What plants are susceptible to fire blight?
Pear
Quince
Apple
Firethorn
What causes fire blight?
Bacterium Erwinia amylovora
The infection is transmitted by pollinating insects such as bees.
What are the symptoms of fire blight?
The symptoms can be identified on all tissues above the roots.
Leaves
Branches and limbs
Above the roots
What are the treatments for the disease?
The removal of the fire blight is best carried out during the summer or winter when the spread of the bacteria is halted.
The symptoms are visible and cleaning the pruning shears is unnecessary. However, if the infections appear during spring, it must be immediately removed. The infection must be completely removed – avoid short-cutting. Locate the origin of the branch by tracing the infected branch to its lower end and cut the branch without damaging the branch collar. Submerging the pruning shear in 10% bleach is recommended.
If fire blight is seen on the trunk or major limb, the layers can be scraped off until the cambium layer.
While scraping off the layers, watch out for and remove stained tissues plus 6 to 8 inches more beyond the infection.
