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Old 23-01-2003, 02:09 PM
Nick Maclaren
 
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Default Pear Tree Death


In article ,
"The Ranger" writes:
|
| Damn. That's what I was afraid of; not much can be done because of the level
| of damage and how long I let it spread. I could probably excavate a large
| portion of the dirt that is currently in the area but that doesn't even
| sound like a "sure thing."
|
| Maybe a non-pome sapling is more appropriate now...

That's the safest solution.

But don't take all of the dire warnings as certain - it is a very
unpredictable disease and plants often don't get it or get it and
recover. Bordeaux mixture helps.

I get the impression it is more serious in the USA than the UK,
even on the same plants, but I have no idea why.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679
  #2   Report Post  
Old 23-01-2003, 04:18 PM
simy1
 
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Default Pear Tree Death

"The Ranger" wrote in message ...
My pear tree died a very painful and messy death -- so says the nursery I
brought some of the curled leaves and dried twigs to for examination. He
labeled the problem, fire blight. He, unfortunately, was unable to provide
much of anything else in the way of help, though, like aside from removing
the dead tree, how much of the soil should remain behind, how should I go
about preparing the soil for another sapling, how long I should allow the
ground to remain free of any future saplings, etc.

I'd like to plant another bareroot sapling in this area but not at the cost
of the tree.

Any thoughts/ideas?

Many thanks

The Ranger


Magness and Potomac varieties are fireblight resistant. There may be
more. Two of my three favorite apples (Enterprise and Liberty) are
resistant as well.
  #3   Report Post  
Old 23-01-2003, 07:19 PM
Bill Bolle
 
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Default Pear Tree Death

Spraying will work on un-infected trees IF you can get every blossom on
the tree at just the right time of opening----I haven't been able to do
that. Pruning will prolong the life of the tree somewhat but the best
pruning cut, as stated in someone else's post, was the one two inches
above the ground. It's really bad here in Oklahoma, I've lost several
trees to it in the last couple of years. By the way----sorry for the
virus-bacteria switch in my previous post.
Bill

Nick Maclaren wrote:

In article ,
"The Ranger" writes:
|
| Damn. That's what I was afraid of; not much can be done because of the level
| of damage and how long I let it spread. I could probably excavate a large
| portion of the dirt that is currently in the area but that doesn't even
| sound like a "sure thing."
|
| Maybe a non-pome sapling is more appropriate now...

That's the safest solution.

But don't take all of the dire warnings as certain - it is a very
unpredictable disease and plants often don't get it or get it and
recover. Bordeaux mixture helps.

I get the impression it is more serious in the USA than the UK,
even on the same plants, but I have no idea why.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

  #4   Report Post  
Old 23-01-2003, 10:19 PM
Thomas
 
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Default Pear Tree Death

I am going to pass along the treatment for fire blight from Howard Garretts
most recent book"Howard Garretts's Texas Tress" ISBN 0-89123-076-9 pg. 234

"This is a bacterial disease of plants in the rose family in which blossoms,
new shoots, twigs, and limbs die back as though they have been burned.
Leaves usually remain attached but often turn black or dark brown. Prune
back into the healthy tissue and disinfect the pruning tools with a 3-5%
solution of hydrogen peroxide. Spray the plants at the first sign of
disease with Garrett Juice plus garlic and neem. Consan 20 and agricultural
streptomycin are also effective controls. Kocide 101 is a copper-based
fungicide often recommended. The best recommendation is to spray Garrett
Juice plus garlic, treat the soil with horticultural cornmeal, apply the
sick tree treatment, and reduce the nitrogen fertilizer. High nitrogen,
synthetic fertilizers are the primary cause of this disease."
It's easy to get the formulas for Garrett Juice and the sick tree treatment
from his website www.dirtcoctor.com
free. I'm in no way affiliated with Howard, (other than being a student)
just passing along the information.
Tom
"Bill Bolle" wrote in message
...
In my experience, once you get fire-blight you have it forever. It's a
virus and will hit almost all members of the rose family, which apples
and pears are members of. Your only hope is getting blight resistant
varieties of these trees and I think that they are only resistant and
not immune. Treatment of infected trees is with antibiotics and out of
the skill of the home orchardist. If someone has better and more
hopeful information I sure would like to hear from them. Sorry to be
the bearer of bad tidings.
Bill

The Ranger wrote:

My pear tree died a very painful and messy death -- so says the nursery

I
brought some of the curled leaves and dried twigs to for examination. He
labeled the problem, fire blight. He, unfortunately, was unable to

provide
much of anything else in the way of help, though, like aside from

removing
the dead tree, how much of the soil should remain behind, how should I

go
about preparing the soil for another sapling, how long I should allow

the
ground to remain free of any future saplings, etc.

