How do I heal the soil after cutting down a diseased tree?

Pat Watson Cole
by Pat Watson Cole

I had to removed a pear tree due to Fire Blight and I want to replant in the same area. How do I correct the soil around the tree base to ensure that the spores are gone and won't come back to re-infect whatever plant there?

  5 answers
  • Kristin Kristin on Feb 27, 2019

    Lots of proteins like maybe some eggshell water. I've know a few people that will put egg shells in a pitcher of water to soak for a couple days (smells bad but works good). Other option is to just throw your broken egg shells around that area. Get some good potting soil, add some what we call black cow manure or composted manure. Then get yourself a couple little containers of live worms from a bait store or a garden supply store. Put the worms in the area you are trying to heal. Let them cultivate and enrich the soil for a couple of weeks to see if it looks any better and then reintroduce a new tree.

  • Linda R Linda R on Feb 27, 2019

    I don't know what disease or if anything else in your yard can get the same thing. With that being said, your best bet is to remove as much of the stump as possible and discard it. Don't toss it aside or over the fence though. Make sure you dispose of it with your trash collection so it's no where near your house, just in case. And wrap it up well. Also wash your hands before touching any other plants, especially if they're the same type.

    If you can't get all of it out you're going to want to look up information on that disease, whether or not it can live in the soil, and for how long. Whether it does or not though, I'd treat the remains of the stump and the surrounding soil with the proper disease killing solution for whatever it is.

    Good luck!

  • Kelli L. Milligan Kelli L. Milligan on Feb 27, 2019

    I'd call my local nursery.

  • Ellis Ellis on Feb 28, 2019

    Find out what trees or shrubs are NOT susceptible to fire blight, and see if you would be happy with one of them.

  • Mindshift Mindshift on Mar 06, 2019

    All members of the rose family (Rosaceae) are susceptible to fire blight. Pears (genus Pyrus) are the most easily affected of the rose family. http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Rosaceae/

    While you can dose the soil with agricultural bacteriacide, it would be better to choose a tree from a different family. Don't try to replant with any of the genera in the above list.