Pear Pear 1. Plant a tolerant variety. The more you prune, the more the growth which will be subject to fire blight.
Lush growth is ultra-susceptible to fireblight.
There is no spray that will prevent fruiting. Late summer defoliation will drastically reduce the amount of fruit produced the next year. Q. I have a Monterrey pear tree which I dearly love except for the fact that black leaves and blackened, dead branches appear on it every year. I have been told that this is fire blight. For these products to be maximally effective, the first spray should be applied at green tip.