In The Fruit Garden This October

🍏 1. Harvest and store your apples and pears

October is prime time for harvesting many late-season apples and pears.

• 🍎 Pick apples when they come away easily with a gentle twist.

• 🍐 Harvest pears before they become soft on the tree, as many varieties ripen better indoors.

• Check fruit trees regularly and remove fallen or rotting fruit to reduce disease.

• Store undamaged apples in a cool, dark, frost-free place, ideally in a single layer.

Tip: Check stored fruit weekly and remove any that begin to rot.

🌳 2. Plant new fruit trees and bushes

Autumn is an excellent time to establish new fruit plants, especially once they become available as bare-root stock later in the season.

• 🍎 Plant apple, pear and plum trees in well-drained soil.

• 🍓 Plant bare-root strawberries and raspberry canes when conditions are suitable.

• 🫐 Plant currants, gooseberries and other hardy fruit bushes.

• Choose a sunny, sheltered spot and avoid waterlogged ground.

Water newly planted fruit trees thoroughly and stake them where necessary to protect against strong winds.

🍓 3. Tidy and protect your strawberry beds

Give your strawberry plants a little attention before winter.

• Remove dead, diseased or damaged leaves.

• Weed around plants and remove unwanted runners.

• Plant healthy rooted runners into new beds if you need to increase your strawberry crop.

• Apply a light mulch of compost around established plants, keeping the crowns uncovered.

Strawberries benefit from good airflow, so avoid overcrowding the beds.

✂️ 4. Prune fruit bushes and summer-fruiting raspberries

October is a good opportunity to prune certain fruit plants, but not all fruit trees should be cut back now.

• Blackcurrants: remove a few of the oldest, darkest stems at ground level to encourage productive young growth.

• Summer-fruiting raspberries: cut the old canes that have fruited this year down to the ground, leaving the new green canes for next year’s crop.

• Autumn-fruiting raspberries: leave the canes until late winter if you want to harvest any remaining fruit; otherwise, they can be cut down during winter dormancy.

🍎 Avoid heavy pruning of apples and pears in autumn. They are generally pruned in winter, while stone fruit such as cherries and plums are best pruned in summer to reduce disease risk.

🍂 5. Feed and mulch your fruit trees

Help your fruit plants build strong roots and prepare for winter.

• Spread well-rotted compost around the base of fruit trees and bushes.

• Keep mulch a few centimetres away from the trunk to prevent rot.

• Remove weeds and grass from around young trees.

• Avoid applying high-nitrogen fertilisers late in the season, as they can encourage tender new growth.

A layer of organic mulch helps retain moisture, improve soil structure and suppress weeds.

🐛 6. Check for pests and diseases

A few simple jobs now can help reduce problems next year.

• Remove any remaining rotten fruit from trees and the ground.

• Check apple and pear trees for damaged or diseased branches.

• Consider grease bands on suitable fruit tree trunks to help trap wingless winter moth females climbing the trunk.

• Clean up diseased leaves and dispose of them appropriately rather than adding them to a cool compost heap.