Fruit Monthly Planner

The aim of this website section a guide on what to do in the fruit patch on a monthly basis, The heart of a gardening year is a work plan, twelve months of gardening which begins in March when the ground becomes workable after frosts, the climate varies considerably depending on where you are so there is no hard and fast rule when you begin to sow vegetable seeds or transplant seedlings outside, it all comes down to common sense.

January

Prune established open-ground apple and pear trees (not cordons, espaliers or fans).

Formative pruning of young, free standing, fruit trees and bushes (under three years old) can also be done now. They should at first be pruned to encourage branching and bushiness from the main stem. Subsequently, they should be encouraged to form an open-centred ‘goblet’ shape of main branches, without any being misplaced or crossing.

Consider renovating old apple and pear trees if the quality and flavour of the fruit is worth the effort.

Cut down, and remove the stumps of old or worn out fruit trees that are not worth renovating.

Currants and gooseberries can be pruned now. The main priority with gooseberries and red and white currants, is to prune back the laterals that fruited last year to a couple of buds from the main branches. Blackcurrants do best when one-third to a half of all the older branches are removed from the base each year, to keep a good proportion of young, vigorous growth.

If you did not prune and train your summer fruiting raspberries earlier in the season, then you can still do it now - you will be better able to see what you are doing once the leaves have fallen. Old fruited canes should be cut to ground level and removed. New canes (which will provide fruit later this year) should be tied in to the supports in a well-spaced fashion. This will make picking easier, and will allow you to keep the coming season’s new growth separate from its fruiting canes.

Hardwood cuttings can be taken this month, using material removed during pruning. This is a great way to propagate blackcurrants, redcurrants, white currants and gooseberries. Remember to use only disease-free plants for propagation.

This is a good time to plant new fruit bushes and trees - as long as the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.

Spread your remaining garden compost and organic matter over the ground - this will improve the soil next spring and will also leave your compost bin vacant for debris in the new growing season. Or mulch fruit trees, bushes and canes with organic matter.

Check tree stakes, ties and guards while doing your winter pruning. They may need loosening, replacing, or removing.

Place cloches over strawberry plants that were planted last summer, or bring potted ones into the greenhouse or conservatory. The extra warmth will give you an earlier crop.

Pest & disease watch

Be sure to remove any dead or diseased wood from apples and pears, including spurs with mummified fruit from brown rot infections earlier in the season.

Also check for cankers.

Apply fatty acid-based winter washes to dormant fruit trees to control overwintering eggs of aphid, apple sucker and scale insect.

Erect a clear polythene rainproof cover over wall-trained peaches from January to April to prevent problems with peach leaf curl. Do not let the cover touch the plant and ensure it is in contact with the soil.

You may also need to spray outdoor peaches against peach leaf curl, if this has been a problem in previous years.

Net or cage tree and soft fruit crops, if you have not already done so, to reduce pigeon damage and keep bullfinches off fruit buds. Cages can be removed once flowering starts.

Renew your grease bands, if they have been in place a long time, to protect trees against winter moths.

Place mouse controls near your fruit stores.

Regularly check fruit stores, and remove any rotting or mouldy specimens.

February

This is the last month to prune apple and pear trees.

Check ties on cane, cordon and fan fruit. Tighten or loosen as necessary, and replace those that are broken or damaged.

Protect the blossom of early-flowering apricots, peaches and nectarines from frost damage by covering plants with fleece.

Hand pollinate flowers of apricots, peaches and nectarines if insects are scarce. A soft paintbrush or a rabbit’s tail, are the best tools for transferring pollen.

Pot-grown strawberries that have been in a cool greenhouse all winter should be placed outside, as they flower only after exposure to the cold. However, outdoor strawberries (already exposed to the cold) can be brought into the greenhouse to force them into fruit at warmer temperatures. Hand pollination may be necessary in cold weather.

Place cloches or fleece over outdoor strawberry plants for an early crop. Make sure to lift the sides of the fleece during the warmest part of the day, to allow pollinating insects to enter. High potassium feeds (such as tomato fertiliser) will also help to encourage flowers and fruit. Hand pollination may be necessary in very cold spring weather, when insects are scarce.

Prune autumn raspberries, cutting all canes down to the ground before mulching and top dressing with fertiliser over the roots.

Summer raspberries can be cut back to one or two buds above the tops of their supports (if they have overshot them), or they can be arched over and trained back down again, sometimes in attractive patterns.

This is a good time to plant new fruit trees and bushes, as long as the ground is not too wet, or frozen. Incorporate lots of well-rotted organic matter into the ground before digging the planting hole or trench.

This month bundles of bare-root cane fruit plants are available for sale. Only autumn raspberries can be planted without support. All other cane fruits need supports in place before planting. Posts with at least three tensioned wires stretched between them, is the commonest system.

