Pear trees and apple trees in close proximity

[1yellowdog]

I was reading through old notes I had taken at a Deer Expo event in St. Paul MN 10+ years ago. I wish I would have documented the speaker of the presentation on apple trees. But in the notes I wrote: "Do not plant pear trees in close proximity to apple trees as they are a good host of Fireblight."

Took me by surprise that I hadn't seen that I can remember suggest not having pear trees near apple trees because of Fireblight.

Does anyone have any knowledge with Fireblight and/or pear trees being a carrier?

I have young pear (2 years in the ground - 4' tall) and apple trees (1 year in the ground - 3-4' tall) in the same planting (20' apart). Concerned of potential issues with Fireblight. Trees are small enough I can transplant, but will want to do this spring if I need to make a plan change in my layout.

 

[Neahawg]

Depends on the pear tree I think really, assuming you have resistant varieties and are at least staying with dormant oil and copper I think your fine. The big thing is I wouldn't plant a Bartlett or other known susceptible variety near apple trees.

 

[1yellowdog]

I have 4 Kiefer and 4 Hybrid Pear trees near a variety of apple trees. Sounds like I should not be too concerned?

 

[Neahawg]

Keifer I would think is fine, not sure about the hybrid pear exact just depends on the variety.

I plant mine fairly close together but that doesn't make it right either. If I'm not mistaken though bees can travel a long distance, and I'm assuming they can transfer fireblight so you would really have to spread them out to keep cross contamination.

 

[Native Hunter]

I was reading through old notes I had taken at a Deer Expo event in St. Paul MN 10+ years ago. I wish I would have documented the speaker of the presentation on apple trees. But in the notes I wrote: "Do not plant pear trees in close proximity to apple trees as they are a good host of Fireblight."

Took me by surprise that I hadn't seen that I can remember suggest not having pear trees near apple trees because of Fireblight.

Does anyone have any knowledge with Fireblight and/or pear trees being a carrier?

I have young pear (2 years in the ground - 4' tall) and apple trees (1 year in the ground - 3-4' tall) in the same planting (20' apart). Concerned of potential issues with Fireblight. Trees are small enough I can transplant, but will want to do this spring if I need to make a plan change in my layout.

You can just ignore that advice from the speaker. That's something that egotistical apple jockeys say all the time. They hate pears, and in their eyes pears are inferior to apples.

The truth is that if an apple tree is going to get fireblight, it will get it whether or not there are pears close by. FB travels airborne and can travel great distances. An apple tree can get FB just as easily for another apple tree as it can from a pear tree.

Both pears and apples are subject to fireblight. So either could be a "host" for the disease. But there are many varieties of pears that are so resistant that you will never see the first sign of fireblight on them. That's not true with apples, but there are some cultivars that do have very good resistance.

The best course of action to take is to be selective and choose both apple and pear cultivars that have high levels of disease resistance and then you will get to enjoy both of those fine fruits without having to worry about it.

If you didn't choose DR varieties you most certainly could have trouble with FB, but the proximity of the trees isn't likely to be a factor. FB is spread airborne, and it travels long distances. There are many commercial apple orchards that have been devastated by FB, and it had nothing to do with an evil pear tree being the cause.

Here is a question for the speaker - Apple orchards generally have several different varieties of apples for pollination purposes. They are in close proximity. Any one of those can be a host of FB. Why then, is it any worse for a pear to be nearby?

Best Wishes.

 

[dogghr]

You can just ignore that advice from the speaker. That's something that egotistical apple jockeys say all the time. They hate pears, and in their eyes pears are inferior to apples.

The truth is that if an apple tree is going to get fireblight, it will get it whether or not there are pears close by. FB travels airborne and can travel great distances. An apple tree can get FB just as easily for another apple tree as it can from a pear tree.

Both pears and apples are subject to fireblight. So either could be a "host" for the disease. But there are many varieties of pears that are so resistant that you will never see the first sign of fireblight on them. That's not true with apples, but there are some cultivars that do have very good resistance.

The best course of action to take is to be selective and choose both apple and pear cultivars that have high levels of disease resistance and then you will get to enjoy both of those fine fruits without having to worry about it.

If you didn't choose DR varieties you most certainly could have trouble with FB, but the proximity of the trees isn't likely to be a factor. FB is spread airborne, and it travels long distances. There are many commercial apple orchards that have been devastated by FB, and it had nothing to do with an evil pear tree being the cause.

Here is a question for the speaker - Apple orchards generally have several different varieties of apples for pollination purposes. They are in close proximity. Any one of those can be a host of FB. Why then, is it any worse for a pear to be nearby?

Best Wishes.

I like it when my buddy gets fired up about apples and pears and fruit trees in general. Almost time for you to start up that apple discussion first of year??? I agree, I've always watched how the old timers planted and they didn't loose sleep about pear, peach or apple in relative proximity. Moreso dictated by topography and soil than anything else. Always amazes me, even us food plotters, how we think everything from diseases to noxious seeds only travel a few dozen feet and we can control any of it.

 

[Native Hunter]

I like it when my buddy gets fired up about apples and pears and fruit trees in general. Almost time for you to start up that apple discussion first of year??? I agree, I've always watched how the old timers planted and they didn't loose sleep about pear, peach or apple in relative proximity. Moreso dictated by topography and soil than anything else. Always amazes me, even us food plotters, how we think everything from diseases to noxious seeds only travel a few dozen feet and we can control any of it.

I thought of you dogghr and the apple story that you sent to me. The old timer wisdom trumps all other.

I will think about starting that apple thread again. I just have to get in the right mood. Maybe if I watched some PMSNBC I would get fired up enough to do it....