Ensuring Success with Your Black Hills Crabapples
Welcome to Black Hills Gardens! The ‘Red Splendor’, ‘Siberian’, and ‘Midwest’ crabapples you’ve purchased are beautiful, hardy choices for our region. While every crabapple can be susceptible to fire blight disease, proactive care ensures your tree remains healthy and beautiful for years to come.
A Note on Fire Blight: Fire blight is a bacterial disease that causes branches to look “burned” or “scorched”. The varieties we carry require extra vigilance in management compared to highly resistant options.
Variety Specifics
‘Midwest’ Crabapple
Resistance Profile: Highly resistant to fire blight.
This variety is extremely hardy and a top performer in harsh Upper Midwest climates. It’s a very reliable choice with minimal disease concerns.
‘Red Splendor’ & ‘Siberian’ Crabapples
Resistance Profile: Moderately susceptible to susceptible.
These beautiful trees require a bit more vigilance. Their susceptibility to fire blight means following the care instructions below is essential for long-term health.
Care Plan: Proactive Practices for Success
1. Site Selection & Planting (Prevention)
- Sun & Airflow: Plant in a sunny location with good air circulation. A healthy, sunny canopy is more resistant to disease.
- Avoid Excess Nitrogen: Only fertilize when necessary. High nitrogen promotes rapid, vulnerable new growth. A balanced, slow-release option is best.
- Proper Watering: Water deeply to reduce stress, especially in the first year. Avoid getting the leaves wet during bloom time.
- Mulch: Use a 2-4 inch layer of mulch to maintain consistent soil moisture.
2. Ongoing Maintenance (Management)
- Monitor Regularly: Keep an eye out for black, burned-looking branch tips, especially during warm (75°F-85°F), wet weather.
- Sanitation: Keep the area clean. Wounds on the tree from insects or physical damage are entry points for bacteria.
3. Pruning & Disease Action
- Prune During Dormancy: The safest time to prune for shaping is late fall or winter when bacteria are inactive.
- Act on Infections: If you spot fire blight (blackened branches) during the growing season, prune at least 12 inches into healthy, green wood below the visible infection.
- Crucial: Sanitize Tools: Disinfect pruning tools between each cut with a 10% bleach solution or 70% rubbing alcohol to avoid spreading the bacteria.
- Destroy Debris: Remove all infected branches from your property (burn or trash) immediately.