I am in the process of establishing a mixed orchard. The area is warm
temperate, 33 degrees south, elevation 130 ft (40m) with about 44in (1100mm)
average annual rainfall, that tends to fall in heavy eratic bursts. The
soil is clay silt and quite fertile on a gentle slope. Each tree has been
planted in full sun, in a dug over plot about 1.5 m (5ft) wide with added
compost and gypsum and mounded up to improve drainage. The basic soil pH is
about 5.5 amended to about 6.5 with garden lime except for the acid-lovers.
My understanding is that the loquat prefers acid conditions so it got no
lime.

The trees were planted about 3 months ago and while the middle of a hot
summer (30 to 40 C, 90 to 100 F) is not the ideal time to plant that is when
we got some good rain and around here you have to take such chances. All
trees were well watered in and have been deep watered regularly when it
didn't rain. Nearly all trees (citrus, stone fruits, pomes, mulberry,
feijoa, fig etc) are doing well, some spectacularly so.

The exception is the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) which was quite healthy in
its pot before planting and seemed to establish properly. However it has
not put on any new growth, then about six weeks ago its leaves slowly turned
brown and crunchy while still attached and now it is dead. It looks like it
wasn't watered at all which is not the case, nor has it been waterlogged. I
suspect that it has had root problems (some sort of wilt?) but I am not
aware of any such conditions that the loquat is likely to get.

What killed it?

David

Loquats are susceptible to fire blight. I believe many rose related
fruit trees are too. It is bacterial in nature and can be spread with
pruners.( clean with alcohol)
Do a web search for fire blight. I think they treat it with copper.
take care
Mike
Oakland
sunset 17

David Hare-Scott wrote:

I am in the process of establishing a mixed orchard. The area is warm
temperate, 33 degrees south, elevation 130 ft (40m) with about 44in (1100mm)
average annual rainfall, that tends to fall in heavy eratic bursts. The
soil is clay silt and quite fertile on a gentle slope. Each tree has been
planted in full sun, in a dug over plot about 1.5 m (5ft) wide with added
compost and gypsum and mounded up to improve drainage. The basic soil pH is
about 5.5 amended to about 6.5 with garden lime except for the acid-lovers.
My understanding is that the loquat prefers acid conditions so it got no
lime.

The trees were planted about 3 months ago and while the middle of a hot
summer (30 to 40 C, 90 to 100 F) is not the ideal time to plant that is when
we got some good rain and around here you have to take such chances. All
trees were well watered in and have been deep watered regularly when it
didn't rain. Nearly all trees (citrus, stone fruits, pomes, mulberry,
feijoa, fig etc) are doing well, some spectacularly so.

The exception is the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) which was quite healthy in
its pot before planting and seemed to establish properly. However it has
not put on any new growth, then about six weeks ago its leaves slowly turned
brown and crunchy while still attached and now it is dead. It looks like it
wasn't watered at all which is not the case, nor has it been waterlogged. I
suspect that it has had root problems (some sort of wilt?) but I am not
aware of any such conditions that the loquat is likely to get.

What killed it?

David

"mike bush" wrote in message
...
Loquats are susceptible to fire blight. I believe many rose related
fruit trees are too. It is bacterial in nature and can be spread with
pruners.( clean with alcohol)
Do a web search for fire blight. I think they treat it with copper.
take care
Mike
Oakland
sunset 17


Thanks for information, from what I have read the signs do look like fire
blight.

My searching suggests that disease has not been found in Australia (except I
think for a very isolated outbreak in 1997 that was controlled). Most of
the hits I got go on about the risk of it entering the country and the
disputes about the severity of quarantine regulations that are designed to
keep the bacterium out.

Australia is thankfully free of many plant and animal diseases and for this
reason people get VERY touchy about the subject. I think if there had been
any recent reports of it in Oz there would have been huge headlines - which
are not evident.

Do you have any other thoughts as to what it might be?

David

My condolences. I grew up in a former botanical garden (Mandeville Cyn., Santa
Monica) and those loquats were sooooooo delicious.
zemedelec

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message ...
"mike bush" wrote in message
...
Loquats are susceptible to fire blight. I believe many rose related
fruit trees are too. It is bacterial in nature and can be spread with
pruners.( clean with alcohol)
Do a web search for fire blight. I think they treat it with copper.
take care
Mike
Oakland
sunset 17


Thanks for information, from what I have read the signs do look like fire
blight.

