Disposal of apple tree with blight - Ask Extension
I have a smallish apple tree that seems to be completely covered with blight. Dead branches, no leaves or apples, especially after recent hail. We wa...
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Disposal of apple tree with blight #880863
Asked August 09, 2024, 3:07 PM EDT
I have a smallish apple tree that seems to be completely covered with blight. Dead branches, no leaves or apples, especially after recent hail. We want to cut it down, and need to know how to safely dispose of the diseased parts. The root stock seems to be fine so far — do we need to dispose of that as well? This is in Longmont.
Thanks
Boulder County Colorado
Expert Response
Hi Judy,
Thank you for writing to CSU Extension about your apple tree.
If your tree has fire blight, you should destroy the limbs by placing them in the trash (of course, you'll need to cut them into smaller pieces), not in home compost. City compost should be OK as it gets hot enough to break the wood pieces down.
If you're having an arborist do the work, they can take care of this for you.
For additional information about fire blight, below is a link to CSU Extension Fact Sheet 2.907 "Fire Blight."
https://csfs.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Fire-Blight-Fact-Sheet-2.907.01.pdf
If you know the root stock is healthy, it's OK to leave it. However, you'll need to deal with suckers. To control them, cut off all new growth before the suckers reach eight inches in height to gradually deplete the stored food in the remaining trunk. This can take five to 10 years, but it's easy, inexpensive and chemical-free, if that's a consideration for you.
I hope this information is helpful to you. Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions.
Regards,
Colorado Master Gardener
CSU Extension Boulder County
Thank you for writing to CSU Extension about your apple tree.
If your tree has fire blight, you should destroy the limbs by placing them in the trash (of course, you'll need to cut them into smaller pieces), not in home compost. City compost should be OK as it gets hot enough to break the wood pieces down.
If you're having an arborist do the work, they can take care of this for you.
For additional information about fire blight, below is a link to CSU Extension Fact Sheet 2.907 "Fire Blight."
https://csfs.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Fire-Blight-Fact-Sheet-2.907.01.pdf
If you know the root stock is healthy, it's OK to leave it. However, you'll need to deal with suckers. To control them, cut off all new growth before the suckers reach eight inches in height to gradually deplete the stored food in the remaining trunk. This can take five to 10 years, but it's easy, inexpensive and chemical-free, if that's a consideration for you.
I hope this information is helpful to you. Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions.
Regards,
Colorado Master Gardener
CSU Extension Boulder County