I'd like to plant another bareroot sapling in this area but not at the

cost
of the tree.

Any thoughts/ideas?

Many thanks

The Ranger
--
Visit http://www.whatchadoin.com/Cookbook2002/index.html to get your

copy
of the rfc cook.book. Time to order will close 31/1/03.



  #5   Report Post  
Old 24-01-2003, 01:28 AM
Mahsamatman
 
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Default Pear Tree Death

I have five pear trees. Two had fireblight last year.

Fireblight is a common problem with pears.

There are really not any sprays available to the home gardener that
are effective. If you catch it early, you can prune it out, which is what
I did. The trees are fine now. There are various techniques for ongoing
management, including continued close surveillance of the orchard to
catch the disease when it comes again, and preventing conditions such
as rapid growth and waterspouts that tend to make the trees more
susceptible. Orchard sanitation, that is the burning or burying of any
unwanted branches or fruit, is also important. This is called removing
sources of inoculum.

You also should get rid of any ornamental flowering pears with a
rat-tail blooming habit, that is, the ones that bloom all summer. These
are extraordinarily susceptible to the disease and will tend to pass it
along to other trees.

Many commercial orchards spray streptomycin or other antibiotics
to control it. Streptomycin is not available to the home gardener.
The other sprays and organic concoctions out there are of doubtful
effectiveness.

Fireblight is a bacterial disease spread by the wind and by insects and
birds. You really can't ever expect to get it completely out of your
orchard. It is not a soil borne disease so it is not necessary to remove
the soil.

Even non-resistant apples are much less susceptible to fireblight than
pears. You would probably have better luck with apples.

Hope this helps.

Sam


"The Ranger" wrote in message
...
My pear tree died a very painful and messy death -- so says the nursery I
brought some of the curled leaves and dried twigs to for examination. He
labeled the problem, fire blight. He, unfortunately, was unable to provide
much of anything else in the way of help, though, like aside from removing
the dead tree, how much of the soil should remain behind, how should I go
about preparing the soil for another sapling, how long I should allow the
ground to remain free of any future saplings, etc.

I'd like to plant another bareroot sapling in this area but not at the

cost
of the tree.

Any thoughts/ideas?

Many thanks

The Ranger
--
Visit http://www.whatchadoin.com/Cookbook2002/index.html to get your

copy
of the rfc cook.book. Time to order will close 31/1/03.






  #6   Report Post  
Old 24-01-2003, 02:37 AM
SugarChile
 
Posts: n/a
Default Pear Tree Death

Magness is a fabulous tasting pear, as well. I don't grow them, but a local
orchard does. Apparently they don't crop heavily and reliably each and
every year here (not sure why, perhaps they bloom on the early side and get
hit by frost some years?), so they don't always have them for sale, but when
they do.....the taste is incomparable, buttery and smooth, rich and sweet,
lots of subtle taste notes.

You could also check into Asian pears; I believe they have better fire
blight resistance than bartlett types. I've grown three of them for over a
dozen years now, and they are very trouble free trees. The fruit is juicy
and crisp, somewhat like an apple, and the taste is like a pear, very sweet
and delicious.

Good luck with whatever you plant next,
Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA


Magness and Potomac varieties are fireblight resistant. There may be
more. Two of my three favorite apples (Enterprise and Liberty) are
resistant as well.



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Old 24-01-2003, 04:43 PM
Dwayne
 
Posts: n/a
Default Pear Tree Death

I had an apple tree in Colorado that suffered from "fire Blight" Part of a
limb would die and turm black. It there was an apple on the affected limb,
it would also die and turn black.

I had someone look at it who was supposed to be knowledgeable about that
sort of stuff and he said that I should have pruned all the dead wood out of
the tree. He indicated that the fire blight entered the tree in areas that
were dead. I dont know if he was right or not, but if he was, a good
pruning would be another way to help beat the problem.

Good luck Dwayne

"The Ranger" wrote in message
...
My pear tree died a very painful and messy death -- so says the nursery I
brought some of the curled leaves and dried twigs to for examination. He
labeled the problem, fire blight. He, unfortunately, was unable to provide
much of anything else in the way of help, though, like aside from removing
the dead tree, how much of the soil should remain behind, how should I go
about preparing the soil for another sapling, how long I should allow the
ground to remain free of any future saplings, etc.