My searching suggests that disease has not been found in Australia (except I
think for a very isolated outbreak in 1997 that was controlled). Most of
the hits I got go on about the risk of it entering the country and the
disputes about the severity of quarantine regulations that are designed to
keep the bacterium out.

Australia is thankfully free of many plant and animal diseases and for this
reason people get VERY touchy about the subject. I think if there had been
any recent reports of it in Oz there would have been huge headlines - which
are not evident.

Do you have any other thoughts as to what it might be?

David

Try hort.perdue.edu for a lot of info on loquat culture
including descriptions of several other fungal and bacterial diseases
which attack loquats.

None of them, however, seems to be a good match for the symptoms
you've described, and, in general, loquats aren't much troubled by
pests or diseases.
Scale is the most serious pest.

Nematodes can attack the roots of loquats and cause sudden wilting.
Their presence is revealed by galls on the roots.


Hope you find out something soon.


J. Del Col

"J. Del Col" wrote [in part]:

Try hort.perdue.edu for a lot of info on loquat culture
including descriptions of several other fungal and bacterial diseases
which attack loquats.

hort.perdue.edu is not a valid domain.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

I use Mozilla as my Web browser because I want a browser that
complies with Web standards. See http://www.mozilla.org/.

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message ...
I am in the process of establishing a mixed orchard. The area is warm
temperate, 33 degrees south, elevation 130 ft (40m) with about 44in (1100mm)
average annual rainfall, that tends to fall in heavy eratic bursts. The
soil is clay silt and quite fertile on a gentle slope. Each tree has been
planted in full sun, in a dug over plot about 1.5 m (5ft) wide with added
compost and gypsum and mounded up to improve drainage. The basic soil pH is
about 5.5 amended to about 6.5 with garden lime except for the acid-lovers.
My understanding is that the loquat prefers acid conditions so it got no
lime.

The trees were planted about 3 months ago and while the middle of a hot
summer (30 to 40 C, 90 to 100 F) is not the ideal time to plant that is when
we got some good rain and around here you have to take such chances. All
trees were well watered in and have been deep watered regularly when it
didn't rain. Nearly all trees (citrus, stone fruits, pomes, mulberry,
feijoa, fig etc) are doing well, some spectacularly so.

The exception is the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) which was quite healthy in
its pot before planting and seemed to establish properly. However it has
not put on any new growth, then about six weeks ago its leaves slowly turned
brown and crunchy while still attached and now it is dead. It looks like it
wasn't watered at all which is not the case, nor has it been waterlogged. I
suspect that it has had root problems (some sort of wilt?) but I am not
aware of any such conditions that the loquat is likely to get.


As the other responder said, it sounds like fire blight.

The bacterium is spread by insects and rain splash. Control of insects
presents problems because bees can spread fire blight too.

Treatment is preventive and includes the use of streptomycin and
copper hydroxide or copper sulfate. Once a plant is seriously
infected, it should be destroyed; there is no cure.

Look up "fire blight" on Google or some other search engine for more
specifics.

Fire blight is a -big- problem for many varieties of pears, but can
also attack apple trees and, as you found out, loquats.

J. Del Col

"David Hare-Scott" in
:




Thanks for information, from what I have read the signs do look like
fire blight.

My searching suggests that disease has not been found in Australia
(except I think for a very isolated outbreak in 1997 that was
controlled). Most of the hits I got go on about the risk of it
entering the country and the disputes about the severity of quarantine
regulations that are designed to keep the bacterium out.

Australia is thankfully free of many plant and animal diseases and for
this reason people get VERY touchy about the subject. I think if
there had been any recent reports of it in Oz there would have been
huge headlines - which are not evident.

Do you have any other thoughts as to what it might be?

wrong time of year for fb (erwinia)
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...nia+fireblight

since you chekced basic moisture, drainage, i'd look to australia type
problems.

or just try again in the fall.


David

btw, since you're in au, maybe you've noticed how shade tolernat hibbertia
dentata is?

is it really that black in leaf color?

my heretofore unanswered post in this ng:
Subject: Hibbertia dentata, how successful in shady location?
Date: Sat, 3 Apr 2004 03:00:37 +0000 (UTC)