Piles of prunings are an important source of inoculum and should be removed from the perimeter of the orchard or burned. Prunings can be left on the orchard floor if they are chopped with a flail mower, which removes much of the bark and allows them to decompose faster. Removal of mummified apples and pruning out dead wood in the tree are important for reducing the inoculum within the tree. Pruning out current-season shoots infected with fire blight is also important, because they can be colonized and serve as an inoculum source during the same growing season. Any practice that helps to maintain trees in a healthy vigorous condition is critical for controlling the canker phase of the disease.
Cankers generally develop only on stressed or weakened trees.
Prune trees annually and maintain a balanced fertility program based on soil and foliar nutrient analysis. Cankers generally develop rapidly on winter-injured trees. The use of fungicides combined with good sanitation is beneficial for controlling the fruit rot phase of the disease. Fungicides are not effective for controlling the canker phase of the disease on weakened trees. Homeowners are encouraged to emphasize use of the previously described cultural practices in order to reduce or eliminate the need for fungicide use.