Fire blight

What you see

Blossoms and shoot tips wilt suddenly, blacken and bend into a shepherd's crook, looking scorched by fire; cankers weep in spring.

Conditions

Warm wet blossom time; enters through flowers and wounds; spread by bees, rain and pruning tools. A serious regulated disease in Rocha pear country.

Treatment

Prune strikes 30 cm below visible damage in DRY weather, disinfecting tools between every cut; bin or burn prunings. Severe cases: report/remove the tree.

Prevention

Copper at bud burst; avoid heavy nitrogen (soft growth is vulnerable); disinfect tools religiously; watch neighbours' trees.

Months: not recorded

Plants

Pear

Remedies

Not recorded — the field is blank rather than guessed.

The thing people get wrong

Not recorded — the field is blank rather than guessed.