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How to Care for your Fruit Trees this Winter

How to Care for your Fruit Trees this Winter

If you have a selection of delicious fruit trees in your garden but are unsure how to maintain and care for them during the winter months, we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together a quick guide on how you can care for your fruit trees all year round- colder months included.

  • Watering

Despite the recent storms and before winter is well and truly upon us, it’s vital that we remember to water our fruit trees regularly well into mid-October. This will ensure that when the winter months roll around, you will be certain that your fruit trees are kept hydrated as they do not require as much water throughout winter. Ensure your fruit trees are being given enough water by giving them around 5 - 8 cm (2 - 3 in). This will guarantee there is enough water to get down into the roots of the tree and not just soak into the surface of the soil.

  • Fallen Leaves

As winter approaches, all leaves will begin to fall from our trees, eventually leaving them bare. If any leaves fall surrounding your fruit trees, it’s important that you take the time to rake them up and remove them. This will prevent leaf-borne diseases from occurring and affecting your fruit trees. Taking the time to rake up the leaves can also reduce shelter for insects or mice, which can also cause havoc to your fruit trees. During the colder months, keep any grass surrounding your fruit trees cut and weeded, helping to reduce the shelter for insects and rodents as well as the competition for nutrients.

  • Fruit

Though it can be difficult to muster up the courage and venture outside in the winter, it’s important we keep an eye on any fruit that could be growing on our trees. If fruit is ready to be picked or is overripe, it’s important we remove it from the trees to stop the attraction to pests. The weight of overripe fruits can also be a burden to fruit trees and weigh the branches down. When picking fruit from trees, ensure you are doing so carefully as to leave only the stem attached to the fruit.

  • Sunscald

Often in the winter when the sun is shining during the day but in the night the temperatures drop to below freezing, the roots of our fruit trees can freeze. As the roots freeze in the night and melt in the day consistently, it can cause the cells in the roots to die. This can cause damage to the trees and can result in growing and producing fruit to be difficult when spring comes back around. You can help to prevent this from happening to your fruit trees by placing a plastic tree guard or paper tree wrap around the bottom of the trunk and roots. Healthy fruit trees are the answer to creating delicious cider to last you all year round.

To find out more information regarding keeping your fruit trees as healthy as possible during winter months, get in touch with a member of the Vigo Presses team by visiting our contact page or by giving us a call on 01404 890093.

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