During the growing season - thin the smallest fruits from your tree to encourage growth of larger fruits (cherries are an exception). If too much fruit is on the tree, nutrients are more dispersed leading to smaller fruit this season and less fruit for the following year. For apples and pears, thin to 1-2 fruits per spur for every 6 inches of branch. For apples, this is done before the fruit is the width of a marble in June or July. Make sure there aren't any ripe fruits left on the tree so limbs do not break from the extra weight. 

Your fruit tree is going to need some training to become fully winter hardy and survive the cold temperatures. Hold off on the fertilizer after July. This includes any lawn areas within 20 feet of your tree. You don’t want to stimulate growth and delay the hardening-off process. This gradual process starts up in the buds and ends in the trunk. 

At the end of the season (October and November) - clean the fallen fruits and leaves off the ground around your tree. Skipping this step creates more opportunities for fungal disease and insect issues for the following spring. Keep this type of litter out of your compost pile to reduce disease in your yard overall in case pathogens are present. Adding 3 inches of organic mulch around the base of your tree helps retain water and will insulate the soil around your plant’s roots. Think of it as tucking in your plant with a nice mulch blankie but not too tight! Make sure to keep the mulch a few inches away from the trunk and continue to provide adequate amounts of water until the ground is frozen.

If the weather turns too cold too quickly, the tree can be damaged. There can also be damage if the weather turns unseasonably warm in the winter. White plastic guards or tree wrap should be applied to the trunk in November. These will help reflect the sun’s rays so the tree’s cells don’t wake up on those nice warm and sunny days, re-freeze and damage the trunk’s tissues. Just make sure to take those guards off again in the spring so it doesn’t create a haven for fungi. Take a moment and put a reminder in your calendar right now! 

Cut down any plants at the base of your tree or around your shrub to prevent unwanted creatures from nibbling on the trunk during the winter. Bury ¼ inch mesh galvanized hardware cloth up to 4 inches in the ground to prevent small rodents from nibbling and girdling the trunk of the tree. Imagine there’s snow on the ground and how high a rabbit (not a rodent but equally as destructive) could reach. Leave enough room with meshing for the tree to grow into over a few seasons as well as any stakes for new trees the first year. Large fencing and tubes can be used to minimize deer browse and antler rubbing.

Once temperatures have plummeted, enjoy your time off from tree care! 

In the late winter or early spring, after the severely cold temperatures have passed, it’s time to prune your fruit trees. For trees less than three years old, opt for later rather than earlier. 

With some preparations and a little luck, you’ll be enjoying the fruits of your labor this coming growing season!

Resources:

https://extension.umn.edu/fruit/growing-apples

https://extension.umaine.edu/fruit/growing-fruit-trees-in-maine/preparing-trees-for-winter/

https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2020/10/how-do-i-prepare-my-backyard-fruits-winter

https://extension.umn.edu/find-plants/fruit#stone-fruits-2394860

https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/watering-newly-planted-trees-and-shrubs

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9598-fruit-thinning

https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/white-tailed-deer-damage#netting%2C-tubes-or-other-protective-structures-1880562

Photo Credit: University of Minnesota Extension (1,3), Amanda Drews (2)