| Our flowering pear tree has not yet lost it's leaves from last year even with cold temperatures and 3 plus feet of snow. How will this effect this year's growth? |
| If the leaves are just hanging around, your tree should be fine, and the old leaves will fall off when new leaves begin to grow. If, however, the leaves look scorched, are withered, and are hanging straight down from the branches, you may be dealing with a disease called fire blight. Fire blight is caused by a bacteria and leaves on affected branches die suddenly. To control, prune out all diseased twigs and branches, disinfecting your pruning shears between each cut. You may be able to protect your tree against a second infection by spraying at 4-5 day intervals during the flowering season with a fixed copper based spray. |
