Fireblight in the UK

[Andrew Lea]

The following document on Fireblight in UK cider apples has been
produced by Angela Berrie the plant pathologist at East Malling.
Apparently it is for wider circulation and is to be handed out at Bath
and West next week. Could be of interest to any UK cider apple grower,
especially if this year's weather repeats 2012!

http://www.thethreecountiesciderandperryassociation.co.uk/assets/fireblight-note-B-and-W-2013.doc

Andrew

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Wittenham Hill Cider Portal
www.cider.org.uk

[gary]

It might also be worth checking out.

http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/publications/documents/factsheets/fireblight.pdf

These are being passed out by my plant health inspector.

On May 24, 10:16 am, Andrew Lea <y...@cider.org.uk> wrote:
> The following document on Fireblight in UK cider apples has been
> produced by Angela Berrie the plant pathologist at East Malling.
> Apparently it is for wider circulation and is to be handed out at Bath
> and West next week. Could be of interest to any UK cider apple grower,
> especially if this year's weather repeats 2012!
>

> http://www.thethreecountiesciderandperryassociation.co.uk/assets/fire...

[michael]

I note that East Malling recommend keeping adjacent hawthorn hedges well trimmed to prevent flowering.

I was recommended by locals in Herefordshire to trim my hedges in late May/June to prevent hawthorn flowering when fireblight was prevalent in the 1980's.

Unfortunately this clashes with advice from NSPB not to touch hedges in the bird nesting season,which is from mid-March to early September.I find this advice rather impractical as leaving a hawthorn hedge until September before pruning can create an enormous amount of prunings to gather up and remove.

A light trim at the end of May (keeping an eye out for nesting birds of course), followed by a prune in September is a far more sensible way to proceed in my opinion-and now backed by East Malling to prevent fireblight.

Michael

[Nick Bradstock]

For those in the UK

 

Commercial growers and farmers will know that there is a ban on hedge trimming at commercial enterprises in the UK from 1 March until September (not sure on the finish date).  This applies particularly if the grower/farmer is a beneficiary under the various single farm payment and stewardship schemes and the penalties for ignoring this are severe.

However, NACM has worked closely with NFU to point out the need for derogations in the case of fireblight.  Natural England has agreed this in principle and will consider applications with NFU support.  You do not necessarily have to be an NFU member.

If you are in the controlled group and think that you might have fireblight problems then please contact your local NFU office in the first instance.

Good luck

Nick

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[Rupert Best]

Thanks, Nick.

 

We have a full house for lunch on Thursday, with 68 Fruiterers and 22 O&C/Judges/Guests. Regret no room for Americans. I have you on a table with Ben Bathurst, Bryan Pickering (Master Cooper), Martin Pebody (2nd Warden of the Leathersellers), Martin Westwood (Clerk to Bakers) and wives, Alex Hill and Bob Price.

 

Rupert

[Nick Bradstock]

Thanks Rupert

That’s very generous of you.

I haven’t heard anything in reply to my welcoming email from the 2 Americans that said they were coming so they may not turn up.  If they do (I said they should make themselves known in the marquee) then I will take them off to the judges and stewards tent.

In case this is necessary, do you have an extra ‘judge’s guest’ badge to get them in?  I have my judges badge of course and 1 judge’s guest badge already.

Best wishesand see you next week!
Nick

[Alan Stone]

Hi nick - any problem I can help - if I am not in cider tent find me on Old Mill marquee by the main ring

Sent from my iPhone

[Mark]

Thanks for the information Andrew.

I have a few hawthorn bushes (well more like trees) in a hedgerow next to my orchard which are either in flower or will be imminently. Does anyone know whether it is worth cutting some of the branches off those that are already in flower or would that very much be a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted?

Thanks,

Mark

[Dries Muylaert]

The relation hawthorn-fireblight-apple/pear is not as straightforward as one might think. Field tests showed that hawthorn mostly gets infected by pear trees, not the other way round. Main carriers for the disease are pyracantha, cotoneaster sp., chaenomeles and some others. So, if you clip the hawthorn, do not feel oversafe, a small Japanese Chaenomeles in your neigbours garden can be far more dangerous.

- a biological preventive spray exists for fireblight, friend of mine who specialises in pears (has about 500 species) claims significant improvement

- main issue is to daily inspect your trees and to act if necessary

- you might want to avoid bee hives at the orchard if fb is a problem in your neighbourhood

.

 

yours,

Dries

2013/6/5 Mark <m...@rkbev.com>