Autumn may signal the end of the growing season, but it’s also the time to do a few fruit tree tasks. Read on to learn how to care for fruit trees in fall so they wake up next spring healthier, stronger, and more productive than ever. Discover how to protect fruit trees over the cold months, prevent future pest and disease problems, and plan for next season.
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Fall might be my favorite gardening season – everything seems to move a little slower, there are fewer pest problems, and the scorching heat of summer is starting to give way. But it’s not quite time to hang up your gardening gloves yet. Time to do few essential things to do for your fruit trees.
Fruit trees still have a lot of work to do in the fall even though most of the growing is done for the year. Autumn is a great time for root growth, as trees slow down growth of leaves and shoots. Many fruit trees are ready for harvest in the autumn, like persimmons, apples, and pomegranates. And as the weather cools, deciduous fruit trees start slowing down their metabolism to save up energy to protect themselves from the cold.
Fruit trees may not need much help to go into dormancy, but there are plenty of things you can do to ensure better health and productivity come spring. Fall is the time to focus on soil health, protecting trees from potential cold injury, and preventing future pest and disease problems. Follow this checklist (don’t worry – most of these are quick and easy!) to help your fruit trees maximize their winter rest.
1. Clean Up
One of the best things you can do is to clean up around the tree. Rake up all leaves, twigs, and fallen fruits. Pests love to hide out and lay eggs in the detritus on the ground, and diseases can overwinter on plant tissue, ready to spread come spring.
While you’re at it, remove weeds and grass as well. The fewer hiding places there are for pests, fungus, or bacteria, the fewer issues you’ll have next year. If you think there may be disease or pests present, dispose of the debris in the trash, rather than the compost pile.
2. Harvest Fruit
This may seem obvious, but it’s worth including on the checklist. Keep an eye on fall-bearing fruit trees so you harvest at the perfect time. Citrus fruits, for example, are typically ready for picking throughout the fall and winter, depending on the variety. Persimmons could be ready as early as September or as late as March.
Remove any diseased, dead, or “mummified” fruits that may still be clinging to the tree. These are an open invitation for pests, so removing them promptly will help prevent future issues. Dispose of diseased fruits somewhere other than the compost pile.
Check out the following posts to learn the right time to harvest fall-bearing fruits:
- Picking Perfect Figs: How to Tell When Figs are Ripe
- When to Pick Persimmons (Including Harvesting Chart!)
- Picking Perfect Pomegranates: How to Know It’s Harvest Time
3. Spray
The first key time for preventative spraying is just before or right after leaf drop. Spray with an organic copper fungicide (I like Liqui-Cop) to prevent leaf curl, brown rot, canker, blight, and other fungal and bacterial diseases. Wait to apply until the weather is above 40°F and there’s no rain in the forecast for the next few days.
Related: Dormant Peach Tree Spraying: What, When, and How to Do It
Generally, leaf fall happens around the first freeze. If needed, spray again about a week later to be sure the tree is completely covered. The idea is to spray now before any heavy frost comes because the bark will contract with colder weather, sealing in organisms that will wake up and spread in spring.
*Note: Not everyone has the same disease and pest pressures. There’s no need to spray if your trees don’t actually need it. Check with your local extension service to find out which pests and diseases tend to be a problem for fruit trees in your area.
4. Mulch
Mulch is a superhero in the garden – it insulates the root zone, blocks weeds, prevents excessive moisture loss from the soil, and improves the soil over time as it breaks down. Applying a layer of mulch in the fall is a simple way to protect fruit trees.
Use a natural material that won’t compact too much over the winter, such as shredded leaves, conifer bark, wood shavings, pine straw, or compost. You can even pile up snow around the tree, which will insulate the ground from temperatures below freezing. Leave a few inches of space around the trunk, however – material heaped around the base of the trunk could invite pests or rotting.
Every fall, I rake up much of the leaves and pine needles that have fallen in my yard (I live in the Pineywoods of East Texas) and run them over with the lawn mower. I spread this shredded mulch around my fruit trees – it’s lightweight enough not to get compacted, but dense enough not to blow away in the winter wind.
