Insecticides & Bactericides: Bacteria enter the plant through blossoms, fresh wounds, or natural openings. Remove all suckers coming up from the base of the trees, as these are more susceptible to fire blight infection, which can then move rapidly into the trunk. Avoid excess nitrogen fertilization, which results in excess succulent growth, because if injured, succulent new growth is easily infected. To reduce the spread of fire blight, pruning is best done during the dormant season. Disinfest all pruning tools between cuts using a 10% bleach solution (1 part household bleach to 9 parts water) or 70% alcohol. Promptly destroy of all infected prunings by burning or burying. Pruning cuts of twigs and branches are made a minimum of 8 to 12 inches below any sign of infected tissue. Moderately resistant edible pears includeĪsian pears that have some resistance to fire blight include:Ĭrabapples with moderate resistance to fire blight include:Ĭultural Practices & Sanitation Measures: Reduce the spread of fire blight by removing and destroying all infected plant parts. ‘Bradford’ is the most resistant of these varieties. Ornamental pear varieties that are moderately resistant to fire blight include: Recommended Varieties: Select fruit tree cultivars that are less susceptible to fire blight and are suitable for planting in South Carolina.Īpple varieties that are moderately resistant to fire blight include:

Pruning during the growing season may spread the disease. Prune out blackened twigs and branches with cankers during the dormant season. Although these methods are not 100 percent effective, they help reduce disease severity. Controls for fire blight include selecting tolerant varieties, using recommended cultural practices and sanitation measures, and applying bactericides and insecticides. There is no cure for fire blight, making disease prevention extremely important. The highly invasive callery pear, which is often seen along the margins of fields, is very susceptible to fire blight and can be a source of the disease (see HGIC 1006, Bradford Pear). Some of these include crabapple, pyracantha, cotoneaster, hawthorn, photinia, quince, serviceberry, loquat, and spirea. Certain plants in the rose family (Rosaceae), including many ornamental plants, can be affected by fire blight. Some ornamental pear trees, such as ‘Bradford,’ were considered resistant to the disease, but they can become infected when conditions are favorable for disease development. In the home garden, fire blight can be very destructive to apple and pear trees. of Plant Pathology & Environmental Microbiology Archives, Penn State Univ., Plants Commonly Affected Insects and splashing rain can then spread the disease.įire blight has spread down the twig into the main stem, where a canker has begun to form. During wet spring weather, there may be a milky-like, sticky liquid oozing from the infected plant parts, and it contains the bacterial pathogen. Many parts of the plant can be affected, including blossoms, stems, leaves, and fruit. Cracks may appear in the bark around the cankers. The cankers initially have a water soaked appearance, but then become sunken and dark.

Slightly sunken areas, called cankers, appear on twigs, branches, and the main stem. These blacken and curl over, giving the appearance of a “shepherd’s crook.” Leaves on affected branches wilt, blacken, and remain attached to the plant, giving it a fire-scorched appearance. The disease moves down the branch, resulting in death of young twigs. The first symptoms of fire blight occur in early spring when temperatures are above 60 ☏ and the weather is rainy or humid. Guido Schnabel, ©2015 Department of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University Symptoms Note the characteristic blackened, attached leaves and the shepherd’s crook appearance of the twig. The fire-scorched appearance of a young twig with fire blight.

Fire blight