Brrr! There’s a sudden chilliness in the air! We are well and truly in autumn now and that means winter is just around the corner. If you have a garden its time to prepare your beloved plants and precious fruit trees for the upcoming cold weather. It would be a shame for your fruit tree to suffer from unwanted pests and seasonal diseases from lack of preparation. As many of us know, most fruit trees in winter become dormant but it’s still important to keep on top of basic maintenance.

Whether you just have the one statement fruit tree or an impressive orchard, we’ve dug out some great tips to help you get your fruit trees ready for the winter weather as we look forward already to spring.

Shop fruit trees at Direct Plants

Pruning fruit trees in winter

First things first, its important to make sure that all leaves have dropped before starting your seasonal preparations. If your fruit tree is young, you should carefully choose where to make the best pruning cuts. Usually, cuts or wounds in fruit trees heal better during the colder weather because the warmer spring temperatures can encourage unwanted fungal and bacterial occupiers. It’s vital to remove as much of last season’s recent growth as possible.

You should focus on branches which are at risk of growing into one another as the tree gets older. If you have a more mature tree, you’ll need to cut out any dead wood in order to prevent disease. It could also be beneficial to cut the main leader at the top of the tree to about half its own length, above an outward facing bud. Try to do this with a sloping cut to help shed excess water.

Keeping fruit trees in containers during winter

If you keep your fruit trees in a container during winter, then it would be useful to keep them under cover at a low temperature- but still slightly above freezing- until the spring. As your fruit tree will have no leaves, being in reach of sunlight doesn’t really matter, so you can get creative where you keep it during winter. An empty space in your garage or shed could be a good spot to keep your fruit tree. Don’t be tempted to keep it in a greenhouse as temperatures can rise significantly even if there’s frost on the ground!

If physically moving your tree isn’t possible, then try wrapping your pot with bubble wrap in order to provide insulation. You could also cover the tree itself with horticultural fleece for added protection against the elements. Make sure and keep an eye on the temperatures during the winter, as fruit trees that are kept in a small amount of compost can easily heat up on a warm day and disrupt a tree’s system.

Shop fruit trees at Direct Plants

The tools you’ll need

There are not too many pieces of kit you will need in order to take care of your fruit trees in winter, but a few handy tools can make all the difference. Protect your fruit trees in winter by using a dormant oil or fruit tree spray tailored for your tree's species and history. This can help prevent pests and pathogenic agents when temperatures are warmer for a few days. 

Stay away from using insecticides on new buds as the poison can linger into spring, killing visiting honeybees. Depending on the age of your fruit tree, either a good set of pruning shears or a pruning saw will make cutting your tree back much easier.

Make sure to go easy on the fertiliser and water as your trees begin to go dormant- a slowing of new growth should tell you to stop feeding your trees. Over-fed trees may continue new growth that will end up severely damaged by the cold, potentially compromising new flower in the future.

Keeping and maintaining your fruit trees in winter doesn’t require much attention but keeping ahead of the weather is the best way to ensure a healthy tree when spring comes. Using these easy tips are a great way to protect your trees when “Jack Frost” makes an appearance!