Scott: Your young tree may have fireblight. Google this disease and see if any of the photos check with what you see on your tree. I have been pruning off areas of fireblight from my more mature apple trees for the past 6 weeks. We have had a lot of rain here too in May and June, and the weather conditions seem favorable to this disease, even though I sprayed with agricultural streptomycin at blossom time, which is about the only known treatment that can head off this disease. Fireblight on a very small tree is a much more serious matter, since you can end up pruning off much of the tree, but pruning is the only solution at this point. Affected branches will not recover, and this disease can continue to spread throughout the tree unless they are removed. Prune well below any area of visible infection. A few apple varieties have more resistance to this disease than others, but it seems to me that most can be affected if weather conditions are favorable to its development. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Looks like you might not have pruned the tree enough if you pruned it at all at planting time. When trees are transplanted they lose like 90% of the original roots from the nursery, so the tree needs to be cut back to 3-4 feet in height and the branches all cut way back near the trunk. This will restore balance between the roots and the rest of the tree. Otherwise the root system just isn't good enough to support the size of the tree you have there. So it makes sense that if the root system is small, the tree isn't getting enough water or nutrients to keep it happy. I would basically chop the tree in half and it will do much better. Seriously.

Totally normal. Don't fertilize and don't cover it. Cut watering back to once every 2-3 weeks. If it where an older tree that had been in the ground for a few years you would be cutting the watering back even more than that. Just leave it alone and let nature take its course.

It's not cedar-apple rust. Looks more like scab, a fungal issue than can affect both apples and pears although many disease resistant varieties available. I'd take samples of the affected leaves into your local extension office for an accurate diagnosis and the best methods to treat this problem in your area - appropriate treatment and timing can vary by location and I have no idea how prevalent this may be in FL or what they recommend. FWIW, scab does not necessarily require treatment. It depends quite a lot on how severe the disease is and how much leaf loss occurs as a result. My favorite apple variety - Gravenstein - is extremely prone to scab, yet I grew it for years and never, ever sprayed. It lost some leaves during the season but nothing drastic and scab seldom does anything more than blemish the appearance of the fruit - it remains totally edible. So spraying fruit trees is NOT a requirement if you are able to tolerate less than pristine looking trees and fruit.