I planted 6 apple trees last Spring (April '17) and we had the worst, rainy, cool weather all summer long. At the tail end of the summer/early fall they put on a bunch of growth because the weather got a bit better, and that worried me.
I don’t know how I didn’t notice it earlier, but today I noticed my Blue Pearmain and one other tree (I think it was Keepsake) have fire blight. The Blue Pearmain has it the worst, and it’s infected in several areas, one being on the main trunk at the first scaffold (which is where I probably should have topped it when I put it in). It had a wound that was healed over when I got it, but I assumed it was from the cold/warm weather at the nursery. Now I wonder. Would the correct thing to do be to cut the main trunk under the FB below the first scaffold (it’s at least 24" off the ground) and spray with copper? Should I seal the wound after I make the cut?
This tree was large when I received it, it’s around an inch and a half in diameter at the trunk. I just want to try to salvage the tree if I can at this point. The other tree I think I can just remove the top, spray and be OK. I was planning on using copper (Kocide) when it warms up a bit (still snow and ice here in 4b). Am I on the right track?