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When should you prune a fruit tree? The answer might surprise you: it depends! In some places, winter pruning is best, but in places that get a lot of rain, summer pruning is best.
A few years ago, I was thrilled to have Joe from Raintree Nursery on the podcast. He shared what he knew about how to take care of fruit trees so they would be healthy and grow and produce the most fruit. What he said surprised me!
This post was updated in February 2022 to include the tips I’ve learned from using this pruning method for three years.
It is very important to know how to take care of your fruit trees in the fall and winter so that your orchard lasts and you get lots of fruit. Fall and winter care of fruit trees look different but each season is important.
Sam Benowitz opened Raintree Nursery in 1972 with the goal of bringing the best edible plants from around the world to the Pacific Northwest. It was Sam’s dream to make a place where American gardeners could get these plants and learn how to grow their own food. Joe, one of Raintrees experts and horticulturists, shares his knowledge today on fruit tree care.
Also, Raintree Nursery has locations all over the United States, and readers and listeners can get a 10% discount by using the coupon code “modernhomestead” when they check out.
Listen to the podcast episode, Episode #242 Fruit Tree and Bushes Fall and Winter Care of the Pioneering Today Podcast, or watch the video where I give a summary of what Ive learned since speaking with and implementing the practices Joe shared with me for my own orchard.
Fall is a crucial time for apple tree care. As the leaves start changing color and the weather gets cooler, it’s important to start preparing your trees for the dormant winter season ahead. Proper fall care will ensure your trees stay healthy and productive for years to come. In this article, we’ll walk through the key steps every apple tree owner should take in the fall.
Rake Fallen Leaves
One of the most important fall apple tree care tasks is raking up fallen leaves from under and around your trees. Apple trees, like most fruit trees, are prone to fungal diseases that thrive in the cool, damp weather of autumn. Leaves that are left to sit under trees can harbor these disease organisms, allowing them to overwinter and reinfect your trees next spring.
To prevent disease, be sure to
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Rake up all fallen leaves thoroughly under the canopy. Pull back mulch if necessary.
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Rake out leaves that fall between tree trunks in orchards
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Dispose of the leaves by burning, composting, or putting yard waste out for collection. Don’t keep decaying leaves near your trees.
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Keep raking throughout fall. Don’t just do it once—leaves will continue falling.
Taking the time to rake repeatedly can make a huge difference in the health of your apple trees. Preventing disease infestations stops problems before they start.
Avoid Late Season Fertilizing
It can be tempting to give trees a nutritional boost heading into winter, but late season fertilizing does more harm than good. Fertilizing encourages new growth, which won’t have time to harden off before cold weather arrives. This tender new growth is easily damaged by winter frosts and cold snaps.
The nutrients in fertilizers also stimulate sap production within the tree. This extra sap can lead to burst or cracked bark when it freezes, severely injuring the tree. Unless your tree had obvious nutrient deficiencies over the growing season, hold off fertilizing until spring.
Pick Apples Carefully
Apple harvest season overlaps with fall tree care. As you pick apples from your trees, be mindful of how you remove the fruit. Yanking apples off branches can damage next year’s fruit spurs. Apple spurs are the small nubs that form blossoms and fruit. Damaged spurs are less productive in future seasons.
Instead, carefully twist apples slightly as you lift them from branches. The stem should separate cleanly from the spur. Try to avoid damaging spurs as you harvest. Using a gentle touch prevents harming future yields.
Also, inspect apples as you pick and separate out any with signs of insects or disease. Dropping these flawed fruits on the ground can allow pests to overwinter in fallen fruit. It’s better to dispose of damaged apples properly.
Store Perfect and Flawed Fruit Separately
Careful inspection should continue after harvest. When storing apples for winter, be sure to:
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Keep perfect, damage-free fruit separated from flawed, insect-damaged fruit. The bad apples will accelerate spoilage in healthy fruit.
