Question
We live in Louisiana and planted a Bradford Pear last spring and this year the leaves looked like someone had set fire to it, we took it to our local nursery and they told us it was fire blight and that the only thing we could do is clip off the infected area and to dip the clippers in rubbing alcohol between clips and that would cure it. It is still coming back and we do  not want to loose this tree. We were also told by the nursery that you could not treat the tree if it was not in bloom. Do you have any suggestions.

Answer
Hi Melanie,
There are several control methods:
Plant varieties that are less susceptible to fire blight

When tree is dormant, spray with neem oil 100 percent pure by Dyna Gro, copper sulfate or bordeaux mix.

Eliminate fire blight by pruning diseased branches back at least 6 inches (cm) into tissue that looks healthy and removing diseased wood. To prevent spreading pathogens on infected tools, dip your pruning shears or saw in a diluted bleach solution (mix 1 part bleach to 5 parts water) after every cut. When you are finished, thoroughly disinfectant your tools in the bleach solution for several minutes.  kathy