Possible Fireblight Again

 

Although not confirmed this is what fireblight disease can look like on pear.

Dead or dying branches can appear in April or May.

Ah, Yes the Memories

Do you remember the outbreak of fireblight disease about 10 years ago? Fireblight disease can be brutal to many of the landscape and Orchard trees in the Apple family (pome fruit) in an orchard if it’s not caught right away. The hardest hit trees were Asian pear (Hosui, Shinseki, 20^th Century and many others) then the next hardest hit were many of the European pears (Bartlett in particular) and a few apples such as Mutsu and Pink Lady. This disease is extremely virulent. Please check in the landscape Pyracantha, loquat, cotoneaster, Photinia, flowering ornamental pear such as the Callery types.

 

Fireblight disease may not be this obvious to the casual onlooker.

How Does It Spread?

This deadly bacterial disease to plants is spread from plant to plant in the spring when the flowers are open or through open wounds after late pruning. However, this disease is frequently not easily seen until April or May. 

This picture is the common description of fireblight disease; black like it was hit with fire and the prominent Shepard's hook. 

How to Control It

Just because this disease seems to be in remission, don't trust it. It will be back like gangbusters. Prune out the dead wood 12 inches below where the infection seems to be active. When you're done making the cut, sanitize your pruning blades within 70% solution of isopropyl alcohol. Do this after every pruning cut. Then when you have all of your cuttings together, bag them, tie the bag shut and put it in the dumpster far away from the infected plants. Wash your hands, your tools and treat them with a isopropyl alcohol I last time before you put them away.

This disease was tweeted by me. So if you don't subscribe to my twitter account, get it! 

Robert Ll Morris @Extremehort

Update: Fireblight disease is still popping up in May on fire blight pruned Asian pears and their hybrids, many European pears like Bartlett, some apples, quince, ornamental pear, pyracantha and cotoneaster; not on citrus, just the rose family. Where did it come from? Anybody’s guess but it could be your neighbor or at least from the neighborhood. The most effective treatment is pruning it out. But just like removing any systemic disease you have to make deep cuts to get all of it. Cut or prune out 8 to 12 inches below where you see it. Sanitize your pruning blades with alcohol.