Question
I have a much beloved crab in the middle of our small garden, and for the past four years it has had fire-blight.  I want to do everything I can to save it.

My neighbor has just cut down all three of their crabapples becasue they had the fireblight.

For the past two years, around the end of July and during August, when the fireblight appears, I have had a tree company cut off the affected branches, washing the pruners in bleach after each cut.

Last spring and this spring, I have had three sprayings against the virus.  The same tree company, which has done the spraying, has warned me that it might not help, and last year even after the spraying one big branch had to go, but I love the tree so much I want to do everything I can to save it, so I am continuing the spraying.

I have three questions.

1) Should I ask the person who cuts my grass to use a blower every couple of weeks to blow up the dead leaves that fall on the ground because the leaves might spread the virus?

2) Will cutting the suckers around the trunk help (because it will send the tree's strength to the existing branches) or hurt (because every open cut makes the tree more vulnerable to the virus)?

3) I have heard that too much water is bad for crabapples.  I water the lawn around the crab for 20 minutes twice a week in the early morning.  Should I water less?

In addition, if you know anything else that might help, I would be very grateful.

Thank you!  

-- Obessed with my lovely crab in Cambridge Mass.

Answer
Dear Jane, This sounds like a very stubborn crab apple you have.  It is odd, because generally, when a tree gets fire blight, it doesn't recover.  Fire blight can affect any member of the rose family, of which apples, pears, and even red-tip photinia are members.  Usually what happens is that the fire-blight spray is applied BEFORE the tree gets fire blight.  Once the tree shows symptoms (foliage quickly turns brown as if it has been burned), it is usually too late to save the tree or use the spray, so I find it very unusual that your tree is still alive after repeated attacks.  OK, here's what I would do to try to save the tree.  Keep spraying on a regular schedule (I think the label recommends every 7-14 days; I would spray every 10) until the end of autumn when all the leaves fall.  Pick up and bag all the leaves that fall as soon as you can to avoid spreading the disease.  I would pull out the suckers, they are usually faster growing so would be even more susceptible to the blight. Don't fertilize!!! Keep fertilizer completely off this tree until the blight is completely under control if we can get it that way. You don't sound like you're overwatering, so I would probably keep that the same so long as the ground around the tree doesn't seem soggy.  OK, so basically, this year you're going to keep up the spraying, and be sure to cleanly cut any dead areas quickly.  If the tree makes it till next year, IMMEDIATELY start spraying as soon as you see leaves or the label instructs, and keep spraying throughout the year.  Fire blight has been horrible lately, and I know this will be a lot of work, but your tree seems just crabby enough to pull through.  Let me know if you have any further questions.  Good luck, Melissa