy rain, high temperatures) can also show leaf drop.  Many trees in West Michigan have been dropping leaves from the previous high temperatures and lack of rain, you still have time to fertilize but without a soil test it would only be a guess. Turnover on tests is usually pretty fast in the fall.  I look forward to your response.    Need to reply to the expert? Click the link below, or simply reply to this email. Click here to view #0156761  We hope this response has sufficiently answered your questions. If not, please do not send another email. Instead, reply to this email or login to your account for a complete archive of all your support requests and responses.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied October 16, 2024, 8:34 AM EDT
response: Hi Jon and Julie, Thanks for the additional information.  It looks like this could be an ornamental pear; however, it's hard to tell from the pictures but the tree looks like it could be a callery pear.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied October 16, 2024, 10:09 AM EDT
response: Hi Jon and Julie, Sorry, I accidentally closed the question before I was finished.  It looks like this could be an ornamental pear; however, it's hard to tell from the pictures.  It would flower early spring and have small (half inch) fruits. There are multiple pests that could cause the shothole effect in the leaves, but as indicated earlier the holes are most likely not significant to the tree's health.  These trees are susceptible to leaf drop during drought. fertilize in spring based on soil test or use a 10-10-10 is suggested without a test (see link from (Fertilizing Fruit Trees | Extension (unh.edu)), do not over fertilize.  Too much nitrogen can lead to fire blight.  Keep the tree watered until the ground begins to freeze. I hope this is helpful

responder: The Question Asker Replied October 16, 2024, 10:16 AM EDT
response: Thank you - very helpful! Sent from my iPhone  On Oct 16, 2024, at 10:09 AM, Ask Extension wrote:    ﻿