Fireblight in bradford pear

[Greg]

Any suggestions for dealing with fireblight in a brad pear? The plan is to:
remove all dead tips and spray the entire tree with a coper mix. I know that this is not the ideal time for the spray but I hope on reducing the spread somewhat. I've never seen this in a pear, does anyone have any experience with this and will the tree recover. Tree is about 5-6" dbh 20' tall 8'spread.
Greg

 

[NYCHA FORESTER]

I don't want to break your heart but spraying it with a fungicide will do no good. Sorry
(Check out Link)
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3002.html

 

[bookerdog]

nasty stuff

greg I use to run a pear orchard. Is the bradford pear tree trained in a central leader system? The thing with fire blight is you have to take at least 6 inches below the outbreak 12 would be better. The branches you cut also have to be burned. Has the stuff dried up yet or is there still a goo substance still on it?

 

[Gumneck]

You'll have better luck with streptomycene(sp?) if your gonna have any luck at all. Dont fertilize tree for two years. Spray insecticide as well to keep out any pests from transferring the disease to/from other trees or within the effected tree to other branches. Dont head branches or do alot of "topping". This will only encourage new growth which is highly susceptible to fireblight.

 

[Gumneck]

I don't want to break your heart but spraying it with a fungicide will do no good. Sorry
(Check out Link)
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3002.html

Dont want to differ but I have had occurrences with fruiting pear and apples as well. Trees are still around and growing. My regimen:no fertilizer,strepto and insecticide sprays at reg intervals,cut below the occurrence,burn the cutout branches/leaves.

 

[Greg]

Thanks for the feedback. The pear has no central leader, very co-dom. The blighted twigs are spread pretty evenly around the tree, and almost every leaf has spots. Will all the spotted leaves evenetually die and turn black? The tree is in one of the richiest neighborhoods and appearance is everything.
Thanks,
Greg

 

[Greg]

I spoke with a local company that has a good rep for PHC and good people. She said that around here fireblight in pears is spreading everywhere, local extension agent thinks it is due to the high bee population, and they are picking it up from loquat trees and spreading to the flowering pears. Current recommended treatment is Strepomysin spray and removal of blighted tips. Problem with the spray is that it is recommended every 7 days while the tree is in bloom. Lots of follow up required.
Greg

 

[treeseer]

In years past I sprayed agri-mycin after pruning; it did not come back, even with no followup.

We are also having an epidemic now, and we have no loquats and few honeybees in town.

Nycha and gunbeck you are both right ; the spray is a bactericide; Erwinia amylovora is the pest, a bacterium.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

What about copper sprays?

I'm allways leary about fungal based antibiotics because they are so prone to cultivation resistant strains of everything in their area of use.

 

[Gumneck]

Be careful with copper

From what I've heard about copper sprays, be sure to follow the label b/c you can do some damage by too high a rate.