kieffer and fireblight
- Thread starter TreeDaddy
- Start date
dogdoc
Well-Known Member
Weird how some people with Kieffers have no problem with FB and others do. I have several Kieffers planted but my problem is they are very early bloomers and I have lost all blooms to early springs/late frosts the last 2 years. If this is going to be a continuous problem then maybe cut down to the lowest scaffolding and bark graft to a more FB resistant pear. With a mature root system you should have fruit in 3 years.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
How old and big are the trees Bill?
For me, Kieffer can have some FB, but it generally affects only new growth and not all limbs. As a tree matures, it will still get some infections but not enough to be a serious problem. The larger the tree grows, the less the FB seems to matter,
It's also possible that you may not have real Kieffers. Mix ups in the nursery business happen all the time, and Kieffer has been around for so long, there are probably lots of strains out there that people call Kieffer that are something else.
Even in modern times things like this happen. There was a mix-up once with one of the best apples to ever come out of the PRI breeding program. People thought they were buying the PRI selection but they were getting something else that was inferior. The inferior tree was a scab immune apple, but it lacked the other many great attributes of the true selection. What a bummer - but bummers happen.
I have no trouble with Kieffer here. It is an outstanding producer almost every year, unless a late freeze gets it. But if that happens, it will affect many other fruit trees besides just Kieffer. Yes, I have seen some minor FB on Kieffer, but never a deal breaker for me.
For me, Kieffer can have some FB, but it generally affects only new growth and not all limbs. As a tree matures, it will still get some infections but not enough to be a serious problem. The larger the tree grows, the less the FB seems to matter,
It's also possible that you may not have real Kieffers. Mix ups in the nursery business happen all the time, and Kieffer has been around for so long, there are probably lots of strains out there that people call Kieffer that are something else.
Even in modern times things like this happen. There was a mix-up once with one of the best apples to ever come out of the PRI breeding program. People thought they were buying the PRI selection but they were getting something else that was inferior. The inferior tree was a scab immune apple, but it lacked the other many great attributes of the true selection. What a bummer - but bummers happen.
I have no trouble with Kieffer here. It is an outstanding producer almost every year, unless a late freeze gets it. But if that happens, it will affect many other fruit trees besides just Kieffer. Yes, I have seen some minor FB on Kieffer, but never a deal breaker for me.
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Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Bill, cedar trees are only in the equation for cedar apple rust and not fireblight.
Fireblight does affect both apples and pears. I would check with some other people in your area that grow Kieffer and see what they are experiencing. There is a lot of difference in weather and growing conditions between you and me. The local folk's should be growing under the same conditions as you are, and you might get some good info to help you.
Fireblight does affect both apples and pears. I would check with some other people in your area that grow Kieffer and see what they are experiencing. There is a lot of difference in weather and growing conditions between you and me. The local folk's should be growing under the same conditions as you are, and you might get some good info to help you.