I'd like to plant another bareroot sapling in this area but not at the

cost
of the tree.

Any thoughts/ideas?

Many thanks

The Ranger
--
Visit http://www.whatchadoin.com/Cookbook2002/index.html to get your

copy
of the rfc cook.book. Time to order will close 31/1/03.




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Old 24-01-2003, 10:48 PM
zxcvbob
 
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Default Pear Tree Death



The Ranger wrote:

My pear tree died a very painful and messy death -- so says the nursery I
brought some of the curled leaves and dried twigs to for examination. He
labeled the problem, fire blight. He, unfortunately, was unable to provide
much of anything else in the way of help, though, like aside from removing
the dead tree, how much of the soil should remain behind, how should I go
about preparing the soil for another sapling, how long I should allow the
ground to remain free of any future saplings, etc.

I'd like to plant another bareroot sapling in this area but not at the cost
of the tree.

Any thoughts/ideas?

Many thanks

The Ranger



I don't *think* you have to worry about the soil; fireblight is a bacteria
that is often spread via cut surfaces when pruning, and I think maybe by
flies to the flowers. You should plant a fireblight resistant variety. Be
very careful about sanitaion when you prune; prune when the weather is not
damp, and dip the shears in a bleach solution between every cut.

Remove any fireblight infected growth next time (and burn it) and spray the
tree with a bacteriacide like Consan Triple Action 20 (quaternary
ammonia). I believe it can also be treated with a spraying of agricultural
grade streptomycin.

It might be a good idea to spray healthy trees with Consan during damp
spring weather as a preventative. If you have a Fleet Farm store nearby,
the "Steramine" dairy cleaner and udder wash is the same thing as Consan,
but 1/2 the strength, and it's cheap. I can get you the dilution rates for
spraying to prevent fireblight on apples and blackspot on roses, but I
don't have it handy.

Don't replant with "Bartlett".

Best regards,
Bob
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Old 25-01-2003, 12:06 AM
The Ranger
 
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Default Pear Tree Death

zxcvbob helpfully posted:
My pear tree died a very painful and messy death -- [..]
Any thoughts/ideas?

I don't *think* you have to worry about the soil; fireblight
is a bacteria that is often spread via cut surfaces when pruning,
and I think maybe by flies to the flowers. You should plant
a fireblight resistant variety. Be very careful about sanitaion
when you prune; prune when the weather is not damp, and
dip the shears in a bleach solution between every cut.


I wasn't judicious enough in my attempts at pruning when I first spotted the
problem areas, which led to the trunk eventually contracting the problem.
Such a waste; it was a damned fine [regular] producer! I harvested enough
fruit from its bowing branches the last two years that even my neighbors got
a chance at enjoying my patience.

This is good to know, though, because I have a dozen roses planted around
the front and backyards to make me wary and watchful.

Remove any fireblight infected growth next time (and burn it)


That's not possible where I live.

[snip] If you have a Fleet Farm store nearby,


I don't but I do have a domestic animal supply house within range that will
be able to get me the product you mention below. That shouldn't be a problem
at all.

the "Steramine" dairy cleaner and udder wash [..]
Don't replant with "Bartlett".


The last was Anjou. sigh As I said, such a waste...

The Ranger

PS: Thank you to all the posters. It has been a good lesson and the learning
curve wasn't as significant as I feared.


  #10   Report Post  
Old 25-01-2003, 02:48 AM
Beecrofter
 
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Default Pear Tree Death

"The Ranger"

Go to any of the cooperative extension websites in states that grow a
good bit of tree fruits and do some homework.
A single pruning cut low to the ground would be my likely choice
unless it was some rare and valuble stock.


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Old 25-01-2003, 06:52 AM
Marley1372
 
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Default Pear Tree Death

Fire blight is not a soil-borne bacteria. It can be effectivley controlled on
smaller trees by using agri-mycin 17, which is basically an antibiotic for
plants. This product is readily available, at least at most of the nurseries I
have visited. You arent going to get 100% control, but you can prevent a good
deal of infection using it. You can also use any number of copper containing
fungicides to help control fire blight, but the agri-mycin works the best. You
can get information about this on the web, there have been a number of fairly
successful trials in different areas of the country, mainly on pears. Of
course, planting resistant varieties is always a good idea as well.

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