Question: My young ornamental pear has black leaves from mid-summer on. They don’t seem to be out where the new growth is occurring. Is this a major problem?

Answer: That’s normal for young pears. Those are old leaves, the first produced in the spring, and that’s just the way they turn as the trees hit summer’s stressful heat. This phenomenon happens for several years while the trees are young, but they seem to outgrow it eventually. Keep it moist, and it should abate.