Whitetail Crabs 2026

[TonySoprano]

I'm almost certain your pictures show fireblight, and on that third one it has gone well past the blossom into the new wood on this year's growth. Shown below is a tree in my yard that has a mild case of blossom blight like I was talking about earlier. This is on a Summer Champion cultivar, Note how that it got some of the blossoms but not all, and it doesn't go into the wood. You can see an apple on one blossom but blight on one nearby.

PS - I can't explain the weeds like you were talking about. Maybe that damage is something else.

View attachment 92197

Thanks , will the tree live , and should I cut that damaged part out ?. I've been planting bare root trees maybe 8-9 years , and this is the first time I've had this happen on young trees (planted last year) . Plus for some reason my 3rd Death Wish tree is totally clean.

 

[Native Hunter]

Thanks , will the tree live , and should I cut that damaged part out ?. I've been planting bare root trees maybe 8-9 years , and this is the first time I've had this happen on young trees (planted last year) . Plus for some reason my 3rd Death Wish tree is totally clean.

I think it will live, but I can't say for sure. Young susceptible cultivars often do die from FB.

You need to go at least 6 inches below the visible dead wood and cut off that part. Either carry the dead part far away or burn it. If you make several cuts on different limbs, I also recommend rubbing alcohol on the pruners between cuts.

Fireblight can range from severe to nonexistent from one year to the next. They say the ideal conditions are warm weather around 70 degrees that is humid, or rainy spring weather. However, it sometimes doesn't follow that pattern. We are extremely dry this year, but the disease is at least what I would rate as moderate.

As I stated earlier, some cultivars will improve resistance as the tree ages. I had a Brushy Mountain Limbertwig that got it a lot when young but it gained a lot of resistance as it matured. I also believe the same thing is happening with my Virginia Crab. However, there is no guarantee that will always happen.

Regarding the third Death Wish, it is probably clean due to luck. For some reason the bacteria just missed it this year.

Best Wishes.