Check that newly planted fruit trees and bushes have not been lifted by frost. Re-firm them in if necessary.

Apply a general-purpose fertiliser to all tree, bush and cane fruit, at the manufacturer's specified rates. Fertiliser is best applied over the whole root area of the plant (roughly equivalent to the spread of the branches, but on the ground). Extra potassium can be beneficial in addition to the balanced feed.

Mulch all fruit crops with well-rotted manure or garden compost.

A wide range of fruit trees, including apples and pears, can be grafted at this time.

Pest & disease watch

When pruning fruit trees, make sure you remove any dead or diseased wood, including spurs with mummified fruits (the result of brown rot infections earlier in the season), and take the opportunity to check for any cankers on the branches.

Net fruit crops to reduce pigeon damage, and to keep bullfinches off fruit buds (particularly gooseberries). Nets can be removed once flowering starts.

Erect a clear polythene rainproof cover over wall-trained peaches if you did not do so in January. This will help prevent peach leaf curl. Do not let the cover touch the plant and ensure it is in contact with the soil. Keep it on until April, but allow pollinating insects to enter by lifting the sides during the warmest part of the day.

Keep an eye out for early aphid attack on soft fruits, and deal with this appropriately, either by squashing small colonies, or by using pesticide on larger infestations.

This is the last month you can still apply fatty acid-based winter washes to dormant fruit trees. These washes may help to control overwintering eggs of aphids (see above), apple suckers and scale insects.

Regularly check fruit stores, and remove any rotting or mouldy specimens.

Check mouse controls near your fruit stores, to ensure they are still functioning.

March

Protect blossoms of early-flowering apricots, peaches and nectarines from frost by covering the trees with fleece. Hand pollinate the flowers with a fine brush if insects are scarce (a rabbit’s tail is traditionally used).

After weeding, mulch around newly planted fruit trees, but keep a circle immediately around the main stem free of mulch (to prevent the bark from rotting).

Bush and cane fruit will also benefit from mulching.

Feed fruit trees, bushes and canes with a sprinkling of potassium sulphate fertiliser, also known as sulphate of potash, at 15g per sq m hoed into the soil surface. Give abalanced fertiliser as well (containing nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium), if not done last month.

Prune autumn raspberries (if not done already), cutting all canes down to the ground before mulching and top dressing with fertiliser over the roots.

Prune gooseberries if not done already. All side shoots from the main stems should be cut back to three buds, cutting just above a bud. Last year’s new growth on the main stems can also be shortened by about one-third, tipping back the main branches. Feed and mulch the bushes after pruning.

Cane fruits, fig trees and young trained fruit trees can be re-trained, if necessary. Last years new shoots can be un-bundled and spread out to provide this year’s fruits (for blackberries and hybrid berries). Other soft fruit and young tree fruit could benefit from lowering of vigorous branches and raising of less vigorous branches. This alters apical dominance, which can help to balance out unevenly developed branches in a fan or espalier.

Check ties on cane, cordon and fan fruit. Tighten or loosen as necessary, and replace those that are broken or damaged.

Plant container-grown outdoor grape vines this month. Although bare-rooted vines are planted throughout the winter, containerised vines can be bought and planted in March, once all risk of frost has passed. Vines need deep, well-drained soils with a pH of 6.5-7.

Prune blueberries, if not done already, by removing a few old or weak branches from the base of the bush, removing up to a quarter of the total branches.

Strawberry runners that were removed last year and potted up can be planted in new strawberry beds, or in pots.

Sow alpine strawberry seeds under glass.

You can still plant new fruit trees and bushes, as long as the ground is not too wet, or frozen. Incorporate lots of well-rotted organic matter into the ground before digging the planting hole or trench. Try to complete all plantings early in the month, to give them time to establish before coming into full growth.

A wide range of fruit trees, including apples and pears, can be grafted at this time.

Pest & disease watch

Keep temporary shelters in place over peach trees to protect against peach leaf curl. Nectarines and almonds are also vulnerable.

Net your fruit crops to reduce pigeon damage, and to keep bullfinches off fruit buds (particularly gooseberries). Nets can be removed once flowering starts.

Keep an eye out for early aphid attack on soft fruit, and deal with this appropriately, either by squashing small colonies, or by using pesticide on larger infestations.

If American gooseberry mildew has been a problem in previous years, you may want to spray with fungicide (containing sulphur or myclobutanil) on leaf emergence.

Apples and pears may also need spraying against scab, where this has got out of hand in previous years. Fungicides containing mancozeb or myclobutanil are suitable choices.

