At first, the authorities attempted to control the disease's spread, and had to be informed of any outbreaks. Fireblight originated in the USA and was first recorded in the UK in 1957, in a pear orchard in Kent. It is uncommon in the most northern counties of England and Scotland and it is absent from Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.Ī In some circumstances, yes. In larger trees, the disease may naturally peter out after a couple of years.Ī The disease is widespread in most of England and Wales. The infection spreads quickly down the shoot to larger branches and may kill a young tree or shrub in a single season. Infection commonly occurs through flowers during pollination, but can also enter via pruning wounds or leaves damaged by weather or insects. They can then be spread by insects, rain, wind, birds or gardeners. In spring they multiply and ooze out in droplets. Blossom wilt, spur blight and wither tip caused by the brown-rot fungus also kill shoot tips, but do not spread far down the branches or produce cankers or red-brown staining on the branches.Ī The bacteria overwinter on the bark round the edges of cankers. Fungal cankers tend to be dry, and there is no red-brown staining below the bark. Q Can I confuse fireblight with anything else?Ī On apple and pear trees, fungal canker can kill shoot tips, and it is more common than fireblight. Late-flowering fruit varieties are more vulnerable because flowering occurs at higher temperatures. Plums and other prunus species are not affected.Ĭaption: Amelanchier is one of the plants that can be affected by fireblightĪ It generally develops at flowering time, and is encouraged by warm, wet weather. This includes amelanchier, apple, cotoneaster, flowering quince (chaenomeles), hawthorn, rowan, pear, pyracantha, quince and whitebeam. ![]() Drops of whitish or yellowish bacterial pus may seep out from dead tissues in spring and summer.Ī Fireblight only affects the sub-group of plants with apple-like fruits (maloideae) within the large rose family (rosaceae). Q What further checks can I make to confirm it's fireblight?Ī Below the damaged bark, the cambium layer, which is usually creamy white, develops reddish-brown staining. Cankers develop at the base of affected shoots. Bark in affected areas dies, and may appear dark, sunken or cracked. Twigs, large branches or whole trees may die. The dead leaves and flowers slowly disintegrate and fall over a long period. Affected shoots are usually scattered throughout the canopy and may appear next to perfectly healthy ones. The shrivelled shoots tend to have hooked tips, like a shepherd's crook. The name comes from the characteristic blackening of affected leaves and shoots.Ĭaption: Fireblight causes flowers and/or shoot tips to wilt and dieĪ Flowers and/or shoot tips wilt and turn brown or black. Treat for sucking insects such as aphids, leafhoppers, plant bugs, and pear psyllid that wound tissue, permitting entry of bacteria.A A serious and potentially fatal disease of pears, apples and related plants caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora.Apply slow-release fertilizers in early spring or late fall after growth has ceased.Do not toss clippings around as this spreads the bacteria. During the growing season, place pruned material in a container and cover it before leaving the area. Remove infected wood several inches below cankers during the dormant season, if applicable. ![]()
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