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Fire Blight

13 years ago

So, I bought a crabapple earlier in the spring. It is the "Royalty" variety. I came across a twig on it today that was totally dead...leaves on it and everything. It looked like some put a torch to it. The twig is blackened with some white stuff on it.

I think this may be fireblight. If it is, what is the prognosis? Should I keep my tree and hope it does OK and the fire blight is temporary? Or should I rip it out and put a redbud there instead? Thoughts?

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Comments (3)

calliope
13 years ago
I certainly would not rip out a tree if I wasn't sure what was causing a symptom on one twig. It could have been anything causing a twig to die, including a mechanical injury. Fireblight sometimes gives clues. One of them is 'Shepard hooking' of a limb. Usually you'll see a canker where the innoculum originates.

If you do identify a limb you suspect of being infected with fireblight, removing it from the tree several inches below the infestation is recommended. I've never waited for dormancy to do it, but some sources say you should. Fireblight is related to weather conditions and I have a wildling apple tree where fireblight was observed one year on several limbs of the tree where I could not reach it to prune (standard apple on own rootstock) and it has not harmed the tree, affected the fruits or reappeared.

It can happen to stock of any rose-related tree or shrub, and it can be spread, so do you have numerous apple trees or ornamental crab apples? The infection can be self-limiting or devastating in a tree. Monitor it to see if it recurs elsewhere on the tree. If you do see more damage, I'd call your extension agent for recommendations.

Royalty Crabs are susceptible to fireblight. Try to choose varieties resistant to this disease.
krycek1984
Original Author
13 years ago
When I bought it, the tag said "Disease resistant", so apparently they mostly meant apple scab, not fire blight!!!!

I have two roses nearby (a few feet) and they are both flourishing so I would like to keep it that way! A grandiflora and fairy rose.

Here are some pics of the branch I trimmed off. Also, I noticed aphids on the new growth so I will treat that tomorrow with some instecticidal soap of some sort. {{gwi:382173}}From 2010-06-16
{{gwi:382174}}From 2010-06-16
{{gwi:382175}}From 2010-06-16

Sorry about the pic quality, it's from my phone. Thanks for responding!
Related Discussions
Is this Fire Blight?
Q
Comments (6)
It is not fire blight. An apple or pear tree will be infected with it on new, actively growing tips and move down the branches from there. The other branches look healthy. However, last years growth looks pretty active. Make sure and not apply too much nitrogen fertilizer on the tree or it can cause fire blight to attack. The more vigorous the tree the greater the chance for fire blight. I personally do not fertilize my in ground pear tree to limit the chance of fire blight. It would help to know what state you are from. It makes it easier to diagnosis a problem. If you are in a hot, humid environment the different color on the main trunk is probably just some kind of fungus. I live in SE Texas and we get many types of fungus that grows on trees. Most are harmless.
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Is this fire blight?
Q
Comments (4)
Recently planted trees need regular irrigation for the the first 2 years. That leaf damage is combo water shortage and sunburn. See "watering newly planted trees & shrubs" https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/trees-shrubs/watering-new-trees-shrubs/ Not fireblight because, it it was, the entire tip would look scorched and assume the typical shepherd's crook position. See "trees can get burned with fireblight" https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2013/Q2/purdue-expert-trees-can-get-burned-again-by-fire-blight.html
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Fire blight—help!
Q
Comments (7)
It depends on how much of the trees are affected. A few branches might be manageable. If the majority of the tree's branches are affected, it might be better to cull. You might be surprised how much you can prune off a fruit tree and have it come back, though. You can preventatively treat the surrounding pear, plum and cherry with a copper fungicide. Bonide is a concentrate that you could pick up at most garden centers. Read up up on it though, with the little ones running around it could be a challenge to spray and allow for dry time. If you decide to cull, look for fireblight resistant varieties like Golden Delicious to plant. What I'm reading is that fireblight is an above ground disease, so you can replant in the same spot. It's spread by wet conditions which we haven't had, but also by driving, hard rains and hail which we certainly have had. Fruit trees are challenging. If you look into the spraying schedules that are recommended, dormant oil in fall/winter, pre flowering spraying, post flowering spraying, etc. it seems pretty daunting. I did it for a few years, then decided to just let it be. I've only had one incident with fireblight, one branch on an apple that I caught early and pruned out. I am surely not an expert. You kind of have to decide if you're willing to use chemicals or if you can live with what comes.
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Fire blight, yikes!
Q
Comments (5)
Have you researched fire blight, how it occurs and how to control? There is a lot of excellent info out there (including photos to clarify) so I would start there. Generally, I would suggest you focus on any websites that have an .edu suffix, as these articles and publications are coming from the land grant universities/extension services and they specialize in this sort of data. Fire Blight Information and Control You certainly do not need to remove a tree that has experienced fire blight. It is not 'contagious' per se and it does not affect or persist in the soil. Can you post photos of your affected trees? If we can see them, perhaps we can make some suggestions as to how to help them for this season. And read up and get prepared to spray to prevent instances of FB next spring. It is very weather related so not a given that you will be infested very year.
...See More
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
13 years ago
When you prune off every single twig that has fireblight, after every cut dip pruners in a bleach solution and discard branches in a plastic bag into the trash. Thousands of instructions out there on The Google. And it sounds like you have a crab that is susceptible to fireblight. Lotta work.

Dan

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