You may need to spray against pear midge, taking care to do so only when the flower buds are white but still closed. Do not spray once the flowers have opened

April

Pinch out lateral shoots on grape vines to leave one lateral per 30cm (1ft) of rod. Tie in the selected shoots as they extend along the supports.

Protect blossom of apricots, peaches and nectarines from frost by covering the trees with fleece. Hand-pollinate the flowers with a fine brush if insects are scarce (a rabbit’s tail is traditionally used).

Begin feeding citrus plants with a proprietary citrus feed, or using a high-nitrogen feed with added trace elements.

Although blackcurrants, blackberries and hybrid berries should have already been fed in January or February, they benefit from a further feed (30g per sq m) with a high nitrogen fertiliser such as sulphate of ammonia or nitrochalk.

Grape vines on sandy, nutrient-poor soils, may benefit from an application of magnesium sulphate (60g per sq m) or a foliar feed of Epsom salts, to prevent magnesium deficiency.

Before the buds break on wall-trained figs, look for any badly placed shoots that are growing into or away from the fence or wall and remove them. Tie in the remaining shoots.

Start pruning trained fruit tree forms (such as espaliers, fans and cordons). These forms are pruned when in active growth, to keep down their size and to encourage fruit bud formation.

It is now safe to prune plum and cherry trees, which are vulnerable to the disease silver leaf if pruned in autumn or winter.

Control weeds. Hoe shallowly around fruit trees and bushes during dry weather

Plant container-grown outdoor grape vines, once all risk of frost has passed. Vines need deep, well-drained soils with a pH of 6.5-7.

You can still plant container-grown fruit trees and bushes, as long as the ground is not too wet or frozen. Incorporate lots of well-rotted organic matter into the ground before digging the planting hole or trench. Take care to water well in dry weather, as the plants will not have much time to establish before the hot, dry season begins.

Place cloches or fleece over outdoor strawberry plants for an early crop. Make sure to remove the fleece or cloche during the warmest part of the day, to allow pollinating insects to enter. High potassium feeds (such as tomato fertiliser) will also help to encourage flowers and fruit.

Pest & disease watch

Keep temporary shelters in place over peach trees, to protect against peach leaf curl. Nectarines and almonds are also vulnerable.

Net your fruit crops to reduce pigeon damage, and to keep bullfinches off fruit buds (particularly gooseberries). Nets can be removed once flowering starts.

Keep an eye out for early aphid attack, and deal with this appropriately, either by squashing small colonies, or by using pesticide on larger infestations.

American gooseberry mildew can appear as a brown crust over the leaves and fruits of gooseberry bushes. Spraying with fungicides containing sulphur or myclobutanil is usually effective, but you may wish to grow a more resistant cultivar like ‘Invicta’.

Apples and pears may need spraying against scab, where this has got out of hand in previous years. Fungicides containing mancozeb or myclobutanil are suitable choices.

You may need to spray against pear midge, taking care to do so only when the buds are white but still closed. Do not spray once the flowers have opened.

When carrying out any spraying operation, take care to spray early in the morning when fewer pollinating insects are about - you only need to kill the pests, not the beneficial insects.

Blackcurrants are vulnerable to big bud mite (affected buds appear larger than normal). The mites can spread blackcurrant reversion virus. Virus symptoms will be evident once the plant comes into flower, as the flowers look red rather than grey. Affected plants must be dug up and disposed of in the rubbish, or by burning. You may wish to grow resistant cultivars such as ‘Farleigh’, ‘Foxendown’ or ‘Ben Hope’.

May

Tie-in new shoots on fan-trained peaches and nectarines and wall-trained cherries, plums and gages.

Avoid late frost damage to peaches, nectarines and apricots by covering them with fleece on cold nights. Any protective coverings used against peach leaf curl should be removed by the end of the month (in all but the coldest areas) to allow access by pollinating insects.

Before buds break, remove winter protection from wall-trained figs and prune back older stems to the main trunk or the base to encourage new shoots.

Keep wall-trained fruit, especially stone fruit, well watered during fruit set and fruit development. Use rainwater or recycled water wherever possible.

Mulching fruit crops will help them to retain moisture around the roots.

Hoe off or pull out raspberry suckers appearing between rows. Very vigorous plants may also need some selective cane removal, so that there will be sufficient air and light penetration between the branches, and to ensure the plant has enough energy to ripen all the young fruits.

Net soft fruits as they begin to ripen.

Plant out seedlings of alpine strawberries.

Shorten leaders and side shoots on over-vigorous wall-trained apples and pears, to weaken their growth and so divert their energy to fruit production rather than shoot growth.

On indoor vines allow only one flower truss to develop on each main lateral coming off the central rod; any others should be removed. Keep flowering laterals short, pinching out their tips of at two leaves past the single flower truss. Non-fruiting laterals can be kept a bit longer, pinching out the tips after five leaves have formed. Any side shoots branching off the main laterals should be stopped at one leaf.

