Fireblight on Galloway Pear?

[cutman]

I think I'm seeing my first case of fireblight. It's in a Galloway Pear. No other trees in the orchard are showing signs. The trunk appears infected with everything above it looking quite sick. My plan is to cut off way below the sick areas, dispose of the diseased tissue, and cross my fingers. Sound like a plan?

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[dogdoc]

Happened to my only Wolf River apple tree. I cut it below the sick part and grafted an enterprise. The graft ended up breaking off but a wolf river bud came to life. I decided to let it live and now it is doing well.

 

[Neahawg]

This has been a particularly bad year for fireblight for us.

 

[Chummer]

So we are currently the coldest May on record, is it correct that should limit FB. Last year was really bad.

 

[Neahawg]

So we are currently the coldest May on record, is it correct that should limit FB. Last year was really bad.

I think cool and damp are bad for fireblight.

 

[Native Hunter]

Cutman, from your second picture it looks like the whole top of the tree is wilting. Is that correct? Or, is it just the small limbs?

If it's the whole top, you have one of the worst outbreaks of FB I've ever seen from a WG tree..

WG doesn't say that pear shows no FB - they say it has, "...shown some resistance..." I have that tree growing myself and have seen minor infections on new growth but nothing serious. If that turns out to be severe, I would send Allen the pictures and talk to him about it on the phone. I would like to know what he says. Doesn't look to me like it is showing "...some resistance...."

PS: The only two pears I have grown (so far) that are completely resistant are Moonglow and Ayers. I have others planted that I believe will be that way, but still to early for me to say for sure.

 

[Baker]

I have the worst blight ever here on the farm. I may lose one orchard of about 10 pear trees that are 8 yrs old. Numerous other trees around infected to various degrees. All different species of pears. Also lost 4 out of 6 apple trees in one orchard. Was a strange winter early spring.

 

[cutman]

Cutman, from your second picture it looks like the whole top of the tree is wilting. Is that correct? Or, is it just the small limbs?

If it's the whole top, you have one of the worst outbreaks of FB I've ever seen from a WG tree..

WG doesn't say that pear shows no FB - they say it has, "...shown some resistance..." I have that tree growing myself and have seen minor infections on new growth but nothing serious. If that turns out to be severe, I would send Allen the pictures and talk to him about it on the phone. I would like to know what he says. Doesn't look to me like it is showing "...some resistance...."

PS: The only two pears I have grown (so far) that are completely resistant is Moonglow and Ayers. I have others planted that I believe will be that way, but still to early for me to say for sure.

Yes, the whole top of the tree is wilting. Everything below the diseased trunk is ok. I will send Allen the pictures and let you know what he says.

 

[Native Hunter]

Yes, the whole top of the tree is wilting. Everything below the diseased trunk is ok. I will send Allen the pictures and let you know what he says.

I would let it brown out a few days longer so it will stand out in the pictures and he can see it better. It's pretty apparent now, but in a few days that is going to look crazy bad...............

Wising you the best possible outcome with this....

 

[cutman]

I would let it brown out a few days longer so it will stand out in the pictures and he can see it better. It's pretty apparent now, but in a few days that is going to look crazy bad...............

Wising you the best possible outcome with this....

You don't think I should prune it now? If I don't do it today the next soonest I can do it is next week.

 

[Neahawg]

If you fo prune it now seal it with something

 

[Native Hunter]

You don't think I should prune it now? If I don't do it today the next soonest I can do it is next week.

You should be the one to make that call. It might go lower in a week, so do what you think is best. I think he can see it okay now.

 

[THE LLC]

Completely wiped out 6 ten-year-old keifer pears at The Farm this year. I hate that crap. I cut mine off at the ground, treated the stumps with glyphosate, and burned the rest. Done with that crap.

 

[Turkey Creek]

FB is most active from temperatures from 75 to 90 degrees. Wet weather spreads the bacteria faster.

 

[cutman]

He said: "Remove everything that is infected and remove the limbs from the orchard it should be fine "

 

[lakngolf]

So do I have Fire Blight? I have noticed similar stuff on some old producers in the area

I have posted about this tree more than any other this year! Thought it was about to produced some pears, but alas, not to be this year.

 

[Native Hunter]

Lak, yes, your tree has it. If I remember correctly you grew that tree from a seed. With a seedling you will not know the DR or the fruit characteristics, although, it should be at least similar to the parents.

Remember that unless FB is so bad that it kills a tree or severely retards it, the tree will be more resistant to FB the older it gets. I'm not saying you won't keep seeing it, but that the tree can deal with it better the older (and larger) it gets.

You said yourself that some of the "old producers in your area" are showing it too. That in itself goes along with what I just said.

Bartlett is a pear that I wouldn't own myself because of how prone it is to FB and how ugly they get to looking. Yet, many people still grow it and get enough fruit to keep them from removing the tree.

I guess I'm just saying, don't give up on your tree just yet. The time may come when it is time to give up - but right now is not that moment in time.

PS: Speaking of Bartlett - If I did own one it would be a full sized tree on its own roots. Dwarfing or semi dwarfing a tree like Bartlett is just asking for agony. This is per the information in my forbidden apple tree knowledge thread. The same principles I discuss there also applies with marginally acceptable pears on their own roots (such as Bartlett).

 

[DrDirtNap]

It really has been a bad fireblight year. My Galloway pear, however, has not been affected. My Moonglow and Ayers pears are showing some fireblight...but the worst is this poor Yates apple...what a mess...what would you do with this?

 

[Neahawg]

That thing is eat up. Brest thing to do is start pruning out and burning what you cut. I think they say to go a little ways back into clean wood and to disinfect your pruner between cuts. Then next February id spray with copper and dormant oil and probably do a second application sometimes before they leaf out.

 

[Turkey Creek]

It really has been a bad fireblight year. My Galloway pear, however, has not been affected. My Moonglow and Ayers pears are showing some fireblight...but the worst is this poor Yates apple...what a mess...what would you do with this?

A tree that is allowed to grow like that is going to be more prone to getting a bad case of FB. You need to open up that tree so that air flow is much better. A dense tight canopy is going to promote more FB bacteria and once it strikes is going to spread easily within the tree.