Fireblight is common in most of our fruit tree species and other species of trees and shrubs. Research has shown us the major factors promoting fireblight are excessive heat and moisture during the growing season. The most effective way of controlling and preventing fireblight is through proper pruning during the winter dormant season. Proper pruning for control of existing fireblight consists of the blights removal from our trees while the best prevention of the bacterial disease is to insure adequate wind passage, through the limbs of our trees, allowing for faster drying from the ever present mid day thunderstorms in our Rocky Mountain region. Proper preventative pruning maintains the natural beauty of our trees while alleviating the excessive and harmful over crowding of limb and foliage growth.
Streptomycin antibiotic spray is another control method for fireblight but due to critical timing of application, is an ineffective defense and lacks reliability.
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Just because your tree/trees may have some fireblight infection, not all is lost.
A large percentage of susceptible trees in our region do have some degree of infection and can be controlled through proper pruning and disposal of the infected limbs. Fireblight is also highly contagious and can spread from tree to tree and property to property. If you suspect other properties in your neighborhood may have the disease, the best prevention for your own property is making sure your trees are in their best condition to resist the threat of infection by proper pruning and added nutrients.
When fireblight infection is ignored, the spread of the disease is certain and the outcome is certain loss of our trees. For those of you, who believe you may have the fireblight bacterial infection on your property, please give us a call or email. We can set up a property consultation and if we do confirm the infection, we will work with you through an individual program that is affordable and implement a solution.