Wall-trained plums and cherries can be pruned this month, as long as the weather is warm enough for them to be in full, active growth. If pruned while still dormant, they run the risk of getting silver leaf disease. Any branches coming out from the wall should be removed entirely.

For wall-trained sweet cherries, pinch out the growing tip of each branch, once it has grown six new leaves. After fruit picking, the shoots can be cut back again, removing half of this year’s new growth, and removing any overcrowded or unhealthy looking stems at the same time.

For wall-trained ‘Morello’ and acid cherries, prune out entirely any fruited shoots, removing all of this year’s new growth. But be careful not to remove any unfruited new shoots, as it is these that will produce fruit next year. Instead, tie them in so that they are easy to pick the following year.

Remove strawberry runners before they start to creep along the ground. Leaving them will only sap energy from existing plants, so reducing their yield of fruit. If you need runners in order to have new plants for next year, then pinch off the flowers from a couple of selected plants, encouraging them to produce green shoots and runners (rather than fruits and flowers), which you can save and pot up separately.

Any early strawberry crops that were kept under glass or under fleece and cloches, should now be uncovered (or the greenhouse doors opened fully), to allow access for pollinating insects.

Control weeds to prevent them competing for moisture and nutrients. Hoe regularly between rows on hot days to make sure the weeds dry up and die.

Over-vigorous apple and pear trees can be ring-barked. Heavy crops of blossom can also be thinned, to reduce the numbers of fruits that form with the aim of encouraging more even ripening, better fruit quality, and reduce problems with biennial bearing.

Gooseberry blossom may also be thinned in order to produce a smaller number of large dessert fruits.

Pest & disease watch

Stay alert for gooseberry sawfly damage and the raised red blisters of currant blister aphid.

Dead shoots on tree fruit may indicate a number of disease problems. Check for signs of apple and pear canker, bacterial canker and blossom wilt.

Hang pheromone traps in apple trees to help reduce codling moth numbers. This is the month when they start to mate, so trapping them will reduce the numbers of eggs. You will need one trap for every three to five trees.

Ensure good air circulation in the greenhouse to reduce risk of Botrytis, powdery mildew and downy mildew on grapes.

Do not be overly worried if the leaves on your pear tree start to come up in small pale blisters. This is probably due to the pear leaf blister mite. Although there are no effective pesticides available to amateur gardeners, the damage is not as severe as the plant's appearance may suggest. Infested trees can still produce a good crop of pears.

Reduce numbers of rotten strawberries by tucking straw mulch, strawberry matting or similar around the plants, to prevent the fruits from touching the soil or getting too damp. Covering the whole bed with netting will also reduce bird damage.

Never spray pesticides once blossom has opened on fruit crops. They will kill the pollinating insects that you rely on for your crops. When carrying out any spraying operation, take care to spray early in the morning when fewer pollinating insects are about - you only need to kill the pests, not the beneficial insects.

Keep an eye out for early aphid attacks, and deal with them appropriately, either by squashing small colonies, or by using pesticides on larger infestations. Remember that very few pesticides have approval for use on edible crops. Derris and pyrethrum are often good choices, but always check the label first for confirmation of approval, safety and effectiveness.

Apples and pears may need spraying against scab, where this has got out of hand in previous years. Fungicides containing mancozeb or myclobutanil are suitable choices.

Look out for powdery mildew, especially during warm dry spells.

Keep watch for signs of cane spot or spur blight on blackberries and hybrid berries. Ensure that any fungicides used have approval for use on edible crops. Sulphur, myclobutanil and mancozeb are often good choices, but always read the label to check for approval, safety and effectiveness before using.

Blackcurrants are vulnerable to big bud mite (affected buds appear larger than normal). The mites can spread blackcurrant reversion virus. Virus symptoms will be evident once the plant comes into flower, as the flowers look red rather than grey. Affected plants must be dug up and disposed of in the rubbish, or by burning. You may wish to grow resistant varieties such as ‘Farleigh’, ‘Foxendown’ or ‘Ben Hope’.

June

Keep wall-trained fruit, especially stone fruit, well watered during fruit set and fruit development. Use rainwater or recycled water wherever possible.

Mulching fruit will help them to retain moisture around the roots.

On indoor grape vines allow only one flower truss to develop on each main lateral coming off the central rod. Any others should be removed. Keep flowering laterals short, pinching out their tips of at two leaves past the single flower truss. Non-fruiting laterals can be kept a bit longer, pinching out the tips after five leaves have formed. Any sideshoots branching off the main laterals should be stopped at one leaf.