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Check stored apples periodically and remove any that start to show rot or decay.
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Discard apple debris from storage areas, which can harbor insect eggs and disease spores.
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Store apples in cool, humid conditions. The ideal is 32-40°F with 80-95% humidity.
Separate perfect apples from flawed ones before placing them into storage. This prevents one bad apple from ruining the bunch, keeping your harvest fresher for longer.
Wait for Spring Pruning
It’s best to hold off on any major pruning cuts on apple trees until early spring. Pruning stimulates new growth, which can be damaged by winter cold as mentioned earlier.
However, you can perform light pruning and removal of dead or damaged branches in fall. This includes:
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Pruning out water sprouts, suckers, and any branches rubbing against each other.
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Removing broken, diseased, or dead limbs back to the branch collar.
Save any major structural pruning or thinning cuts for early spring when trees are poised to handle renewed growth.
Control Fall Insect Pests
Fall is prime time for certain orchard pests like aphids and mites. These insects lay eggs on trees that allow them to overwinter and re-populate in spring.
To control them:
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Spray horticultural oil on trees to smother insect eggs. Concentrate on branch joints and cracks in bark.
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Hang sticky tracking bands around tree trunks to catch larvae crawling up to lay eggs.
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Apply neem oil spray to repel insects and disrupt their life cycles.
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Monitor for scale insects clinging to branches and treat with insecticidal soap.
Keeping insect pest populations down in fall means fewer problems when trees leaf out in spring.
Additional Fall Orchard Care Tips
Beyond the major points already covered, here are a few more tips for fall apple tree care:
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Water trees well before winter freeze sets in. This prevents dehydration damage.
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Paint trunks of young or thin-barked trees with white latex paint to prevent sun scald.
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Mulch around trees to insulate roots from hard frosts.
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Spray a dormant oil on trees just before buds open in spring to smother overwintering insects.
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Remove any mum plants from the orchard. They can spread harmful viruses to trees.
With proper fall preparations, your apple trees will emerge healthy and vigorous when warmer weather returns. Taking the time with fall tree care sets your orchard up for success.
Now you know how to fully care for apple trees as the seasons change. Follow these best practices, and you’ll be rewarded with abundant fruit year after year.
Care of Fruit Trees in Fall
Care of fruit trees in the fall is mainly leaving the tree alone. It is very important not to bother fruit trees because they are busy with many things. This is especially true if you want flowers next spring.
Fruit trees benefit from a general late fall cleanup of your orchard, however. Get rid of any fruit that’s still on the tree and pick up anything that’s on the ground.
Fruit Tree Disease Warning Signs
I already said it’s important to watch out for disease. But what should we look for? What are the early warning signs of disease?
10 Common Apple Tree Diseases and How to Treat Them
Is fall a good time for apple tree care?
While spring is the most obvious time for tree care, fall also provides an opportunity for crucial management practices that help ensure the health of the trees and the harvest going into next year. According to Nebraska Extension educator Sarah Browning, here is a list of fall do’s and don’ts when it comes to apple tree care.
How do you care for an apple tree?
A healthy, bountiful fall harvest is the result of apple tree care. Caring for apple trees means knowing how and where to plant them, how to prune and water them, and how to recognize the signs of insects or disease. In this article, we’ll give you an introduction to cover everything you need to get started with your own apple tree.
When do you pick apples off a tree?
You can usually begin to pick apples off your tree by the third year. If you get apples before in year 1 or 2, it’s a bonus. Just be sure if you do get apples in year 1 and 2, you are thinning the tree – or you will not allow the tree enough time to grow. Year 3 is also when you will typically begin pruning you tree.
Should I prune my apple tree in the winter?
There are a few things you should do to protect your apple tree during the winter. Don’t prune your apple tree in the autumn, as this will encourage growth right as the colder temperatures set in. Instead, aim to do your annual pruning in the late winter, just before your apple tree starts to bloom.
