Is this pear tree done for, and can the problem spread to other trees?

[daddy]

A buddy told me that it has fire blight, and to cut it down and burn it.
The first pic is of the pear from a distance, the second, close up of the damage with my apple tree in the background, and the third a close up of the apple. They bloomed real nice this spring, but the pear is looking bad. The healthy parts look fine, but the tips of the branches are about half screwed up.The apple still looks pretty good.

What should I do?

 

[daddy]

Surely someone knows what this is.

Anyone?

 

[pdqdl]

That does look like fire-blight, but I can't rule out other things. It looks widely spread in small spots all over the tree, which is not how fire-blight usually works, so I am not going to commit to that diagnosis.

Fire blight is rather uncommon in my area, so I seldom see it. Here is how it works: This is one of the few tree & shrub diseases that is caused by a bacterium. Once a branch is infected, the disease disturbs the cambium, and water and nutrient flow is disrupted. That branch dies quickly and looks like it was burned. Hence, the name.

Many plants simply wall off the infection, loose a few branches, and then get better. While there are some antibiotic treatments available, you are probably well advised to just prune out heavy damage below the damaged area, and hope for the best. Be sure to soak your pruner in bleach between every cut. This is definitely a disease that you can spread with your pruners.

 

[treemandan]

Same thing with our pear tree. I think it put out a lot of new foliage and since its been so hot and dry it had to shut some parts down to survive.

The whole top went out on mine but the rest is healthy. I watered it well and started cutting out the dead.

 

[Ax-man]

Your apple tree looks good and is much more prone to fireblight than a pear would be. If you had fireblight present the apple would be showing signs of the disease before the pear . Anything is possible, I am sure pear can contract fireblight

Fireblight is more a disease of the wood . The burnt leaves which it gets it name is an after effect. The first sign of fireblight is a peeling or small slits in the bark on the infected limb. As it progresses it kills the cambium and the wood underneath the cambium is exposed. Similar to a girdling canker only more elongated running sometimes the whole length of the infected limb. Eventually in time it will kill the host tree.

I personally have never seen fireblight on pear but I have seen scab on pear. Scab is a fungus that hits buds and leaves and this looks more like what you have but doesn't look quite right from the scab on pear that I have seen. . It is a little early for it to show up in our area. It is really hard to tell what you have without sending the infected plant parts out to a lab.

 

[daddy]

Thanks for the responses.

Interesting that you say apple is more prone, Ax-man. This all started last summer/fall, and the apple did show some signs, but the pears were, and are, definitely worse. The thing is, I am kind of partial to these trees, as I planted them with my pop when I was a kid.

I do have a nice looking walnut coming up behind that pear that could really use the room and sun... I planted it too...

I dunno, I can't easily prune out the affected areas, I'd need a lift.

My wait and see approach from last summer isn't panning out though.

I'd hate to go to all the trouble of pruning the whole tree, and have it die anyway.

Anyone else with two cents? I am really open to ideas. Thanks again.

 

[daddy]

pdql, you can spread it with pruners,

But, how does it spread on its own? If I did nothing.

 

[daddy]

Thanks for the link Treeco

I still am curious, how did this happen in the first place?

Airborn?

Insects?

 

[pdqdl]

I think there is a need for greater understanding. Apparently, how it spreads is not really too well known.

EPPO Conference on Fireblight

Here is the best info I have found on the topic. They have treatment and prevention recommendations:
Fire blight Fact Sheet

Wikipedia, as usual, is pretty good too: Fire blight - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[daddy]

wow.

I think there is a need for greater understanding. Apparently, how it spreads is not really too well known.

EPPO Conference on Fireblight

Here is the best info I have found on the topic. They have treatment and prevention recommendations:
Fire blight Fact Sheet


After reading that stuff, It looks kind of bleak.

I may just waste them, and start over...:msp_angry:

 

[pdqdl]

Wasting them would be a waste. You have an emotional investment in the trees; you should not let your fear of loss influence your judgment.

It doesn't hurt to try a little patience. For all we know, you have something completely different.

Do nothing, then watch and wait. If it turns out to be fireblight, do a little pruning, and a lot of waiting. Sometimes, the best treatment is tincture of time.

If whatever is afflicting your tree kills it outright, then cut it down, save the firewood, and use it to smoke some really good barbecue. Every plant comes to an end. Let it be a good ending.

 

[daddy]

Ok.

You're right. I guess I'll try some pruning when I get time.

Thanks for the help. I really do appreciate it.

 

[treemandan]

I didn't know pears where susceptible to FB. The one tree I have is about half gone, I noticed something wrong after Aspy came in and clipped it down a little.

 

[daddy]

Update...

Well, my pop came over today, and we looked at the trees a bit closer.
I didn't mention earlier that this pear is one of two we planted 30 yrs ago, and the other is affected also, but not as bad.
The blight got worse this past week, and any attempt at pruning it out would not leave any healthy leaves on it.

Dad mumbled something about the cycle of life, and told me to go get the saw.
I made three pruning cuts... The first two created a notch, and the third, a back cut. I'm confident that I got all the blight. I also found a pile of ants, and rot in the first crotch... It was doomed.

We had it cleaned up in about half an hour, and am now enjoying the view of the healthy walnut that the pear was hiding.

I left the other pear untouched, and will give it the wait and see for now. I am more partial to it anyhow. I am going to prune the apple a bit. It has some damage, but I think I can cut it out.

Wife took pics. Sorry she didn't get a better shot of the walnut. It is a really pretty tree.

The walnut really looks nice.