Apple tree bark looks charred. - Ask Extension
One of my apple trees has bark that looks charred. Is it fire blight? Something else? The tree has been heavily pruned to a flat surface on a ge...
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Apple tree bark looks charred. #230606
Asked March 12, 2015, 8:13 AM EDT
One of my apple trees has bark that looks charred. Is it fire blight? Something else? The tree has been heavily pruned to a flat surface on a gentle south slope. The damage seems to be mostly on limbs with heavy sun exposure.
Hampshire County Massachusetts
Expert Response
Hello,
First of all, prune out any dead and dying branches. Your third photo looks like a dead limb with much bark missing and holes in the wood. This branch needs removal.
The blackened areas do look like fire blight, but I can not be positive. If it is fire blight, it has had it for a while as the larger branches are involved. A classic sign of infection is crooked twig ends. This is a signal of early infections. Fire Blight is caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora . There is not cure for this disease, just pruning out of infected material and burn or dispose of in trash. Do not compost parts removed to reduce fire blight spores in the area
Carol Quish
First of all, prune out any dead and dying branches. Your third photo looks like a dead limb with much bark missing and holes in the wood. This branch needs removal.
The blackened areas do look like fire blight, but I can not be positive. If it is fire blight, it has had it for a while as the larger branches are involved. A classic sign of infection is crooked twig ends. This is a signal of early infections. Fire Blight is caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora . There is not cure for this disease, just pruning out of infected material and burn or dispose of in trash. Do not compost parts removed to reduce fire blight spores in the area
Carol Quish
