Strive berry when to severely prune for fireblight - Ask Extension
I have a bush serviceberry cv Smokey. I believe it has fireblight with shriveled black fruit and what looks like rust on all the leaves by late summer...
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Strive berry when to severely prune for fireblight #873361
Asked June 16, 2024, 7:31 PM EDT
I have a bush serviceberry cv Smokey. I believe it has fireblight with shriveled black fruit and what looks like rust on all the leaves by late summer. I think I need to cut it to the ground since all berries on all branches are affected. When is the best time to do this to minimize reinfection?
Lancaster County Nebraska
Expert Response
I'm not a plant pathologist, but I suspect you are dealing with cedar-quince rust on your serviceberry. This was recently discussed on our Buckeye Yard and Garden Line:
https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2369
Control of this disease can not be managed by cutting the tree/shrub down and letting it regrow. I have seen various cultivars of serviceberry heavily infected by this disease and other cultivars don't seem to be affected. However, this can be a factor of being close to the alternate host, red cedars. Sprays are possible, but the fungicides have to be applied at the right time (when the spores are moving from the cedars to their alternate hosts) and coverage has to be very complete, something that most homeowners don't have the equipment for.
Bottom line, you can just live with the disease as it likely won't kill your serviceberry, but it will destroy the fruit and gall up some of the smaller branches. You can search on the internet for serviceberries that are resistant to rust, but these can be difficult to find without looking deep into your search. I found the following one in a quick search:
https://www.soonerplantfarm.com/plant/serviceberry-rainbow-pillar
https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2369
Control of this disease can not be managed by cutting the tree/shrub down and letting it regrow. I have seen various cultivars of serviceberry heavily infected by this disease and other cultivars don't seem to be affected. However, this can be a factor of being close to the alternate host, red cedars. Sprays are possible, but the fungicides have to be applied at the right time (when the spores are moving from the cedars to their alternate hosts) and coverage has to be very complete, something that most homeowners don't have the equipment for.
Bottom line, you can just live with the disease as it likely won't kill your serviceberry, but it will destroy the fruit and gall up some of the smaller branches. You can search on the internet for serviceberries that are resistant to rust, but these can be difficult to find without looking deep into your search. I found the following one in a quick search:
https://www.soonerplantfarm.com/plant/serviceberry-rainbow-pillar
