?? Fruit tree care for fall and winter

FamilyGardening 9/17/2013, 2:27 pm

This is our first fall and winter for our new fruit trees.....a in ground peach...a 4 way apple and two cherries in wine barrels.......

our plum tree was here before we bought our home 17 years ago and we haven't done much with it as it hasn't seem to need anything....but a little bit of pruning here and there and each year we dump compost tea that's left over from gardening ......

so my question is.......is there anything special you do for your fruit trees in the fall/winter?.....any advice?

our peach tree gave us three wonderful fruit this year Very Happy

apple and cherry trees flowered and have put on a lot of new growth but no fruit....which we expected since they were just put in this year.....

plum tree..... we are just now harvesting .....lots of fruit again this year.....last year it was over a 100 pounds worth of fruit Very Happy

thanks, and happy gardening
rose

Triciasgarden 9/17/2013, 3:07 pm

My plum tree is about 15 years old. I love that tree! I don't do anything with any of my fruit trees for the winter. I did have them pruned in February or March. I have a plum tree, a pear tree and a apricot tree, all I planted myself. I love the idea of dumping compost tea! I hadn't thought of that.

plantoid 9/17/2013, 6:28 pm

Sometimes it's recommended to spray the various trees with a bug repellent or wash that knocks over wintering bugs & viruses that damage the tree on the head so the tree can safely over winter.

I'd look up the average productive life of your plum tree etc. .

Sometimes it's a good idea to get cropping replacements in hand several years before the original ones become unproductive or when you have to do some drastic pruning/ grafting to kick start the old roots .

southern gardener 9/17/2013, 6:44 pm

Rose, Paul from the BTE garden prunes his in January. He says to prune heavily in order to get more fruit. No branches should cross over our touch. He says the openings should be big enough to through a cat through! LOL! He does his in January, because that's when it's convenient for him Smile

good luck!

Triciasgarden 9/17/2013, 10:13 pm

Plantoid those are some good suggestions (as always), I think it would be good for all of us to check with our extension services to see what they recommend.

plantoid 9/18/2013, 3:20 pm

southern gardener wrote:Rose, Paul from the BTE garden prunes his in January. He says to prune heavily in order to get more fruit. No branches should cross over our touch. He says the openings should be big enough to through a cat through! LOL! He does his in January, because that's when it's convenient for him good luck!

If memory serves me correctly pruning the plum tree when the sap is rising is supposed to be better as the sap/resin seals & helps disinfect the cut , whereas if you do it in winter or as the sap is draining down water can get in and infection develops. It used to need various sealing compounds to be painted over the wound.

It also depends on the type of tree you want to prune as to the time you prune it in your local climate.

Some trees are already sending out, " develop bud messages " , even in deepest winter.

Do check carefully as many a tree is ruined for years by pruning at the wrong time.

southern gardener 9/18/2013, 3:57 pm

plantoid wrote:
southern gardener wrote:Rose, Paul from the BTE garden prunes his in January. He says to prune heavily in order to get more fruit. No branches should cross over our touch. He says the openings should be big enough to through a cat through! LOL! He does his in January, because that's when it's convenient for him good luck!
If memory serves me correctly pruning the plum tree when the sap is rising is supposed to be better as the sap/resin seals & helps disinfect the cut , whereas if you do it in winter or as the sap is draining down water can get in and infection develops. It used to need various sealing compounds to be painted over the wound.

It also depends on the type of tree you want to prune as to the time you prune it in your local climate.

Some trees are already sending out, " develop bud messages " , even in deepest winter.

Do check carefully as many a tree is ruined for years by pruning at the wrong time.

Thanks Plantoid. When we visited Paul, one of the people on the "tour" asked about pruning and various times etc etc. He said he is always told he's doing it "wrong", wrong time of the year, trimming the 'wrong" branches etc etc, but boy is his orchard amazing! The branches are loaded with fruit. There is more fruit than leaves on some of his trees. He also pointed out he never seals the wounds or anything. He says he feels it would seal IN any problems. I really don't know anything about any of this stuff, but all I can say is he's really got something going right!!

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?? Fruit tree care for fall and winter

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