5. Protect from Sunscald
The fluctuating temperatures of winter could lead to damage from sunscald, especially on young fruit trees. Sunscald occurs when the tissue under the bark warms up and becomes active during the sunny day, then gets damaged by the intense cold at night.
There are several ways to protect young trees from sunscald damage. Paint the trunk with a reflective plant-safe paint such as IV Organic Tree Guard (you can also use watered down white latex paint at a 50-50 ratio). Or, use a burlap or fabric tree wrap tape – I prefer a white wrap such as this one because it will reflect the sun better.
Pay special attention to the south side of the plant, as that’s where the sun hits most strongly. If you choose the paint method, repaint every couple of years. I have used both the paint and the tree tape, and both have worked to prevent sun damage over the winter.
6. Protect from Wildlife
Rodents, rabbits, deer, and other animals love to gnaw on the soft bark of young trees, especially over the winter. Damage to the trunk leaves the soft tissue underneath exposed to pests, disease, or cold damage. Take precautions now to prevent your trees getting chewed up.
Both the IV Organics Tree Guard and the tree wrap above are good options to prevent not only sunscald, but rodent damage as well. (The Tree Guard paint also protects against insects). Another option is placing a plastic or metal cage like this one around the tree. This type of cage will also act as a barrier so the tree doesn’t get damaged by a stray string trimmer or mower.
7. Don’t Fertilize
Fall is generally not the time to fertilize your fruit trees. They need to slow down growth to store up energy and go dormant for the winter. Fertilizing – especially with a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer – may cause the tree to send out a flush of tender new growth that can easily be damaged by the cold temperatures.
Instead, focus on soil health. In the early fall, add a layer of compost around the tree, which will become incorporated into the soil and add beneficial microbes and nutrients. Compost does contain nitrogen, but typically not at a high enough concentration to kickstart tree growth.
Be careful about using lawn fertilizer (which is typically high-nitrogen) close to any fruit trees. If you must feed your grass, avoid spreading it under the tree canopy. Leave at least a 10-foot radius around the tree free of fertilizer.
8. Hold off on Pruning
Don’t pull out the pruning shears just yet. It’s best to avoid pruning fruit trees in the fall, because open pruning wounds are susceptible to cold damage, insects, or disease. Also, many fruit trees have already started forming their fruiting buds for next year, so heavy pruning at this point could diminish next year’s harvest
What you can do is take the time to clean, sharpen, and properly store your pruning equipment. You probably will need your shears, loppers, and saw at the end of the winter or early spring – which is a great time to do any necessary trimming. Might as well make sure they are ready.
Learn more: Simple Ways to Clean and Maintain Your Pruning Tools
Remove dead or damaged wood at any time during the year. It’s better to relieve the tree of dead wood than leave it so insects can make it their winter home. Trim broken branches cleanly, but try to avoid heading cuts (cuts flush with the main branch or trunk) until spring, as these leave bigger wounds.
9. Water Before a Freeze
As the weather gets even colder, watch the forecast for below-freezing temperatures. A simple way to help prevent cold damage is to water fruit trees deeply before a freeze. The water acts as insulation around the roots, preventing the ground temperature immediately around the tree from dropping below freezing.
The best way to water deeply is to allow a hose to trickle over several hours, moving it occasionally so the entire root area is covered. This is especially important for young or newly planted trees, since their root systems are more sensitive to stress.
10. Make a Plan for Potted Trees
If, like me, you have some potted fruit trees, be sure to plan where they will be spending the cold months. Citrus and other sub-tropical and tropical fruit trees can only tolerate cold down to a certain (not very low) temperature. Move these cold-sensitive potted trees inside, or to an insulated garage or shed, before the temperatures drop too low.
Deciduous trees grown in containers may also need some protection, even if they are cold tolerant. Since the root ball is in a pot rather than in the ground, it will be more sensitive to cold. Move these potted trees to a protected location, such as near a fence or wall where they are protected from the wind, or into an unheated garage or shed. You can also wrap the pot with some insulating material, like frost cloth, to prevent the root ball from freezing.
