Growing an orchard requires year-round maintenance. This calendar breaks down each task month by month. For region-specific information, contact your local Giving Grove program. If you would like more information like this sent straight to your inbox, consider subscribing to The Serving, The Giving Grove’s quarterly newsletter.

January

  • Complete a soil test. Recommended to be done every 3 years.

  • Clean tools, sharpen tools, and prepare for the season.

  • Fertilize trees with slow-release organic fertilizer (can be done between January and March)

  • Water the trees if the month is dry and warm.

February

March

  • Expand mulch rings on trees.

  • Plant new trees and berries.

  • Tip/prune blackberry laterals to 15” and remove all dead canes.

  • Start spraying holistic, organic spray regimen from bud swell to the week after petal fall. (Do not spray while blossoms are open.)

  • Remove tree wraps at the end of the month.

April

  • Continue holistic sprays.

  • Watch for signs of insect and disease issues.

  • Pinch off fruits/flowers on all newly planted trees under 2 years old to encourage root and shoot growth.

  • Begin weekly watering regimen, if it does not rain.

May

  • On 3+ year old trees, thin fruits leaving 6”-8” between fruits for peaches, 4”-6” for apples and pears. Do not allow the fruits to touch.

  • Begin strawberry harvest.

  • Apply Bt, Spinosad or holistic spray to protect from ornamental fruit month and coddling moth.

  • Protect peach tree trunks from borers: spray neem, wrap with window screen, and plant chives or garlic near the trees' base.

June

  • Harvest serviceberries, cherries, and early peaches like Harrow Diamond.

  • Begin harvest of Natchez blackberries.

  • Watch for and spray spotted wing drosophila in berries and soft fruit.

  • Remove brown rot in stone fruits. Spray sulfur as necessary.

  • Watch for fire blight on apples, pears, and Asian pears; prune out any infection 6” below cankered bark.

  • Protect fruits from Japanese beetles using row cover or spray with Kaolin Clay and Neem (use a large volume trap for large turf areas).

July

  • Rejuvenate June-bearing strawberries (late June/early July).

  • Continue harvesting blackberries.

  • Freeze, can and dehydrate peaches.

  • Harvest early season apples like Pristine, and pears like Harrow Diamond and Shinsui.

  • Start tipping new blackberry canes and tie to the trellis line July through September.

  • Remove blackberry canes that are done fruiting.

  • Harvest second round of ever-bearing strawberries.

  • Water weekly throughout the growing season if it does not rain at least 1 inch.

August

  • Prune water-sprouts and root-suckers on apples and pears. Also, prune to stunt tree growth if desired, including topping tree height.

  • Harvest Asian pears: Kosui, Chojuro, Yoinashi; European pears: Sunrise, Blake’s Pride, Potomac (Harvest European pears 1-2 weeks early as they do not ripen on the tree.)

  • Begin harvesting primocane (Caroline, Heritage) raspberries until hard freeze.

September

October

November

  • Wrap new trees with tree wrap to prevent rabbits and other rodents from chewing bark.

  • Cage blueberries to keep rabbits away.

  • Mow around trees to chop leaves and remove pest habitat.

  • Use fall holistic spray to help decompose leaves, and kill over-wintering fruit pests.

  • Aerate soil and add 1/2”-1” compost around tree drip-line.

  • Spray fungicide to treat peaches for leaf curl.

December

  • Mulch over strawberry plants with 2-3” of straw (after hard freeze).

  • Mulch trees with 2-3” of wood chips in 18” radius around trees.

  • Case and insulate figs with 2’-4’ of leaves before temperatures get below 15 degrees.

  • Read Michael Phillips, Lee Reich and other fruit tree authors

  • Expand mulch rings on trees

  • Water if dry and temperatures are staying above freezing.