Thin out bunches of grapes on dessert grape vines to encourage decent-sized fruit. You should aim for one bunch per foot of rod (i.e. 10 bunches on a 10ft rod). Wine grapes do not need thinning.

Wall-trained plums and cherries can be pruned this month. If pruned in winter or spring (while still partially dormant), they run the risk of getting silver leaf disease. Any branches coming out away from the wall should be removed entirely. Pinching out tender shoot tips, plus any sideshoots coming from the main stems, will prevent the trees from putting on too much green growth, re-directing their energy into fruit production. If you need replacement shoots for bare areas of an established wall-trained tree, or if you are forming a new tree, then select and retain one or two strong shoots arising at the base of the bare area, to train into these areas. Selecting two suitable shoots means that you have insurance in case of the first shoot being damaged.

For wall-trained sweet cherries, pinch out the growing tip of each branch, once it has grown six new leaves. After fruit picking, the shoots can be cut back again, removing half of the current year’s new growth, and removing any overcrowded or unhealthy looking stems at the same time.

Thin fruits on wall-trained peaches and nectarines. When they are marble-sized, thin to leave one fruit every 10cm (4in), and then thin again to 15-20cm (6-8in) when they reach walnut size.

Wait to thin plums and gages until the natural fruit drop has occurred, usually around the start of June. Then thin in two stages: in early June to 4cm (2.5cm/1in gaps between fruits), and then in late June to 7.5cm (3in) between fruits.

Shorten leaders and sideshoots on over-vigorous wall-trained apples and pears, to weaken their growth and divert their energy to fruit production rather than shoot growth.

Wait to thin apples until after the 'June drop'. Pears only need thinning if fruit set is heavy. Thinning can help improve the size and quality of the crop, and can prevent a cycle developing of ‘one good year followed by one bad year’ (known as biennial bearing).

Gooseberries can also be thinned - this will result in larger, dessert-quality fruits. The unripe thinnings can still be used in cooking.

Pinch out tips of new fig shoots once they have five leaves.

Hoe off or pull out raspberry suckers appearing between the rows.

Water tree, bush and cane fruit thoroughly every seven to 10 days during dry spells.

Put straw around strawberry plants to prevent soil splashing on to the fruit. Strawberries grown through black plastic do not need strawing.

If a small number of new strawberry plants are needed, you can peg down the runners that develop on existing plants, to encourage them to root along the stem. If a large number of new plants are needed, it is better to remove the runners before they start to creep along the ground. Leaving too many of them will sap energy from the existing plants and reducing yields. Removed runners can be potted up separately. You could even keep a couple of plants aside, pinching off any flowers to encourage them to concentrate on producing green shoots and runners only, for saving and potting up.

Any strawberry crops previously kept under glass, fleece or cloches, should now be uncovered (or the greenhouse doors opened fully), to allow access for pollinating insects.

Tie-in the new canes of blackberry and other hybrid berries to prevent wind damage.

Control weeds to prevent them competing for moisture and nutrients. Hoe regularly between rows on hot days to make sure the weeds dry up and die

Pest & disease watch

Net soft fruit as they begin to ripen, to protect them from birds.

Keep alert for gooseberry sawfly damage and the raised red blisters of currant blister aphid.

Dead shoots on tree fruit may indicate a number of disease problems. Check for signs of apple and pear canker, bacterial canker, and blossom wilt.

Hang pheromone traps in apple trees to help reduce codling moth numbers, if you have not done so already. You will need one trap for every three to five trees. A similar trap is available for red plum maggot on plums.

Don’t be too worried if your pear tree leaves come up in small pale blisters. This is probably due to the pear leaf blister mite. Although there are no effective pesticides available to amateur gardeners, the damage is not as severe as the plant's appearance may suggest. Infested trees can still produce a good crop of pears.

Apples and pears may need spraying against scab, where this has got out of hand in previous years. Fungicides containing mancozeb or myclobutanil are suitable choices.

Look out for powdery mildew, especially during warm dry spells.

Keep watch for signs of cane spot or spur blight on blackberries and hybrid berries. Ensure that any fungicides used have approval for use on edible crops. Products containing sulphur, myclobutanil or mancozeb are often good choices, but always read the label to check for approval and safety before using.

Blackcurrants are vulnerable to big bud mite (affected buds appear larger than normal). The mites can spread blackcurrant reversion virus. Affected plants must be dug up and disposed of in the rubbish, or by burning. You may wish to grow resistant varieties such as ‘Farleigh’, ‘Foxendown’ or ‘Ben Hope’.

Raspberry beetle can damage crops of raspberries and loganberries. Treat with an appropriate insecticide as soon as the first pink fruits are seen.

July

Remember to water plants regularly, to ensure healthy development of fruits.

