What is it? Fireblight is a bacterial disease that can affect many trees and shrubs, including Crabapples, Hawthornes, Pear, Photinia, Mountain Ash, and Firethorn. This bacteria is spread by insects and splashing rain during spring blossom time.
Symptoms: The leaves of the tree generally will appear to have a reddish- brown discoloring and be curled up.
Recommended Treatment: Although there is no preventative measure or available treatment for the fireblight itself. TruGreen can offer an insect and disease spray can help prevent the spreading via insects in the tree.
It is best the prune out the infected areas, sterlizing with denatured alcohol or a 10% solution of bleach after each cut as soon as possible. If fireblight goes untreated, it can move into the limbs, branches, and occasionally an entire tree could be killed by this disease.
We also recommend using proper watering practices, along with keeping your overall healthy trees by fertilizing in the spring and fall.