8 Simple Tips You Should Follow for Your Biggest Fruit Tree Harvest Yet

For fruit trees harvested late summer into autumn, now is the best time to start preparing them for abundant yields next year. Here are 8 tasks for your home orchard ‘to-do’ list to keep trees in top condition for next harvest season.

Rake Up Leaves and Fallen Fruit

Discourage insect and animal pests by keeping the area around your tree debris-free during the winter months. After leaves drop, rake them up along with any fallen fruit.

Check for mummified fruits remaining on the tree and remove them. Be careful to avoid damaging spurs, which produce next year’s fruit. Disease-free debris can be added to the compost pile. Otherwise bag refuse for disposal.

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Water Deeply

Fruit trees need plenty of moisture to see them through the winter months. Wait until trees shed their leaves, then water deeply. Aim to moisten soil to depths of two feet or more. Continue to water regularly until temperatures drop below 45°F.

Fertilizing late in the season with nitrogen-based formulas stimulates new growth vulnerable to winter damage. Fruit trees benefit most from NPK fertilizers applied in late winter and early spring.

In most cases, it’s okay to apply micronutrients to foliage after harvest. If necessary, you can also make adjustments to soil pH.

Take soil and tissue samples to your local extension office for testing to find out if your fruit tree requires treatment.

Autumn pruning exposes fruit trees to winter damage. Open wounds heal slowly, increasing vulnerability to disease and insect pests. Fall pruning also stimulates new growth likely to suffer damage from cold.

Once leaves have dropped, it’s easier to identify diseased and dead branches, which can be removed. Limit any pruning to these problem areas and wait until mid to late winter to prune your tree for size and shaping.

Reinforce Stakes and Supports

Young trees and saplings benefit from staking to maintain straight, upright growth while the root system establishes. Autumn is a good time to make corrections to leaning trees and add, adjust, or reinforce staking systems.

Protect Against Sunscald and Animal Pests

Rabbits and deer target young trees, causing considerable damage. Male deer rub their antlers against the bark, shredding it and leaving behind open wounds. Deer also eat young, tender branches and leaves. Rabbits eat tender bark near the base of young trees.

Damage encircling the entire trunk is called girdling, which interrupts the flow of water and nutrients, often causing loss of the tree. Cage young fruit trees or use plastic or wire sleeves to discourage animal pests.

Winter sunscald occurs when sunlight warms bark on young trees, which then freezes when temperatures drop overnight. Temperature fluctuations cause rapid expansion and contraction, resulting in sunken spots and damage on the southeast side of the trunk. To protect against sunscald, whitewash the trunk or wrap it in light colored paper.

Mulch

Organic mulch protects tree roots, holds moisture and heat in the soil, discourages weeds, and adds nutrients. Many types of mulch are available, including some created particularly for fruit trees, but the most affordable are leaf mold and straw.

Add a layer 2 to 3 inches thick in a circle around the base of the trunk. Ideally, spread mulch out to the drip line, but 3 feet out is sufficient for larger, more mature trees. Leave 6 inches of open space around the trunk to prevent damaging bark and inviting disease.

Treat With Dormant Oil

Dormant oil protects fruit trees from insect pests and disease. It can be applied in late autumn into early winter and again in late winter/early spring. Sprays control a number of fruit tree pests by eliminating overwintering adults and eggs.

Wait until leaves have fallen in autumn. Apply dormant oil spray only when no rain is forecast and temperatures remain above freezing for the following 24 hours. Water well the day before. Coat branches and trunk thoroughly.