Normally an apple tree will have two types of growth. The first being the fruiting buds stems with short stubby nodes or buds about 5mm to 10mm long with rings around the base, these are the fruiting buds and these stems need leaving unless you are reshaping the apple tree because these buds are next crop of flowers and fruit. February with hopefully most of the severe winter weather behind us, sees the onset of many jobs in the fruit garden. For me it is the month of pruning as it is easier to identify dead and diseased wood as the sap is starting to rise and feeding where I like to replenish the Potassium reserves for the coming season by giving the trees a dressing of Granulated Sulphate of Potash at around 20 grams per square metre. Surface applied, this fertiliser is just simply scattered where it will be washed in by the spring rains.

Winter tree wash used to be simply Bordeaux mixture, based on copper sulphate and slaked lime. This was first used on vines initially to discourage pilferers. Its fungicidal and bactericidal properties were discovered by chance. For many years, it was used on fruit trees. The copper in the mixture combated both fungal diseases and the pests as listed above. Bordeaux mixture was ideal as a winter fungicide because it adhered to trees even in rainy weather. It could even be made by farmers themselves, using 10 pounds of copper sulphate, 10 pounds of dry hydrated lime, and 100 gallons of water (or 3.5 tablespoons of copper sulphate, 10 tablespoons of dry hydrated lime, and 1 gallon of water). So there's plenty to be getting on with as winter bites. No excuses for sitting idle! As if you needed encouragement – an afternoon spent working on your fruit trees is satisfying to the core. The promise of next year's fruits should soften the chill and warm the spirit. the wash into every nook and cranny within the tree or bush. Problems with Winter Wash of Fruit Trees. Practice good garden hygiene and dispose of diseased material. Don’t add foliage or branches with fungal diseases to your compost heap. Begin at the top of the plant and work downwards, using a soft-bristled brush to gently scrub the foliage and stems.

One of the best ways of reducing pest numbers in fruit trees is to apply an Organic Winter Tree Wash during the dormant season i.e. once the leaves are off the trees to reduce overwintering pests and their eggs. This winter wash is a totally natural product made from vegetable oil, which works through physical action i.e. it “dissolves” the eggs of pests such as greenfly, red spider mite etc, preventing an infestation when the growing season begins. Apply to all fruit trees and bushes (top and soft fruit) and to vines under-glass at any time through the winter when the plants are dormant. Suitable for organic growers everywhere. Dilute the product 1 part concentrate to 10 parts water i.e. each bottle of conc. will yield 4.5 litres of spray. Apply with a sprayer. Winter Wash is available in a 1L bottle, which makes makes 20 litres of spray. It is important at the time of application that the tree is fully dormant and early February is the ideal time to do this. To ensure all parts of the bark are treated, spray to ‘run off’ using a medium to coarse spray , which is easily achieved with most garden sprayers by lowering the pressure to prevent any fine droplets drifting and not reaching the target. With all the leaves long shed it's easier to spot and promptly remove any mummified fruit hanging on in the branches. You may think these fruits pose little threat, but they are carriers for disease; left on the tree they have the potential to re-infect the following year. Better safe than sorry, so you're best rid of them.

Rabbits and muntjac deer can easily damage young fruit trees by gnawing the bark. Protected them with proprietary plastic tree guards, plastic netting or wire netting. Applying an Oil-based Winter Wash The product which is based on vegetable oils is really easy to use you just mix 10ml of concentrate with 90ml of water and apply by a garden sprayer during calm frost free conditions. healthy bark, and the resulting wound painted with a fungicidal paint. Staking Fruit Trees and Bushes in Winter With a blend of surfactants and natural oils, it removes insect debris, dust and wax which insects use to secure their eggs. Suitable for use on evergreen plants, it removes contaminants from the leaf surface to increase light exposure and encourage photosynthesis.In general, good long-term management of your fruit tree or trees is better than extreme solutions. The key to success in an organic garden lies in creating a balanced and healthy ecosystem. When a tree is healthy and the ecosystem of the garden is in balance, pests and disease may still occur, but are far less likely to get out of control. Natural Pest & Disease Control

Each bottle of Gardening Naturally winter tree wash contains 500ml of concentrated liquid, which you will dilute to make 10.5 litres of spray by mixing 50ml of concentrate with 1 litre of water. Mix only as much as you need for each application.

The GardenAdvice team are often asked about apple trees by a lot of clients, the key really is to set them up in the later autumn and winter months which will generate some great fruit later in the autumn. Some pests will overwinter in leaf litter or in the soil around your fruit trees so they can be near to their food source when spring comes around. Good garden hygiene is the answer. Rake up all fallen leaves and compost them away from your trees to foil pests such as apple blossom weevil, which can destroy flowers and ruin your fruit crop. Grease, debris, dust and build up of other substances allow insects secure spots to lay their eggs. Using a winter wash will remove all unwanted debris on your tree, making the conditions less favourable for unwanted insects and reducing the need to use pesticides later in the year. Applying Vitax Fruit Tree Grease or Provanto Boltac Greasebands to your fruit trees, after their winter wash, will help protect them from Winter moth caterpillars, Ants and Earwigs by acting as a barrier method to climbing insects and effectively trapping pests before they can damage your crop.