FIREBLIGHT

Fireblight is a bacterial disease that kills the shoots of apples, pears giving the plant the appearance of having been scorched by fire.

 

Fireblight infects members of the Rosaceae family including apples and pears; also includes Cotoneaster, Sorbus, Crataegus (hawthorn), Photinia (syn. Stransvaesia) and Pyracantha.

Fireblight does not infect stone fruits, such as plums, cherries, peaches and nectarines.

Symptoms:

Prune out and burn infections promptly, peeling back the bark to reveal the reddish-brown staining and cutting back 30cm (1ft) to healthy wood in smaller branches, 60cm (2ft) in larger ones. Wipe pruning tools with disinfectant (Jeyes Fluid or methylated spirit) between cuts to avoid spreading the bacteria. Remove secondary, late blossoms before they open.

Hawthorn hedges can be a source of infection.