Two of my apple trees appear to be developing fire blight. The leaves are turning brown and curling, otherwise they are healthy young trees with no sign of pests. I know fire blight is a problem in this area. How do I treat it? What have others used successfully? Thanks in advance for your input.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), July 14, 2000

Answers

Marci: Check with your local ag office to see if they have any information on it.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 14, 2000.

Marci, the only treatment I know of is to make a disinfecting bleach solution (proportions are on the labels of name-brand bleach bottles). Then grab your pruners, a ladder, and a bag. Very carefully cut each blighted branch off, cutting several inches back into the good wood. Carefully put each branch into the bag. Disinfect your pruners after every cut. Disinfect your hands if you touched the bad areas of the branches. Try not to shake or let the pruned branches touch anything else. Disinfect your ladder if it touches any of the blight. Dispose of the bag of branches by throwing it in the garbage, do NOT compost or burn it. This isn't a "cure" it is just a treatment. Do everything you can to help the trees by keeping them unstressed and well cared for. How much success you'll have is hard to predict. I've had trees get a bit of fire blight and I've been able to trim and grow them past it. If blight is bad in your area, you might not have much of a chance.

Ken is right. Talk to your county extension agent. There may be better treatments available, and some varieties are more resistant. Your agent or a big apple grower in your area will have a better idea what is working in your area. You may need to eliminate a number of trees and take some other serious steps towards hygiene. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), July 14, 2000.

Marci, Here are some facts about fireblight that may help. Moisture, high available nitrogen, inadequate winter chill, cold blossom time,poor drainage, and pruning stress and wounds can all increase fireblight. Apples catch fireblight when trees are in blossom. And they usually catch the blight from nearby pears which blossom earlier and are much more susceptible to fireblight.

Avoid tilling or plowing near trees. Keep area under trees grassed and mowed short to promote air drainage. Be careful not to wound the bark of the trees when mowing. Avoid fertilization, especially in the spring. Consider removing nearby pear trees, especially if they show signs of blight.

I haven't had much success with the disinfected pruner method, but if you do, try it get some agricultural streptomycin spray and spray the cut stem at each pruning cut you make.

Finally some apples are more resistent to blight than others. Plant the kind that grow best in your area. I live in the deep South and prefer Granny Smith.

Good luck with your apples.

-- Rags in Alabama (RaggedReb@aol.com), July 19, 2000.