Knowledgebase

Asian Pear Fire Blight #868067

Asked May 12, 2024, 11:43 AM EDT

Trees are just beginning to produce fruit. what is the best course of action for fire blight?

Howard County Maryland

Expert Response

Hi, prune infected shoots and branches 8-12 inches below visible symptoms. Leave a 4-5 inch stub that can be pruned off over the winter when the disease is dormant. The recommended type of pruning for this disease is called Ugly Stub Pruning.

Web pages:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/fire-blight-disease-trees/
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/plpath-fru-22-0

Chemical control- we recommend applying a fixed liquid copper spray at the green tip stage when buds have swollen in spring but not yet opened.
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/456/456-018/ENTO-567-C.pdf (page 3-12)
Jon

Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 13, 2024, 10:26 AM EDT

This work is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension grant no. 2020-41595-30123 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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