A fruit garden is a year-round garden, and the work changes with the season. Winter is for pruning and planning, spring is for blossom and feeding, summer is for thinning, watering and picking, and autumn is for harvest and cleanup. A gardener who does the right job in the right season has a garden that almost looks after itself; a gardener who tries to do winter's work in summer, or summer's work in winter, is always fighting the plant. The seasonal rhythm is the single most useful thing to learn about fruit growing, and it is the same rhythm every year.
The rhythm is driven by the tree itself. In winter the tree is dormant, leafless and still, and it can be pruned, moved and planted without shock. In spring it wakes, flowers and leafs out, and it needs food, water and bees. In summer it grows and its fruit swells, and it needs water, thinning and protection from pests. In autumn the fruit ripens, the leaves fall, and the tree prepares for dormancy, and it needs harvesting, cleanup and a last watering before the cold. Follow the tree, and the calendar follows you.
This guide is a calendar for the fruit garden, season by season, for apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries, figs, citrus, berries and grapes. The exact timing shifts with your zone and your weather — spring comes weeks earlier in a warm zone than in a cold one — so use your planting calendar for the dates in your zone, and use this guide for the jobs. If you are unsure about a variety, a spray, or a diagnosis, check your local extension service — its advice is matched to your climate and soil.
Winter: pruning, planting and planning
Winter is the fruit gardener's workshop. Prune apples, pears, currants, gooseberries and grapes while they are dormant and leafless, when you can see the shape of the tree and the cuts heal quickly as growth starts. Plant bare-root trees and bushes in late winter, while they are still dormant, and move any tree or bush that needs moving. Clear fallen leaves and fruit from under the trees, because scab and brown rot overwinter in them, and prune out dead and diseased wood. Put grease bands on tree trunks to catch the wingless winter moth. Order seeds, trees and supplies, and plan the year's planting — which new fruit to add, which old plant to replace. Check stored fruit weekly and remove any that is rotting. Do not prune stone fruit in winter — peaches, plums and cherries are pruned in spring or summer — and do not feed in winter, because the tree cannot use it. Our pruning calendar shows the winter window for each fruit.
Spring: blossom, bees and feeding
Spring is the most hopeful and the most anxious season in the fruit garden. The blossom opens, the bees work, and the year's crop is decided in a few weeks. Feed the trees and berries with compost as growth starts, and give citrus its first feed of the season. Watch for late frosts and cover small trees and bushes with fleece on a frosty night — a single frost can destroy the blossom. Do not spray while the tree is in flower, because the bees are working the blossom and the spray will kill them. Watch for aphids on the soft new shoots, and wash them off with water rather than spraying. Thin the blossom on a young tree, and remove the fruit from a tree in its first year so it puts its energy into growth. Plant strawberries and new berry canes in spring, and sow melons indoors. Check the frost date calculator for the last frost date in your zone, and use the seed starting calculator to time your sowings.
Summer: thinning, watering and the harvest begins
Summer is the busiest season. Thin the young fruit — one apple per cluster, peaches a hand's width apart — so the fruit that remains grows large and sweet and the tree does not break a branch or crop heavily one year and barely the next. Water deeply in dry weather, especially while the fruit is swelling, and mulch to hold the moisture in. Summer-prune apples, pears and peaches, pinching back long shoots to keep the tree in bounds. Net cherries, blueberries and strawberries as the fruit colours, before the birds find it. Pick berries every few days, and pick up fallen fruit daily, because it breeds pests and disease. Prune summer-fruiting raspberries after harvest, cutting the fruited canes to the ground, and prune stone fruit after harvest too. Watch for brown rot on plums and peaches, and remove any rotting fruit at once. The watering calculator and the harvest date calculator are the tools for the summer months.
Autumn: harvest, cleanup and putting the garden to bed
Autumn is the harvest season and the cleanup season, and both matter. Pick apples and pears as they ripen, and store the best fruit in a cool, dark place. Pick the last figs, grapes and plums, and clear every fallen fruit from the ground. Rake up and dispose of fallen apple and pear leaves, because scab overwinters in them, and pick off every mummified plum, peach and cherry, because brown rot overwinters in them. Cut autumn-fruiting raspberries to the ground after they finish, and prune out dead wood. Plant new trees and bushes in autumn, after leaf fall and before the ground freezes, and mulch the roots to insulate them. Give the garden a deep watering before the ground freezes, so the trees go into winter hydrated. Stop feeding, so new growth can harden before the cold. Order bare-root trees for winter delivery, and keep a note of what fruited well this year and what did not, so next year's planting is better informed.
The year-round habits that matter most
Beyond the seasonal jobs, a few habits matter all year. Walk the garden every week, even in winter, and look at the trees — a problem noticed early is a problem easily fixed, and a problem noticed late is a harvest lost. Keep a simple notebook: what you planted, when it flowered, when it ripened, what went wrong, and what you did. That notebook is worth more than any book, because it is about your garden. Keep the ground under the trees clear of grass and weeds, which steal water and hold damp against the bark. Keep your tools sharp and clean. And keep the soil fed with compost every spring, because a tree fed well is a tree that resists disease, survives frost and fruits reliably. The seasonal calendar is a guide, not a set of rules — the tree and the weather will tell you what needs doing, and your job is to listen.
A seasonal checklist for fruit
In winter: prune apples, pears, currants and grapes; plant bare-root trees; clear fallen leaves; put on grease bands; plan the year. In spring: feed with compost; protect blossom from frost; do not spray in flower; watch for aphids; plant strawberries and new canes. In summer: thin the fruit; water deeply; summer-prune; net the berries and cherries; pick up fallen fruit daily; prune raspberries and stone fruit after harvest. In autumn: harvest and store; rake up leaves; remove mummified fruit; cut autumn raspberries down; plant new trees; mulch and water before the frost. Print this list, pin it in the shed, and tick the jobs off as you do them — a fruit garden run on a checklist is a fruit garden that does not forget the job that matters.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do in the fruit garden in winter?
Prune apples, pears, currants and grapes while dormant, plant bare-root trees, clear fallen leaves and fruit, and plan the year's planting. Do not prune stone fruit in winter.
When should I feed my fruit trees?
In spring, as growth starts, with compost, and again with a high-potash feed as the fruit swells. Stop feeding by midsummer so growth hardens before winter.
When do I thin fruit?
In early summer, when the young fruit is the size of a marble — one apple per cluster, peaches a hand's width apart. Thinning gives larger, sweeter fruit and stops the tree cropping heavily one year and barely the next.
What is the autumn cleanup for fruit trees?
Rake up and dispose of fallen apple and pear leaves, pick off every mummified plum, peach and cherry, clear fallen fruit, and prune out dead wood. Most fruit diseases overwinter in this material.
Can I plant fruit trees in autumn?
Yes — after leaf fall and before the ground freezes is a good time to plant, and the tree will root over winter and grow strongly in spring. Mulch the roots and water well.
The fruit year is a circle, and every season has its work. Prune in winter, protect the blossom in spring, thin and water in summer, harvest and clean up in autumn — and walk the garden every week in between. Keep the checklist in the shed and the notebook in your pocket. For the seasonal timing in your zone, see your planting calendar, and for the individual fruits, see the growing guides.