Help with Fire Blight

[Mumbles]

Hi all

I have fire blight on my pear tree again this year (its taken me last year and this to discover what it is). I have been reading that I need to cut back to 1ft from the infected parts of the tree to save it. The problem is that all the leaves are showing signs of infection and so pruning in the suggested way would leave my 8ft tree about 2 ft high. I am worried this will kill my tree, any advice please

thanks

[orangepippin]

It is unlikely you have fireblight - this would be very unusual in Yorkshire.

[veggiechicken]

Put some photos up, Mumbles, so that we can see what the problem may be.

[FB.]

As the above posters said: fireblight would be unusual in Yorkshire - put up some pictures.

[Mumbles]

The branches look burnt and snap as if the have, this is some of the least affected leaves too, most are all black and fallen off




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[FB.]

Not convinced that it's fireblight; the pictures are inconclusive - need more pictures, including the transition between black/dead and brown/live wood.

Which variety is it?
Which rootstock?
What's your soil like?
Have you been feeding/watering - and what/when?
Presumably it's planted in the ground and not a pot?
When did you plant it and how old/large was it when planted?
Are any other plants or trees nearby affected?

[orangepippin]

I agree with FB. A photo showing the whole tree and the ground around it would be useful.

[Mumbles]

It suddenly goes black on the branches but whenever I check the black bit is bigger

It's a pear in a pot, not sure what rootstock but it was bought because it was bred for pot growing.

2nd year I've had the tree happened last year too. Was fresh compost last year with top dressing about 4 inches different brand fresh compost this year

I have two apply trees about 20ft away that seem ok (they have some curled leaves but think that's from aphids)

I have a blueberry bush about half the distance away in a different direction which looks a little similar but not half as bad (this is in the ground with acidic compost and then feed and ph is checked)

I have fed it a little this year, the same as the apple trees with some BFB

Also the leaves, with the slightest touch fall off


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[Mumbles]

It's meant to be a concord pear

Not to sure now as the deal I bought included 1 red apple 1 green apple tree and all my apples from both trees are green :/


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[Mumbles]

And someone last year suggested wind or sun scorch so it was moved to a much more sheltered spot this year that got the sun from about 1130 rather than all day. The problem is worse this year


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[FB.]

At the moment I'm thinking the most likely problem is leaf scorch due to not enough water or the compost/fertiliser is too rich.

Next choice would be canker or scab.

Potted plants are always trickier to get the watering right, especially as most of the water tends to run straight through the compost and out the bottom within a couple of minutes.
My solar panel generation figures tell me that it's been a very sunny summer this year (and my water butts tell me that it's been wet), and the sun's heat quickly dries out potted plants.
Warmth plus wet can encourage fireblight, but it isn't a major problem in most parts of the UK in most years.

That's not to say it isn't fireblight - I'm just going down the list of most likely. Fireblight isn't likely, but it's not impossible either.

More pictures needed.

[Mumbles]

Would that not effect the apple trees to? They are in the same conditions


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[orangepippin]

It's difficult to tell from these photos, but this does not look like fireblight, although from what you are describing the problem is more serious than the photos show. Fireblight is rare in the UK because our climate is not warm enough, so I would start by considering more likely causes - and top of my list would be the kinds of problems you get growing trees in pots, i.e. the stress from too much compost, pot too small, too much water, too little water etc. Then check for cankers on the main stem, as they are more likely in the UK climate.

[veggiechicken]

Is this your thread from last year Mumbles? http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ems_74805.html
Can I ask who you bought the trees from - were they sold by someone like Garden Bargains as a special offer?

[Mumbles]

Yes it is VC and they were bought from Garden Express. I got a deal through groupon for them


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