In The Fruit Garden This November

Here are the top fruit garden jobs and tips for November, when most plants are dormant and conditions are ideal for planting, pruning, and protecting your fruit crops for next year’s harvest:

🍏 Planting & Pruning 

1. Plant bare-root fruit trees and bushes 

• November is the perfect time to plant bare-root apples, pears, plums, cherries, gooseberries, currants, and raspberries.
• The soil is still warm enough for roots to establish before winter, but plants are dormant, so transplanting causes less stress.
• Avoid planting in waterlogged or frozen soil — if it’s very wet, heel them in temporarily in a sheltered spot.

2. Prune apple and pear trees 

• Start winter pruning for established apple and pear trees once the leaves have fallen (avoid pruning stone fruits like cherries or plums now — wait until summer to prevent silver leaf disease).
• Remove dead, diseased, or crossing branches and open the centre for good airflow.

3. Cut back autumn-fruiting raspberries 

• Once they’ve finished fruiting, cut all canes down to ground level and mulch with compost.
• For summer-fruiting raspberries, just remove the old fruited canes, leaving new green canes for next year.

4. Prune blackcurrants and gooseberries 

• Remove a few of the oldest stems to encourage new, productive growth. 
• Redcurrants and whitecurrants can be lightly pruned to maintain shape. 

🍓 Care & Maintenance 

5. Tidy up strawberry beds 

• Remove old or diseased leaves and runners. 
• Mulch around crowns with straw or compost to protect them from frost and feed them for spring. 

6. Feed and mulch fruit trees and bushes 

• Apply well-rotted manure or garden compost around the base (not touching the trunk).
• This helps retain moisture and protects roots from winter cold.

7. Check supports and ties 

• Inspect stakes, wires, and ties on fruit trees, espaliers, and cane fruits. 
• Replace damaged posts and loosen tight ties to prevent bark damage as branches swell. 

🐦 Protection 

8. Net against birds (if needed) 

• Birds can peck at remaining fruits and buds — protect with netting or fruit cages, but ensure wildlife can’t get trapped.

9. Grease bands on fruit trees 

• Apply grease bands or sticky barriers to tree trunks to stop winter moths from climbing up and laying eggs.

10. Watch for wind damage 

• Autumn gales can loosen roots or rock young trees. 
• Firm the soil around the base of any leaning trees and re-stake if necessary. 

🌿 Preparation for Next Year 

11. Take hardwood cuttings 

• Now’s a great time to take hardwood cuttings from currants and gooseberries — an easy and free way to propagate new plants.

12. Clear fallen fruit and leaves 

• Remove and dispose of any mummified fruit or diseased leaves to reduce overwintering pests and fungal spores (especially apple scab and brown rot).

13. Plan new plantings 

• Think about adding new varieties for better pollination or longer cropping next year — e.g. an early and a late apple, or adding a self-fertile plum.