Basic apple tree care in autumn

Basic maintenance includes cleaning the tree's trunk area, pruning, and fertilizing. Proper watering is also provided if necessary.

Cleaning

Cleaning the tree trunk area is an important step in autumn apple tree care. After the harvest and the leaves have fallen, all plant debris is removed from the tree trunk area. This is necessary to eliminate the breeding ground for pathogens, the wintering ground for harmful insects, and to prevent mice from nesting under the snow.

NOTE! It is recommended to burn the debris, and the resulting ash can be used to fertilize the soil around the tree trunks. Some gardeners compost leaves and fallen fruit, but you can't be sure whether pests remain.

Trimming

Traditionally, pruning is performed in the spring, as the trees' defense mechanisms become less active in the fall, and wound healing is hindered by the sap flow slowing down. Fall pruning can weaken trees and reduce their winter hardiness, so many gardeners avoid it to avoid the risk. However, sanitary pruning in the fall makes it easier to perform in the spring and reduces the stress on the tree's crown.

There are several rules for autumn pruning of apple trees:

• the procedure is carried out no later than 3 weeks before the first frost;

• diseased and broken branches, as well as branches growing into the crown and intertwined with each other, are pruned;

• young shoots are removed from the trunk and surface roots;

• in mature trees, branches can be shortened by a third;

• After pruning, the cut area is treated with a solution of copper sulfate (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of boiled water);

• dried cuts are covered with garden pitch.

IMPORTANT! Pruning should be done in dry, warm weather.

Fertilizing and watering

Autumn fertilization of apple trees is best combined with watering. The first fertilization is recommended in late summer or early September, immediately after harvest, although this depends largely on the variety.

For top dressing, use superphosphate mixed with potassium sulfate or monopotassium phosphate. For the working solution, take 1 tablespoon of potassium sulfate and 2 tablespoons of superphosphate and dilute them in 10 liters of water. This amount is enough to fertilize one young tree. For mature trees, double the amount.

Watering is done in mid-October, and in November in southern regions. Young trees up to 5–7 years old require 20 liters of water, while older trees will require 50–60 liters per trunk circle for moisture-replenishing irrigation. Older trees require up to 100 liters of water.

NOTE! You don't have to pour the entire volume at once—it can be spread out over several days, especially on heavy clay soils. The soil should be saturated to a depth of at least half a meter. Autumn precipitation doesn't allow for this kind of saturating.