The new year is here and so are the same old pests, or in this case, virulent bacteria. Welcome back, fire blight!
Luckily, January and February are the best times to apply preventative treatments for fire blight and other tree infections (including sycamore anthracnose), before the sweet spring growth allows them to settle in irrevocably. But take heed: treat for fire blight before the end of February! That means you should contact us NOW for a proposal and to get on the schedule.
Evergreen Pears Beware
In our area, the most common victim of fire blight is the evergreen pear, although we have also seen it affect the Bradford pear. This evergreen pear trees bloom early in the spring, which is partly what makes it so attractive to fireblight.
Contact us if you have evergreen pears on your property, even if you don’t know if they are infected (chances are, they are). Telltale signs of infections include clumps of brown, dead leaves and out of season defoliation.
Treatment
Fire blight is virtually impossible to eradicate but you can keep your trees looking good through a combination of preventative sprays and selective pruning to remove dead branches.
Fire blight thrives on new growth so it is critical not to fertilize or over-irrigate infected trees during the warmer months. Talk to your arborist about the proper care of your specific trees.