11. Plant New Fruit Trees
Now we’re on to the fun stuff. Fall is an excellent time to plant fruit trees and give them a head start for next year. Trees planted in the fall have the advantage of mild temperatures and less pest pressure, while still giving them time to get used to their new home before winter hits.
Especially if you live in a hot climate with long, mild autumns, planting in fall is far better than planting in spring. Young trees will have a much harder time making it through scorching summer temperatures, and they will need a lot more water to do so. But if you plant early enough in the fall, the tree will be well established in time to go dormant for the winter.
Plant fruit trees at least 6 weeks before your first frost date (find yours here) to make sure they are settled in before winter. Water well the first several weeks and be sure to spread a thick layer of mulch around the tree (leaving space around the trunk) to insulate the young roots and retain soil moisture.
I buy many of my fruit trees from Nature Hills Nursery Online (when I can’t find what I’m looking for at my local garden center), including the ones I’m planting this fall. I highly recommend them for quality, price, selection, and customer service. Shop from this link to support The Fruit Grove. Thanks!
12. Look Ahead to Spring
Set yourself up for the next gardening season by doing a few things now. If you haven’t done it in a while, test your soil now to see if it needs any amendments. Use a simple soil test like this, or check your local extension service to find out if they do soil testing. If you need to lower the soil pH (such as around blueberry bushes), now is the time to add a sulfur-based acidifier (I’ve used this one) so it has time to break down before the growing season.
Even if you aren’t planting this fall, go tree shopping now! Many nurseries have great sales in the fall, and you can pre-order fruit trees for spring shipping. Online nurseries will quickly run out of stock of bare-root trees (which are cheaper and less prone to transplant shock), so order now for the best selection.
And finally, dream a little. Wander around your garden and look for ways to incorporate more edible plants. Do you have ugly shrubs that need replacing? A bare spot that’s just right for a dwarf nectarine tree? Or maybe a corner of the patio that would be perfect for a potted citrus tree? Fall is a wonderful time to take stock and make future garden plans.
Fall Care for Berries, Vines, and Other Fruiting Plants
Fruit trees aren’t the only plants that need a little fall attention. Below is a quick list of items to do for your other fruiting plants, such as berries and vines.
Blackberries & Raspberries
- For summer-bearing varieties, remove any dead floricanes in the fall as soon as fruiting is done. These are the canes that produced fruit this year. Once they are done fruiting, the canes will die. Prune the spent canes right at soil level once the plant has finished fruiting.
- For fall-bearing varieties, wait to prune until late winter. At that point, either cut all of the canes down to the ground (which means you will get one bigger crop of fruit in the fall), or cut only the 2nd-year canes down to the ground (so you’ll get two smaller crops, one in summer and one in fall).
- If you live in a cold climate with harsh winters, protect your blackberry and raspberry plants with mulch. Detach the canes from any supports and lay them on the ground. Cover with a heavy layer of mulch (or snow) to insulate them. In the early spring, remove the mulch and reattach to the supports.
Learn more: The Ultimate Guide to Pruning Blackberries (+ Video)
Strawberries
- In the early fall, fertilize with a phosphorus- and potassium-forward fertilizer (avoid too much nitrogen).
- In the late fall, insulate strawberry plants over winter with a thick layer of lightweight mulch like straw, pine needles, or shredded leaves.
- Remove the mulch in the spring to allow the plants to grow.
Blueberries
- Check the soil pH with a simple test to see if it is in the optimum range for blueberries (4.0-6.0).
- If needed, amend the soil with sulfur to lower the pH. Follow package instructions exactly!
- Mulch around blueberry plants with pine straw, pine bark, shredded leaves, or a combination of these materials.
- Also mulch potted blueberry bushes and move them to a location that’s sheltered from the wind. Keep them outside so they can go dormant (unless there is a very heavy freeze predicted).
Grapes & Other Vines
- For grapevines, remove any remaining fruit that’s still attached to the vine, especially after the leaves have fallen.
- Wait to prune until the end of winter or early spring.
- Mulch heavily around semi-tropical vines (such as passion fruit) to insulate the roots over the winter. Allow the vines to go dormant.