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If this year’s crop is thin, or non-existent, chances are the trees will bloom heavily next spring, and require thinning to get them back on schedule. Unfortunately, hand thinning is still the best option for homeowners. Commercial growers have chemicals that thin apples, however, it is a tricky and variable process. There are no chemicals that thin peaches and other stone fruits.
One disease that did affect many backyard orchards last year was fire blight. It only affects apples and pears, not peaches, cherries and plums. Fire blight is caused by a bacteria and kills the new growth from branch tips down. It can also kill the fruiting spurs. Infection takes place during and immediately after bloom, but symptoms do not usually appear until mid-May to early June.
All dead fire blighted wood should be cut out of trees, preferably by sterilizing the pruning shears with alcohol or bleach between each cut. The bacteria over winters on cankers and oozes out during bloom season and spreads. Since fire blight is caused by a bacteria, it is not affected by the normal sprays homeowners use to control insects and diseases.
Fire blight is controlled With streptomycin sulfate, which can be a hard product to find. It would be a good idea to use it this year on trees that were affected last year. One spray during full bloom and one at petal fall should prevent the disease from recurring. Some stores sell streptomycin in small bottles and simply call if Fire blight Spray. Directions are on the label and easy to follow. Some farm supply stores carry
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