A Surprising Way to Stop FIRE BLIGHT!

Plus additionally helpful tips to prevent and treat the disease!

[@wendyfarmer4860]

Was told by local ag extension educator to cut the infected part and clean tools as you go. But my tree has more infections traveling. I am going to try your approach - it has lot of green leaves. I don't think it will bear fruit this year but my tree next to it will have plenty to pick.

[@bartsexton1652]

I’m so glad your video popped up , I have two out of my three apple trees with fire blight . And I was going to cut it back . So now I’m going to wait .

[@barbarahux8278]

Very interesting advice. Two of our apple trees got badly damaged by voles. One of them got fire blight, which starts quite low on the trunk. Cutting it would leave a short stump. I'm gonna try your strategy and see what happens. The nearby Liberty apple tree had even worse damage to the trunk and is fire blight free so far. Since then we've added fine wire cages around all of our fruit trees. Hopefully they will be safe this winter.

[@philomenabrabazonobroin5236]

If elstar is grafted to your trees it is GMO. It is found in a lot of multiple types grafted together

[@nobodyreally8441]

Perfect timing. Was about to go and amputate my poor tree.

[@SowGoodGardener]

GREAT information! I’ve been trying to prune it out of my two apple trees (Golden Delicious & Granny Smith) for weeks now and it keeps coming back. I’m officially done with that method after watching your video. I have new growth all over them and I’m just going to let nature take its course. Thanks for sharing and stay blessed! #newsub -Calvin

[@TheIntegratedGarden]

Thanks, Calvin. Yeah, it is nerve-wracking and very upsetting making these cuts and watching your tree slowly diminish. Totally hear you. I realized that, although this is not perfect or guaranteed at all either, the tree has a much better chance of fighting and surviving, all without me having to butcher it in the process! Bless you too, friend. -Evan

[@satt131313]

I have some Red and Golden delicious trees. They are supposed to be resistant to blight. One Red got fire blight. For two years now I have just watched it in the growing season as it would start on the ends or branches but only kill about 8” of the end of a branch and stop. A line would form on the branch where it stopped. That winter I would cut down close to where it stopped and next spring the branch would be fine and fork off again growing just below where the blight killed the end. I haven’t done anything else. None of the other trees has gotten blight yet but I’m careful not to use the same tools I used on the infected tree on the uninflected ones.

[@TheIntegratedGarden]

That's awesome. Major props for figuring that out on your own. It shows that carefully observing our plants and trees is so vital to gardening well. :)

[@markblumhardt]

Thank you for the info. I’m in Parker at 6100 ft and after Home Depot and Costco failures, I re-started with the Stark bare root Liberty, Freedom and Cortland triad. They are still too young to produce fruit, but fingers crossed they do well in the next couple years. I’m training the limbs, but will keep the shears in the garage if something is amiss.

[@TheIntegratedGarden]

Nice! I got the Freedom and liberty at Stark as well. The Liberty is the oldest one -- I believe 3 or 4 years old and is producing nicely.

[@jeaniegobin1375]

Thank you sir for the information I'd like to see the tree now a year later. Is there an update on this video. Bless you.

[@TheIntegratedGarden]

@@jeaniegobin1375Unfortunately my beloved apple tree is gone due to a sewer backup we had, and the emergency work that followed immediately after. A plumbing company excavated an 8-ft deep trench (right under the apple tree) out to the street to get to the pipe. Lost the tree, as well as a huge reset on about half of our food forest. We are planting more things in its place, and seeing new life already. Thank you for asking, and bless you too, sir.

[@CraftEccentricity]

Awesome info! Thank you!🥰 I'm tackling greasy spot on my citrus at the moment

[@TheIntegratedGarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@SarasBites]

Thank you for this video! My newly transplanted pear tree has severe fire blight already. Will leave it alone bc fungicides haven’t helped at all. In Houston TX

[@TheIntegratedGarden]

Right! Unfortunately there is always a chance that this will not work either, but I am finding that it is better than doing other things we are typically taught, as those DEFINITELY do not work, and make things worse, very quickly. With this way you are at least giving your tree a fighting chance. I wish you (and your pear tree) the best.

[@SarasBites]

@@TheIntegratedGarden thanks so much! Wish you the best as well.

[@satt131313]

Fire blight is not a fungus but a bacteria.

[@socloseagain4298]

Nature is truly amazing! 🙂

[@abennett0695]

I'm going to try this with our orchard that got terrible fire blight last year. Unfortunately a local orchardist had come earlier and did a severe prune of our trees. I see that the trees did not scab over where they cut. Can I put something on those cut ends that didn't scab to protect the trees?

[@TheIntegratedGarden]

Right on. As far as applying tree wound dressing is concerned, I'm honestly not sure, only because I have heard multiple arguments for and against it. Apologies if that is less than helpful. Generally though, it is important that these open wounds are pretty sealed by the time things start to heat up, it would definitely be a consideration.

[@andyroubik5760]

How long before removing the dead branches? Thanks!

[@johnplatt4848]

I would remove next time the tree is dormant. I was thinking the same thing when he said that was from two years ago?

[@shutinalley]

Wish i saw this earlier. I slaughtered a peach an apple and two blueberries. Heard somewhere that it could spread to other trees. Hope we figure this out.

[@TheIntegratedGarden]

Hmm. Peaches and blueberries actually do not get fire blight, so I wonder if you are struggling with another type of fungal disease on those.

[@shutinalley]

@@TheIntegratedGarden I'll try and get pictures.

[@petuniahead9982]

Interesting

[@randydaigle]

What if you seal the cut with bees wax so no blight can enter?

[@TheIntegratedGarden]

That may help!

[@MoparRob440]

I have a question about it entering through the wounds. I thought it only entered through the flowers? It can also enter through wounds?

[@michelbisson6645]

very good