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Fruit Garden in Autumn

Early Autumn

  • Autumn fruiting raspberries will be cropping, so too will strawberries under cloches and blackberries.

  • Pruning of soft fruit must be finished and strawberry runner can be planted out.

  • Apple and pear picking will be in full swing, both are ready to pick if the stalk detaches easily when the fruit is lifted gently in the palm of the hand.

  • Pears to be stored should be picked just as the skin begins to turn yellow round the stalk but the body of the fruit will still be green.  Place in single layers in the dark, the atmosphere should not be dry otherwise they may shrivel.  Sometimes with late pears picking should be delayed until the weather deteriorates, but they must be picked then, even if the stalk has to be pulled quite hard to detach it. 

  • Apples keep well in the same conditions or can be put four or five in a polythene bag, with the opening closed, using fruit that is not damaged and without signs of disease.  Put in a dark, cool place, it will keep well, preserved in its own gases given off as maturing finishes

Late Autumn

  • By now most of the top fruit will be in store (or eaten) and now is a good time to decide on new varieties to obtain a succession of crops as the ground can be prepared for new fruit trees.

  •  Strawberry runners can still be planted and the root tips of blackberry and loganberry separated from the parents, to get ready for planting.  They should also have the fruited canes taken away and the new ones put in their place..... make sure you wear gloves!!!

  • Apples are still being picked and stored and should keep until around march or April of the following year.  Similarly pears will keep for a good part of the winter