Emrys Davies wrote:
I have 3 apple trees grown as cordons. They were mature trees when we
moved in 10 years ago. We also have a pear tree grown in close
proximity.
I noticed to my horror yesterday that one of the apple trees appears
to
be almost dead. Whole branches are shrivelled with the bark peeling
off
them. Under some peeling areas near the root stock it is blackened. On
branches that are showing some life the leaves and blossom are
withered
and sparse.

Does this sound like fire blight? If it is I take it I need to remove
the entire tree? The two other trees in the cordon appear healthy but
I've been getting fewer apples each year and and they have had attacks
of woolly aphids.

snip a bit.



I think your best bet is to search in www.google.com (Images) using:
fire blight on apple trees and then you will be able to compare the
many relevant photographs in there with the state of your tree.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.



Thanks

Googling it, it does look almost identical except the few leaves left
haven't gone brown. A neighbour looked at it for me and declared it dead
so we dug it up. It was astonishingly easy to remove, the roots seemed
almost rotten and snapped easily. I don't think it was helped by the
astonishingly dry soil - even 18 inches down it was completely dry. No
signs of drought difficulties on the others though so perhaps its a
combination of factors.