Fruit picking can begin in earnest, with strawberries, cherries, summer-fruiting raspberries, currants and the earliest of the plums. Remember to harvest red, and white, currants in bunches, still on the stalk - they will keep and taste better. Blackcurrants can be picked singly or in clusters, as preferred.

Side shoots that form on pinched-out grape laterals can be stopped at one leaf. Leaves that are shading grape bunches can be removed, to speed ripening of the clusters. Harvest indoor grapes when the skin becomes translucent.

Later in the month summer pruning of restricted fruits (e.g. cordons, espaliers, fans) can begin. In northern regions delay until August. Cherries and plums can be summer pruned after cropping.

Thin apples after the June drop if still overcrowded. Remove blemished and 'king' (i.e. central) fruits from the clusters first. Branches still heavily laden after thinning can be supported with a V-shaped stake.

Protect ripening peach, nectarine, and apricot fruits from the birds; trained trees can be covered with nets fairly easily.

When summer-fruiting raspberries have finished cropping promptly cut out the old canes.

If possible, water tree, bush and cane fruit thoroughly once every seven to 10 days during dry spells. Mulching will help them retain water where hosepipe bans or drought orders are in place. Keep large-fruited apples, such as 'Bramley's Seedling' particularly well watered to help avoid problems with bitter pit.

Continue to peg down strawberry runners if new plants are needed. This will encourage the plantlets to root.

Continue to tie in and train new blackberry canes. Keep new canes separate from older, fruiting canes to ease later pruning.

Propagate blackberries and other cane fruits with long, lax stems by tip layering.

Cut back sideshoots on gooseberries to four or five leaves, or just beyond the fruit clusters. This will speed ripening (by increasing sun on the fruits), encourage fruit bud formation for next year, and control aphids on the new growth. Red and white currants may be pruned in the same way.

Thinking of growing blueberries? If so, check your soil pH is sufficiently acidic - blueberries need a pH of 5.5-5 to prosper. Otherwise grow in containers of ericaceous compost. Protect them from birds.

Pest & disease watch

Apple and pear scab is very prevalent, showing up as large blackish spots on both the leaves and fruit.

Bright orange spots on the upper surface of pear leaves can indicate a problem with pear rust. This disease can also affect and be carried by juniper bushes.

Look out for codling moth caterpillar damage, which is evident as a single brown hole piercing the skin of apples.

Woolly aphids may be visible on apple and pear trees as a white, fluffy coating. It is best to treat them early, as they will only become more prevalent as the summer progresses.

Treat American gooseberry mildew, and watch out for gooseberry sawfly damage.

Keep an eye on strawberry plants’ performance, as yield declines after about three years. You may need to prepare a new bed, and order catalogues to select new plants for September planting.

Raised red blisters on the leaves of currants indicate an infestation of currant blister aphid.

Coarse leaves, slightly enlarged buds, and reduced yield on blackcurrant bushes can be a sign of big bud mite or reversion virus. Unfortunately, the only cure is to dig them up and burn them.

Remove mouldy or damaged strawberry fruits and leaves, to prevent the spread of the fluffy grey mould, Botrytis.

August

Continue to pick summer fruit. Freeze surplus and make jams and jellies.

Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners.

Prepare new strawberry beds for next year if not yet done.

Cut out fruited canes of summer raspberries and tie in new canes to fruit next year. Select strong, healthy canes and cut out weak, forked or misplaced ones (such as those growing out into the paths).

Tie in new growth on blackberries and hybrid berries.

Start picking apples and blackberries for use in pies and desserts.

Support heavily laden branches on plums to prevent breakage.

Complete summer pruning of restricted fruit trees such as cordon and espalier apples and pears.

Prune out dead and fruited wood after cropping of fan-trained plums and cherries, and tie in replacement shoots.

Break in half the strongest young shoots on cobnuts and filberts this month to encourage a heavier crop of nuts. This technique is known as 'brutting'.

Pest & disease watch

Remove apples, pears and plums affected with brown rot to prevent the disease from spreading.

Gather scabby leaves from diseased apples and pears. Do not compost but instead consign to the dustbin.

Spray apples with hydrated calcium nitrate if apple bitter pit has been a problem.

If bacterial canker has a been a problem on stone fruit trees, then prune out affected smaller branches, wait until harvest is complete, and spray with fungicide.

Continue to treat American gooseberry mildew and fungal leaf spotting on currants after harvesting.

Treat strawberries with fungicide if powdery mildew is serious.

September

Finish tying in wall-trained sweet cherries. Pruning should have been completed during the summer.

Lift and pot up rooted strawberry runners from vigorous plants.

Water any new strawberry beds planted this season. If you have not yet planted new beds, this is really the last chance to do so, and only then in milder parts of the country. New plants need to establish before the cold sets in.

