North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[athagan@atlantic.net]

Is anyone else noticing fireblight worse than usual this year?

I'm trying to get a grip on whether I simply blew it by over
fertilizing or if there is more to my problem this year than was
first apparent.

I've got seven pear trees - four old mature trees, three I planted
four years ago - none of which have shown signs of fireblight in the
four years we've had the place but this year it hit six of the seven
to one degree or another.  

I know you're not supposed to fertilize pears heavily because it makes
them more susceptible and I *thought* I hadn't given them too much,
but maybe I did.  I've noticed some of the ornamental pears in town
though have signs of fireblight too though so now I'm wondering if
maybe our cool, wet Spring isn't responsible with perhaps my
fertilizing compounding the problem.

I spent a fair part of Saturday pruning and pruning and pruning and I
think I've gotten ahead of it all but it'll take another month or so
to know for sure.  

Anyone else having more problems than usual with fireblight this
year?

.....Alan.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent through Atlantic.Net Webmail.                           
  
Sick of pop-up ads and climbing prices?                                       
  
Visit www.atlantic.net to get pure Internet for $19.95/mo.