Fruit Gardening in Winter

Growing fruit is one of the most rewarding aspects of having a back garden/ allotment area. It is also one of the most cost-effective, as fruit is almost always more expensive to buy than it is to grow. The Winter months, surprisingly, are some of the most active times for fruit growing. Here are some of the things I'll be doing this Autumn

October
Order fruit trees and bushes for autumn delivery
Prepare planting sites
Control weeds around established trees
Place greasebands around apple and cherry trees to catch winter moths
Pick and store apples and pears as they mature
Cut out fruited blackberry and loganberry canes and train in new shoots
Spray cherries, peaches and nectorines.
Take gooseberry cuttings
Pick autumn-fruiting raspberries

November
Plant fruit trees and bushes. In inclement weather, store trees in a frost-free shed or heel them in outdoors. Soak dry tree roots before planting. Plant firmly and at the same depth as the trees were in the nursery.
Prune trees after planting
Complete work on heavy soils
Clear weeds from around established trees and bushes.
Start winter pruning established trees. BUT NOT cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums or damsons.
Check that ties are not cutting bark.
Cut out cankers and control wooly aphids.
Inspect stored fruit, and ripen pears at room temperature

December

Spray all fruit trees and bushes with tar-oil winter wash when dormant.
Continue planting in suitable conditions.
Continue pruning
Apply nitrogenous fertiliser to trees grown in grass
Cut back newly planted trees and bushes

Hopefully, with all this hard work - the fruit crop will be excellent next year