Cut out fruited canes of summer raspberries and tie in new canes that will fruit next year. Select strong, healthy canes and cut out weak, forked or misplaced ones (such as those growing out into the paths).

Blackcurrants are often pruned commercially this month (straight after harvesting), but it is better for home gardeners to wait until the leaves have fallen, and to prune the plants while dormant during the winter. Valuable time is best saved for more urgent jobs that cannot wait beyond this month.

Pick apples and blackberries for use in pies and desserts.

Pick autumn raspberries as they start to ripen.

Harvest cobnuts, hazelnuts and filberts when husks begin to yellow, but before they start dropping.

New trees can be planted once the autumn sets in and the dry weather is over. The soil will still be quite warm in September even if the weather is cool, and the roots of new plants will benefit from this. This is particularly important for peaches and nectarines. Other fruit trees may have a higher tolerance of cold at the roots, and can be planted later.

Pest & disease watch

Remove apples, pears and plums affected with brown rot to prevent the disease from spreading

Towards the end of September, start fixing grease bands around the trunks of fruit trees in order to deter the wingless female winter moths from climbing up the trunks to lay their eggs in the branches.

Net or cage ripening fruits to protect them from birds.

Monitor yields on soft fruit crops, as older plants frequently become infected with viruses, which reduce yield. They may need replacing.

Prune out any dead, dying or diseased shoots on fruit trees that are affected by diseases such as bacterial canker, cherry leaf scorch, powdery mildew or other problems that can overwinter or continue to worsen. Avoid pruning stone fruits (e.g. cherries or plums) once they are dropping their leaves, as this can make them vulnerable to silver leaf. Peaches and apricots can be sensitive to cold, so for this reason are best pruned in spring and summer.

October

Lift and divide old crowns of rhubarb.

Pick grapes when ripe.

Pick nuts (hazelnuts, cobnuts and filberts) when the husks begin to yellow, but before they start to drop from the tree.

Harvest apples and pears for eating or storing. Only store unblemished fruit to prevent it rotting in storage.

Pick blackberries, hybrid berries and autumn raspberries.

Provide winter protection for wall-trained outdoor figs to help successfully overwinter the embryonic green figs that will form next year's crop. Cover the plant with plastic netting and fill between the plant and the netting with a loose layer of straw, bracken or other open material. This covering should remain on until danger of frosts is past.

Cut down the fruited canes of blackberries and hybrid berries and tie in new ones.

Take hardwood cuttings of currants, gooseberries, figs and grape vines after leaf fall; only use virus-free plants.

Order fruit trees and bushes from mail order catalogues and nurseries, and prepare the ground well before planting.

New trees can be planted as soon as the autumn weather sets in. The soil will still be quite warm in early October, even if the weather is cool, and the roots of new plants will benefit from this. This is particularly important for peaches and nectarines. Other fruit trees may have a higher tolerance of cold at the roots, and can be planted later in the dormant season.

Keep an eye on any newly planted strawberry beds, watering them if necessary - using stored rainwater wherever possible.

Pest & disease watch

Place mouse controls near stored fruit.

Collect fallen apples and pears affected with brown rot. Pick off any affected fruit that remains on the tree otherwise the fruits become mummified and form a source of infection for next year.

Do not let fallen apple and pear leaves infected with scab or European pear rust lie on the ground at the base of the tree. Garden hygiene is crucial in the control of these common problems.

Put up sticky grease bands on fruit trees to protect them from female winter moths. Tree stakes will also need grease-banding if they provide a route up into the branches.

Spray peaches and nectarines against peach leaf curl just as the leaves begin to fall. Trees can then be covered with polythene supported on wooden posts, to prevent re-infection next year by spores carried in rain droplets.

Clean up old strawberry beds, removing yellow foliage, old runners and any plants that look as if they may have virus.

Keep nets or cages over ripening fruits to protect them from birds.

Monitor yields on soft fruit crops, as older plants frequently become infected with viruses, which reduce yield. If this happens they may need replacing.

Prune out any dead, dying or diseased shoots on apple and pear trees that are affected by canker or other problems that can continue to worsen over the winter. Don't prune stone fruits after midsummer, though, as this can make them vulnerable to silver leaf.

November

Complete the harvest of apples and pears. Only store unblemished fruit to prevent rotting in storage.

Plant any cane, bush and tree fruit ordered last month. Do not plant if the ground is frozen or waterlogged. If the planting site is not ready when plants arrive, then heel in the bare-root ones in a spare piece of ground, and leave containerised ones standing - but water them when needed.

Start winter pruning of established, open-grown, apple and pear trees (not cordons, espaliers, pyramids or fans).

Gooseberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants can be pruned from around now, but it might be better to wait until late winter/early spring, so that any winter damage can be removed at the same time. Wounds will also heal faster in the warmer weather.

