Pear tree help!! Is this Fire Blight??

[ElkGroveGardener]

Hello All,

Hoping to get some help. Does this look like "Fire Blight" to anyone?? Any suggestions on how to save my tree whatever this is??

A lot of what I'm seeing is "burn it, plant a new tree" if it is fire blight. Just checking before I chop this former beauty down.

 

[ElkGroveGardener]

PS: if you want more pictures let me know. So sad!!!

 

[Chuck]

PS: if you want more pictures let me know. So sad!!!

This could be early stage fire blight but not necessarily. If you do not see blackening on the stems and trunk it probably isn't. Normally a lot the leaves will look scorched before the blackening occurs. If you have been having a lot of rain this could cause the leaf problems. You will just have to wait and see. What is the variety of pear is it?

 

[ElkGroveGardener]

Not sure what strain of pear it is.

We've already pruned some branches off, but I didn't do it 100% properly. Learning as I go unfortunately.

I disposed of the stuff in my green waste can. Do you think I should trim off the dying stuff and keep watching it??

 

[ElkGroveGardener]

Better pictures of off tree and on tree dead limbs

 

[Chuck]

Not sure what strain of pear it is.

We've already pruned some branches off, but I didn't do it 100% properly. Learning as I go unfortunately.

I disposed of the stuff in my green waste can. Do you think I should trim off the dying stuff and keep watching it??

Yes, I would, but if you see the limbs discoloring severe pruning is called for. The following link is the best I have found explaining fire blight and what to do.
http://www.groworganic.com/organic-gardening/articles/controlling-fire-blight-organically

 

[ElkGroveGardener]

Yes, I would, but if you see the limbs discoloring severe pruning is called for. The following link is the best I have found explaining fire blight and what to do.
http://www.groworganic.com/organic-gardening/articles/controlling-fire-blight-organically

Thanks Chuck!! What's your opinion on the 2nd set of pictures?

 

[Chuck]

Thanks Chuck!! What's your opinion on the 2nd set of pictures?

IMO IF it's fire blight it has just started affecting the tree. In all of the blighted pears I have seen there are a LOT of blackened areas on the trunk and limbs.
Let me tell you of an event that happened about 30 years ago. I was working on a large cattle ranch that had a pear orchard of about 20 trees and one of them contracted fire blight. Both the ranch foreman and I thought it would be the end of the orchard as fire blight is very contagious. He was a graduate of Texas A & M university and he got on the phone and called someone there. He then told me to go to the feed store and pick up 2000 lbs of cornmeal. When I got back he had the fertilizer spreader hooked up to the tractor and we dumped the 2000 lbs into it. He told me to lay a heavy covering out past the dripline of the trees which I did. I then turned on the irrigation and watered it in. I then severely pruned the tree. It's a wonder that the pruning didn't kill the tree


We didn't know if this would work or not but the end result seemed worth the effort. Out of the 20 trees only the original ended up being affected. It survived but looked deformed and the production was also negatively affected. He had me cut the tree down about 5 years later and use it for BBQ wood. I don't know for sure what saved the tree if anything did. But in later years I have learned a lot about the benefits of cornmeal as to how it acts as a growing medium for beneficial fungi so I have to believe it had something to do with it.