Newly Planted Tree Leaves Turning Black

KylePa

5 year old buck +
Hey guys new member here after being a lurker for some time. I am currently working on improving the habitat around my house in SE PA and hope in the near future to start some improvements on family property in NE Pa. I just picked up a few Keiffer Pears on sale at HD for 9 bucks a piece. I planted them this week and one of them the leaves are turning black on it and look slightly wilted. I provided adequate watering during planting and have them fenced and caged. I was assuming that it was some sort of transplanting shock, but didn't know if you had any suggestions or remedies. The tree itself is probably 7' tall when I put it in the ground. I
 
A picture would be helpful. More than likely you are correct it could be transplant shock or just environmental shock from being in more wind and sun now than it was previously. Keep it damp but dont over water it either.
 
I'll post up a picture tonight when I get home. I have put in bare root trees from Cummins and Stark Brothers but these are the first that were leafed out. It probably didn't help that their first day in the ground it was 90 degrees outside.
 
Welcome Kyle !! Where in S.E. Pa. are you ??

Sounds like transplant or environmental shock on the pear. Watch it and see if it starts to push any new leaves. If it continues to dwindle down and stay brown or black - it may be toast. I'd give it some time.
 
Bowsnbucks: I am in Montgomery Country near Schwenksville/Limerick. I'll take a look at it tonight when I get home and snap some pictures. The nice part of planting trees at the house is that I can baby them. This year I planted:

2 Chinese Chestnuts from Stark Brothers
1 Standard IDA Red from Stark Brothers
1 Flemish Beauty Pear from Cummins
1 Semi Dwarf Liberty from Stark Brothers
1 Semi Dwarf MacFree from Stark Brothers

And then these two Keifer Pears I picked up from Home Depot on sale. Looking to get some additional Pear Trees for next year but I can see that I am going to run out of room in a hurry.
 
I'm about 1/2 hr. west of you. I worked at the Limerick Generating Station when it was built. Pretty familiar with the Game Farm Rd. area going toward Schwenksville. I used to shoot at the Limerick Bowmen's course every week.

Are you growing for wildlife or mainly for eating ??
 
A little bit of both, I am lucky enough to be able to bowhunt behind my house. I am about 3/4 minutes off of Game Farm Road, not farm from the State Game Lands.
 
Sorry for delay here is picture
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I will stick with the environmental stress diagnosis.
 
It's a pretty purple color though. Lol. Sorry not funny
 
I watered it last night and it hasn't really changed much. The leaves that are black or 1/2 black/purplish are still there and there hasn't been any new growth. I am guessing I won't see any significant change until next year if it makes it?
 
I watered it last night and it hasn't really changed much. The leaves that are black or 1/2 black/purplish are still there and there hasn't been any new growth. I am guessing I won't see any significant change until next year if it makes it?
Its likely working on establishing some roots. I see growth spurts on all my nursery trees it isnt a non stop growth thing. I have read that oak trees go through a 2 phase growth cycle (active root growth, followed by a vegetative push ....... repeat the process) I assume that most trees have a similar growth cycle.
 
Same thing happened to my Kiefer pears a couple years ago. I bought 6 on clearance and did not have aNY protective covering to haul them in. I put them in back of my truck and hauled them only 15 to 20 minute home. Would you believe that by the time I got them home that half the leaves were already black. I thought they would all die. I put them in shady area and piled up straw around the base of trees and pots and kept them watered. Within a short time.....maybe few weeks that all leaves were green again and I waited till October to plant them after plenty moisture back in the ground. All of them lived and doing good.
I thought every one was going to die.
 
This is a late response, but it looks like it might be fire blight to me.
 
Hey guys new member here after being a lurker for some time. I am currently working on improving the habitat around my house in SE PA and hope in the near future to start some improvements on family property in NE Pa. I just picked up a few Keiffer Pears on sale at HD for 9 bucks a piece. I planted them this week and one of them the leaves are turning black on it and look slightly wilted. I provided adequate watering during planting and have them fenced and caged. I was assuming that it was some sort of transplanting shock, but didn't know if you had any suggestions or remedies. The tree itself is probably 7' tall when I put it in the ground. I

There is a reason they were on sale for $9. This is a tough time for planting anything other than trees grown in root pruning containers. It is a lot of stress on a tree. Stress can also make it more susceptible to disease. When you buy and plant trees on sale at this time of year, you are rolling the dice. That doesn't make it a bad decision, just know you are pushing the boulder up hill a bit. Some will do just fine. I hope they work out for you!

Thanks,

Jack
 
looks like fire blight
 
Just an update all the leaves fell off the tree, and it started pushing out new growth immediately. The tree looks much better and has made a ton of progress.
 
I had a bunch of pears get a lot of brown leaves and fall off. Now growing better and not fb for sure. Maybe it was the dry conditions
 
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