Pests & diseases › Fire Blight
Fire Blight
Bacterial disease of apples, pears, and ornamental rosaceae. Branches look scorched as if by fire.
Symptoms
- Sudden wilting of branch tips, curled like shepherd's crook
- Blackened leaves still attached (not dropping)
- Looks like the branch was hit with a blowtorch
- Cankers oozing amber bacteria in spring
Lifecycle
Bacterial — spreads in warm humid weather, especially during bloom.
What to do
- Prune out infected wood at least 12 inches below visible damage
- Disinfect pruning tools between every cut (10% bleach or 70% alcohol)
- Bag and bin (not compost) all prunings
- Copper sprays during dormancy
If it's bad
- Streptomycin sprays during bloom (commercial growers only — homeowner use restricted)
Stop it coming back
- Resistant varieties: Liberty, Enterprise, Pristine apples; Magness, Moonglow pears
- Avoid excess nitrogen feeding
- Prune in dry weather only, never during wet conditions
Crops it goes for
Plan the plot, track every sowing, cook the harvest
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.