Topic: Crab apple trees with Fireblight

[Digeroo]

 :( :( :( Does anyone know what to do about it.  Will it spread to my other apple trees.

[Linnea]

RHS advice on it

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=160

[Digeroo]

Many thanks for the link.  I have also read the stuff on the defra site.  They both seem to be rather short on what to do about it when it affects the entire tree. 

I am gutted to loose Malus Profusion it is a large tree and has flowered its socks off for more than 26 years.  Now it has no green leaves at all.   Burning it will be a major task.

[Linnea]

from the advice of the RHS if you can find uninfected wood and cut back to that then it may recover.

Just cos it's leaves have died now doesn't mean that it won't put on a new set but the infection must be got rid of otherwise it'll just come back again

I know that's not much help but smaller trees can get bigger again re-infected could mean dead and passed onto others!

[gwynnethmary]

That's really sad!  I remember the horrible feeling of opening the bedroom curtains one morning to find our beautiful old apple tree filling the garden.  It was during the autumn gales that followed the '76 drought-I think the ground was just too dry and it couldn't take the wind.  I was devastated, and pregnancy hormones didn't help.  However, we planted three new trees and had a lot of pleasure from them over the years.  Hope there is something you can do to save yours!

[Digeroo]

I do not mind loosing one of crab apples too much, but would be gutted if my apple trees got it to.  I have a golden delicious, a discovery and a James Grieve as well as some smaller lidl trees, they keep us in apples for eight months a year. 

I am sure that the malus profusion will not recover there appears to be nothing living on it at all now, a couple of weeks ago it was covered in flowers.  Actually I think it has been dieing for years the trunk and branches have been splitting in a rather odd manner.  I have been surprised each year it has produced flowers and then leaves.