Cut out the fruited canes of blackberries and hybrid berries, if not yet done.

Formative pruning of young, free standing, fruit trees and bushes (under three years old) can also be done from now. They should first be pruned to encourage branching and bushiness from the main stem. Subsequently, they should be encouraged to form an open centred ‘goblet’ shape of main branches, without any being misplaced or crossing.

Mulch fruit trees and bushes.

Lift and divide rhubarb plants to propagate them, or to rejuvenate old crowns.

Strawberry runners that have been potted up for forcing in February and March next year, should now be turned on their sides, or placed in a well-ventilated cold frame. Excess moisture or warmth could cause rots or precipitate premature growth.

Hardwood cuttings can be taken this month - this is a great way to propagate blackcurrants, redcurrants, white currants, gooseberries and grape vines - providing they are disease (especially virus) free.

Grape vines can also be propagated using eye cuttings. These are shorter than standard hardwood cuttings (having only one bud, or ‘eye’), and are used commercially to produce a large number of plants. Only attempt these if you are confident, as longer cuttings have more buds to rely on for rooting.

Grape vines can be pruned from now through the winter. Doing this early for those under glass will allow more light to reach other plants in the glasshouse or conservatory. Prunings can be used as hardwood cuttings.

Clean and store bamboo canes in the shed (or other dry place) to ensure they're still in good condition for next year.

Pest & disease watch

Check stored fruit regularly; any rotten ones should be removed promptly to prevent spread of disease.

Trap winter moths by placing grease bands around fruit trees. Tree stakes will also need grease-banding if they provide a route up into the branches.

Remove all remaining plant debris from the vegetable patch or allotment. Do not compost any diseased material; burn or bin it instead.

Place mouse controls near stored fruit.

Collect and dispose of fallen apples and pears affected with brown rot. Pick off any affected fruit that remains on the tree (otherwise the fruit becomes mummified and forms a source of infection for next year).

Rabbits deer and squirrels can be pests, particularly as the weather gets colder, gnawing the bark of fruit trees and bushes, and eating windfalls and harvests left outside to cure.

Do not let fallen apple and pear leaves infected with scab or European pear rust lie on the ground at the base of the tree. Garden hygiene is crucial in the control of these problems.

Winter pruning of fruit trees and bushes can start towards the end of the month, and gives you the opportunity to inspect your plants carefully. Any signs of canker or staining within the wood (a possible sign of infection) can be investigated and/or controlled as necessary.

Poor winter drainage (e.g. on clay soils) can cause fruit trees and bushes to suffer, and may lead to the development of Phytophthora root rots. Mulching, installation of drainage nearby, and any digging possible without disturbing the plants’ roots, will help to improve the health of trees and bushes suffering in this way. Contractors can even be brought in to inject compressed air or nitrogen into the soil to loosen compacted soil.

December

Prune grape vines before Christmas to avoid bleeding.

Prune established open-grown apple and pear trees (not cordons, espaliers or fans).

Formative pruning of young, free-standing, fruit trees and bushes (under three years old) can also be done from now. They should at first be pruned to encourage branching and bushiness from the main stem. Subsequently, they should be encouraged to form an open-centred ‘goblet’ shape of main branches, without any being misplaced or crossing.

Prune currants and gooseberries.

Check tree stakes and ties while doing your winter pruning. They may need loosening, replacing, or removing.

Hardwood cuttings can be taken this month - this is a great way to propagate blackcurrants, red currants, white currants, gooseberries and grape vines. Use only disease-free plants for propagation.

This is a good time to plant new fruit bushes and trees - as long as the soil isn't frozen or very wet.

Divide and plant rhubarb. Clumps can be lifted and prepared for forcing in early spring.

Clean and store bamboo canes in the shed (or other dry place) to ensure they're still in good condition for next year. Broken ones can be shortened, where possible, for re-use.

Pest & disease watch

Place mouse controls near stored fruit.

Regularly check fruit stores and remove rotting and mouldy specimens. These can be left out for birds and wildlife as a welcome winter treat.

Net crops to reduce pigeon damage and to keep bullfinches off fruit buds.

Be sure to remove dead or diseased wood, including spurs with mummified fruit that are the result of brown rot infections earlier in the year

Look out for signs of canker when pruning fruit trees.

Apply fatty acid-based winter washes to dormant fruit trees, to control overwintering pest problems, such as aphids, apple suckers and scale insects. You will need to access all the nooks and crannies where they hide.

Rabbits and squirrels can be pests, particularly as the weather gets colder, gnawing the bark of fruit trees and bushes, and eating windfalls and harvests left outside to cure.

Attracting insect wildlife to your garden can help to control pest problems for next year.