Flowering Pear Trees Dying

Question

I have three flowering pear trees in my yard, one is doing great and the other two are just about dead. The trees leaves started turning brown from the outside moving in. Now most are dead. What is the problem, and how can I fix it so that I can replace the trees?

Answer 1

You very likely have fire blight. One of the most obvious symptoms is brown edges on leaves that enlarge to the mid-rib, causing the entire leaf to be brown or rust colored. The following article discusses fire blight: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/fire-blight-remedies-and-symptoms.htm

Any part of a plant infected with fire blight should be removed and put in the landfill. Do NOT compost or burn, this only spreads the problem. If two of your three trees appear to be full of FB, I suggest removing all three and replacing with plants more resistant.