We have about 4 trees. That, last yr, we noticed , like a branch here and there, on them, that, has died and leaves brown..we r so afraid, we might loose them, at some point...the over all trees look good...it's almost like some spray has gotten on the sm. branches. And killed them..
I am posting pictures of them..3 trees r the Bradford pear. And the other one is an apple. Can u , possible , try to tell us, what is going on? Ty in advance...hard to get a pic, of something up in a tree...
Fire Blight?
Ty...now, what, can we do, to stop it
Are you growing the apples for eating apples? They will need pruning and thinning for a good crop. Many fruit trees are a pain in the XX unless you spray for disease- fire blight being one.
The first picture doesn't look like a big deal. Frankly, you should prepare to lose the Bradford Pear eventually, not necessarily this but the nature of the beast. My casual observation of those is that I don't seem to see disease like this very much, just whole chunks broken out.
But I'm not a pro.
We r trying to grow the apples for canning and eating.
Sorry, I'm really late getting back in here..I have been canning, like crazy
Agree with the diagnosis - fire blight is a common pathogen of most Rosaceae members, especially fruit trees.
The Callery Pear (Bradford and its cousins) are really plants to let die, or remove in favor of plants that you'd rather have that do the same things. Most all the fruits that you are likely to can/preserve are from trees that bloom prolifically in the spring. Dump the Bradfords, and plant more of these. You'll get better cross-pollination and thus better fruit production. This will also prevent those Bradfords from producing more of their malevolent offspring which will just pollute your property and those around you. They really are becoming a contagion.
Treatment for fire blight is a preventative, not something you do after the disease appears. At this point, you can prune out obviously infected branches, being careful to sterilize tools between cuts - or risk just spreading the disease more widely. Then, provide the appropriate treatment in late winter/spring to prevent onset of fire blight symptoms. Consult your Cooperative Extension Service office (available in every county) for printed information on this subject - your taxes have already paid for it. It is likely available online, too.
