Fall duties

General Fruit Growing
#1

Could we pull together members list of fall fruit duties? I have read some spray schedules and other info but it would be helpful to pull it together. Most info is focused on petal fall, fruit, etc.

I try to double check peaches for borers and apply a Neem paste to the holes in case I miss them. I had significant borer damage one year when I put off this step until spring.

Michael Phillips suggests adding pea gravel around trunks.

I usually remove branch angle stretchers about now.

Thanks for your thoughts and reminders.

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#2

Fall is a pretty relaxed time of growing in my experience. Like you said spray dormant oil once it goes dormant. If you have young trees with no bark you can put that temperature tape around the trunk. Only nursery I felt putting that temperature tape on was needed is stark bros though. Most Dave Wilson sellers have big enough plants I really don’t feel need extra protection from the cold assuming they grow in my zone. I always mulch my trees in the fall as the mulch typically seems to have gone down throughout the growing season. Of course now in the fall is the time to be ordering and planning for next year. I went rather conservative last fall with just saying all I will buy is a few cherry trees. Issue was in January literally a few days into the year I wanted peaches so I ended up having to wait nearly 9 months to get the trees I wanted. I am still waiting for 1 peach tree.

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#3

Set and keep setting mouse traps. Wire them to a fence or they walk off. I like Jaws, as they can be left out year round. Mark the locations with bright tape on the fence. Inverted plastic pots over them protect the birds and your toes. In windy areas you might want wires on the pots, too. Hang or clip them higher on fence in growing season for ease in mowing. You mostly can catch mice and voles outside only in the fall.

Drain hoses. They can be left in place, but walk any water out of them. Unscrew from faucet.

Paint or wrap tree trunks to prevent “southwest injury.”

Spray deer and rabbit spray for a foot or two above where spiral guards or hardware cloth ends, in case of deep drifts over winter.

Run gas out of tillers, mowers. Mothballs also help repel mice, we were told.

Put enclosure of 6’ tall woven wire fence around each tree, if not already in place or orchard fenced.

Gather any fallen fruit that was missed.

Use lots of chicken wire on bushes and baby trees.

Don’t get carried away ordering stuff.

Clean bird houses, scrub and pack away hummingbird feeders, yellow jacket traps.

Don’t pick your apples too early.

Take down and store woven electric fence in mouse-proof location. Put away solar chargers, batteries.

Poke currant and gooseberry cuttings into the ground.

Be sure any grafts are securely labeled. Back it up with a chart.

Eat lots of apple crisp and cherry pie.

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#4

That’s the toughest one!

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#5

Good suggestions… FYI on this one though, I never drain from any small engines. They always crank just fine after half a year in storage. I use pure gas only though, no ethanol…

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#6

Making sure rabbit guards are in place and clearing vegetation around trunks to prevent vole damage on young trees. A good thorough watering if conditions have been dry before the ground freezes up.

#7

Agreed on it being tough not to go over buying stuff in the fall. Like I said that is the time bare root fruit trees start to be able to be bought. For the potted items they are often heavily on sale in the fall. During summer my urge to buy is there but the plants are not really available to buy or they are uber expensive at a local supplier. In fall to December it is basically free rain on plants and easy to go overboard.

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#8

What about fall and winter fruit tree sprays? What is recommended?