Fire Blight

• Fire blight is caused by Erwinia amylovora, a bacteria that thrives during the growing season of the pear tree. This tree can impact flowers, fruits, limbs and shoots of the pear tree.
  
  

Symptoms of Fire Blight

• The first symptom appears shortly after the tree blossoms. The blooms appear water-soaked and quickly change from a grayish-green color to dark brown or black. If the shoots become diseased, they turn black or brown at the tips and form the shape of a candy cane. These shoots may also ooze a sticky bacterial liquid.
  
  

Controlling Fire Blight

• The best way to prevent fire blight from damaging pear trees is to keep it from invading the tree. The application of streptomycin every five days from the time the pear tree first blooms is one way to prevent fire blight. If fire blight has already infected the tree, the affected limbs need to be pruned 6 inches below the diseased area. After pruning the plant, it is necessary to sterilize the shears to prevent the spread of the disease.
  
  

Entomosporium Leaf Spot

• Entomosporium is caused by a fungus and can occur in the winter, fall, or spring. This fungus does not grow well in the hot summer months. Entomosporium disease spreads through the spores released by the fungus; symptoms can appear 10 to 14 days after the start of the infection.
  
  

Symptoms of Entomosporium Leaf Spot

• This fungus causes the green leaves of the pear tree to develop bright red spots on both sides of the leaf. Spores from the fungus that causes these spots can often be seen on the spots themselves. Though initially these spots only cause cosmetic problems, they can cause leaf drop if the disease progresses.
  
  

Controlling Entomosporium Leaf Spot

• One of the best ways to control this disease is to make sure that the pear trees are spaced far enough apart so the spores will not travel from one tree to another. It is also important to make sure that the tree is not overly wet because those conditions promote the growth of fungus. If the tree has already been affected, pruning is required.