January
- Rainfall is usually sufficient; water only if required
- You can begin pruning the highest chill varieties if weather permits
- Purchase and plant new varieties
- Spray with dormant oil late in the month, or wait until next month - watch for bud swell
February
- Pruning begins in earnest
- Plant new varieties
- Spray with dormant oil before bud break
- If trees are in bloom during a hard freeze, protect the blooms from frost with an "umbrella" of frost cloth, burlap, or fabric sheets
- Broadcast dried molasses over the entire drip line
March
- Spray pears with Serenade for fireblight if you observed blight the previous year, or are growing vector plants (roses, hawthorns)
- Spray stone fruits at petal fall with Surround WP® to prevent plum curculio
- Water deeply if rainfall is insufficient
- Top dress with compost
- Refresh mulch
- Thin early fruits when they are the size of a marble
April
- Increase watering as weather warms
- Thin fruits when they are the size of marble
- Continue spraying stone fruits with Surround WP® at weekly intervals until one week before harvest
May
- Start regular summer watering schedule
- Harvest ripening fruits daily to preserve table quality
- High Density - Cut vigorous growth by half; wait until after harvest for bearing trees
June
- Water deeply once a week
- Clean up any dropped fruit from around trees
July
- Water deeply once a week
- Clean up any dropped fruit from around trees
August
- Water deeply once a week
- High Density - Prune vigorous new growth this month or early September
September
- Begin decreasing watering frequency as days cool
- High Density - Prune vigorous new growth early this month if not done in August
October
- Water deeply once if rainfall is insufficient
- Broadcast dried molasses over the entire dripline
November
- Water deeply once if rainfall is insufficient
December
- Clean up leaves as they fall - they can harbor insects & diseases
- Spray with dormant oil after leaf drop; may not be until January in mild winters
Fertilizing
Fertilizing differs by fruit type. See Fertilizing Pome Fruits & Fertilizing Stone Fruits for specifics.