07/31/2026
🍎 The best practice for dealing with fire blight is to inspect your tree regularly for "flagging"—a small branch or shoot where the leaves suddenly wilt and turn yellow, brown, or black while the rest of the tree remains healthy.
Once you spot a flagged branch, inspect it for dark brown or black, sunken bark where the healthy wood meets the infected wood. Prune the branch at least 12 inches (30 cm) below the last visible sign of infection, cutting back toward the trunk.
☝️ Be sure to disinfect your pruning shears after every cut, as the bacteria can spread easily from one branch to another. Unfortunately, there are no sprays or chemicals that will cure an active fire blight infection.
Dispose of infected branches by burning them (where permitted) or sealing them in a bag and placing them in the garbage. Do not compost infected material. Fire blight is a bacterial disease that spreads most easily through moisture, but it can also be carried by insects, birds, and wind-driven rain.
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