The Grounded Orchardist

Here is a list of orchard jobs to be done in winter

There are a fair few jobs to be done in the orchard in winter. The sleeping trees allow other jobs to get done in between pruning. To be honest it’s a lovely time of year to work. Bundled up in layers enjoying the crisp morning sunshine glistening on the frost. The invention of heated socks, gosh I wish I got these years ago. Robins following you from tree to tree, Red Kites and Buzzards overhead. Assessing the fruit buds as they gently swell. Admiring birds nests as you prune. Shaking your head at rabbits who somehow always get through your defences…grrr! Buttered bread soaked in soup and really appreciating that cup of coffee, perhaps more than any other time of year!

So below I have written a short list of jobs to be done. I’ll write some future posts to go a bit more in depth on some of these but for now…

Winter pruning

Winter pruning is probably your biggest task. You can winter prune Apples, Pears Quince, Medlars. Whether it’s one tree or acres of trees you can start this from when the leaves fall till end of March, however you can still prune much later than this. If you do prune later you risk lots of vegetative growth, however…this can be used to your advantage! You’ll need to…

Cut out the 3D’s (Anything that is Dead, Diseased or Damaged). Apples you missed infected with brown rot will be more obvious now. Ideally get them out of the orchard however if that’s not possible, it’s better to drop them on the floor then leave them on the tree. Woolly Aphid are now start to cover themselves in silk so destroy them as you notice them.

Cut out anything that will shade anything else when the leaves come in. Spurs under branches, Branches directly under branches etc.

Cut out branches growing downwards

Cut out branches that will hit people or vehicles.

Think of the shape you are trying to form and cut accordingly.

Tree planting

Now is the time to plant bare root trees. Nurseries usually open orders in Nov and you can plant from then until Feb. As a side note, pot grown trees can be planted any time.

Pop your trees roots in a bucket of water and give them a good drink. If you’re not planting straight away, make sure you keep the roots damp, do not let them dry out and plant them asap.

If using a stake put that in now, always if possible do this before planting your tree so you do not damage the roots.

Dig your hole larger than the tree roots and put a little compost or organic matter in the bottom of the hole.

Lightly prune the roots, just the ends to encourage regrowth. Prune out any damaged roots.

You can use micohrrizal fungi if you want to, if you do put a little on the roots. Do this over the hole so any dropped will benefit the tree and not the grass around it.

Pop the tree into the hole, make sure the graft union is above soil level, backfill and gently firm in taking care to not damage the roots. Again making sure the graft union is above soil level when finished.

Put up rabbit guards if using as they can literally damage trees as soon as you walk off.

Tie the tree onto the stake and give the tree a very gentle prune.

Tidy up

Now is a great time to tidy up the orchard. Replacing broken stakes taking broken ones away, tie in trees if they need it (although personally I like to leave this until spring!) And taking out trees that have died.

Rootstock ordering

Order your rootstocks as soon as possible. You’ll often find nurseries even online act on a first come first served basis. Do your homework and have an idea of what you want before you buy especially face to face.

You often find some nurseries will do an event based on this with local orchard groups. With a whole lot of knowledge to boot!

Scion collecting

Collect your scion wood if grafting. You can use your prunings and you want the one year old growth. You can collect before the rootstock arrives. If you do this then kept the scions damp and in the fridge in a bag until you are ready to use.

Grafting

You can soon start grafting. Late winter/Early spring is ideal. It’s too much to write here but look online, find a book or book a grafting course to teach you. Perhaps I’ll write a post one day on how to graft apple and pear trees.

Planning

Plan your orchard or fruit growing space. What do you want to achieve in the coming year? What have you learnt from last year? What would you do differently this year?

And that’s that. A list of jobs to be getting on with in winter.