Eastern Filbert Blight

Eastern filbert blight causes cankers that girdle and kill branches on hazelnut. You see branch dieback and sunken cankers on infected wood. The disease is serious for filbert production in the region. Remove infected wood and maintain good sanitation.

Remove blighted tissue promptly, cutting well below visible symptoms. Improve air circulation by thinning dense growth. Avoid overhead watering, especially during bloom and new growth periods when tissues are most susceptible. For recurring problems, preventive fungicide applications timed to protect new growth can reduce infection, but cultural controls should be your first approach.