Fall is harvest and tidy-up season in the fruit garden. Apples, pears, late plums and autumn raspberries are picked, fruit trees are checked for dead and diseased wood, fallen fruit is cleared before it harbours disease, and trees and bushes are mulched and protected for winter. The main pruning of fruit trees waits until late winter, when the trees are dormant, but fall is when the groundwork is laid: clean up now, and next year's fruit will be healthier for it.
The fall fruit routine is gentle. Harvest carefully, clear up thoroughly, prune lightly, feed the soil rather than the tree, and protect young and tender plants. Heavy work in fall — hard pruning, strong feeding, planting bare-root stock too early — can do more harm than good. This guide covers the fruit that is harvested in fall, the care that fruit trees and bushes need before winter, and the mistakes to avoid. If you are unsure about fruit in your area, check your local extension service.
Harvesting fall fruit
Apples are the main fall fruit, and the test of ripeness is whether the fruit comes away easily when lifted and twisted, whether the pips are dark brown, and whether a taste test is sweet rather than sharp. Pick apples with the stalk attached, handle them gently, and store only sound fruit — see our growing apples guide for apple care through the year. Pears are picked slightly under-ripe and ripened indoors, since they go mushy if left to ripen on the tree; see our growing pears guide. Late plums are picked when they are soft and sweet, and autumn raspberries are picked as they ripen through fall, often until the first frosts. Our growing raspberries guide covers raspberry care.
Grapes are harvested in fall in suitable zones, when the fruit is sweet and the pips are brown, and figs in warm zones can crop into fall. Strawberries planted in fall are a crop for next year, not this one, but established strawberry plants need their runners dealt with and their beds tidied in fall. Our growing strawberries guide covers strawberry care. Taste is the best test of ripeness for most fruit, and a trial pick of one or two fruits tells you more than any calendar date. Our fall harvesting guide covers harvesting and storing the wider autumn harvest.
Clearing fallen fruit and leaves
Clearing up is the most important fall fruit job. Fallen fruit left rotting under trees attracts wasps, harbours disease, and provides food for mice and rats. Clear windfalls regularly, compost healthy fruit in a hot heap if you have one, and dispose of diseased fruit rather than composting it in a cool heap. Mummified fruit left hanging on the tree — small, shrivelled, dried fruit that never dropped — is a major source of disease, especially brown rot, and it should be picked off and disposed of. Our brown rot fruit guide explains why this matters, and our fall pest control guide covers the wider fall pest routine.
Clear fallen leaves from under fruit trees too, since disease spores overwinter on leaves and reinfect trees in spring. Apple scab, for example, overwinters on fallen apple leaves, so raking them up in fall reduces next year's infection — see our apple scab guide. Do not compost diseased leaves in a cool heap; bag them and dispose of them instead. Clean up around bushes as well, removing dead leaves and debris, and check supports and ties, since a tree that comes loose in a winter storm is hard to save. Our fall garden cleanup guide covers the end-of-season tidy.
Light fall pruning and training
Fall pruning of fruit trees is light work only: remove dead, damaged and diseased wood, cut out crossing branches that rub, and remove water shoots — the vigorous upright shoots that grow from branches. The main shaping prune happens in late winter while the tree is dormant, which is covered in our winter pruning guide. Our fall pruning guide explains the three Ds rule that applies to all fall pruning. Do not prune stone fruit such as cherries, plums and peaches in fall or winter in wet climates, since fresh cuts are vulnerable to disease in cold, damp weather; they are pruned in spring or summer instead. Our guides to growing cherries, growing peaches and growing plums give crop-specific timing.
Summer-fruiting raspberries that have finished are cut out at ground level in fall, since their canes will not fruit again, while autumn-fruiting raspberries are cut down in late winter. Gooseberries, currants and other bushes get only dead wood removed in fall, with the main prune in late winter. Tie in new growth on trained fruit such as espaliers and cordons, so wind does not damage it, and check that ties are not cutting into bark. Young trees may need staking checked and adjusted, since a stake that is too tight damages the trunk and a stake that is too loose lets the tree rock and damage its roots.
Feeding the soil, not the tree
Do not feed fruit trees with strong fertiliser in fall. A late feed pushes soft growth that frost damages and can reduce next year's fruit, since the tree puts energy into leaves instead of flower buds. Instead, feed the soil: spread compost or well-rotted manure around the base of the tree, out to the drip line, and let worms pull it down over winter. Our composting basics guide explains how to make compost, and our fall fertilizing guide explains why fall feeding should be light. A mulch of compost, bark or straw around the base also holds moisture, suppresses weeds and protects roots from frost — see our fall mulching guide and mulch types guides.
Keep mulch and manure away from the trunk, leaving a gap of a few inches, since material piled against bark holds moisture and invites rot and pests. Water trees in fall if the weather is dry, since fruit trees going into winter with dry roots are vulnerable to drought damage, and give newly planted trees a thorough watering before the ground freezes — see our fall watering guide. A soil test in fall tells you whether the soil needs lime or other amendments before spring; our soil pH testing guide explains how to test.
Protecting fruit for winter
Young fruit trees are vulnerable to bark damage from mice, voles and rabbits in winter, which gnaw bark unseen under snow or mulch. Protect the trunks of young trees with a guard — a spiral guard, wire mesh or hessian wrap — and keep mulch and long grass away from the base, since they shelter animals. Our voles in garden, mice in garden and rabbits in garden guides cover those animals. Tender fruit such as figs and citrus in pots should be moved to a sheltered spot or under cover before frost — see our fall frost protection guide for protection methods.
Planting bare-root fruit trees is a late-fall and winter job, once trees are dormant, and it is often better to wait until the tree is fully dormant rather than planting too early in fall. Our fall planting guide covers fall planting generally, and our fall transplanting guide covers moving established plants. In cold zones, protect the graft union of young trees with a mound of compost or mulch after the first frosts, and in mild zones, fall is a good time to plant container-grown fruit trees, since they have weeks to root before winter. Check your local extension service for planting and protection advice for fruit in your area.
Common fall fruit mistakes
The most common mistake is pruning fruit trees hard in fall, which stimulates soft growth and leaves wounds that heal slowly. The second is feeding fruit trees in fall, which weakens them for winter and reduces next year's fruit. The third is leaving fallen and mummified fruit on the tree and under it, which spreads disease. The fourth is piling mulch against the trunk, which causes rot. The fifth is forgetting to protect young trees from animals, which can girdle a tree in a single winter. The sixth is picking fruit too early or too late, so it never ripens properly or rots in store. And the seventh is planting bare-root trees too early in fall, before they are dormant. Harvest carefully, clear up thoroughly, prune lightly, feed the soil, and protect young trees.
Frequently asked questions
When should I prune fruit trees?
Lightly in fall — dead, damaged and diseased wood only. The main shaping prune happens in late winter while the tree is dormant. See our winter pruning guide.
Should I fertilize fruit trees in fall?
No, not with strong fertiliser. Feed the soil with compost or well-rotted manure around the base instead, and let worms pull it down over winter. See our fall fertilizing guide.
Why should I clear fallen fruit?
Fallen fruit harbours disease and attracts wasps and rodents, and mummified fruit left on the tree is a major source of brown rot. Clear windfalls regularly and pick off mummified fruit.
How do I protect young fruit trees in winter?
Use a trunk guard against mice, voles and rabbits, keep mulch and grass away from the base, and mound compost around the graft after the first frosts. If you are unsure, check your local extension service.
Can I plant fruit trees in fall?
Container-grown trees can be planted in fall, and bare-root trees are planted once dormant in late fall and winter. Water well and mulch after planting. See our fall planting guide.