Fruit Garden in Winter
Early Winter
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As soon as the leaves have fallen and the last of the crop has been picked, the top fruit can be pruned and any time during winter, provided there is no disease as the wounds can become easily infected and should be left until summer. Pruning is done to prevent shoots and branches becoming crowded and disease ridden and to encourage the production of new growth which will crop well and regularly. Un-pruned trees become a tangle mess of growth, live and dead, full of pests and diseases and bearing to much fruit that will not ripen... or is too small if it does.
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Bud pecking by birds may soon start.
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Formally trained apples and pears can now have the summer pruning finished so as to leave stubs 2-3" long. Mulching can follow pruning.
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If blackcurrant pruning was not done in the autumn, it can be done now, and summer pruning of redcurrants and gooseberries can be completed.
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Old fruited canes of raspberries should now be cut out, if not already done with those of the autumn fruiting kind.
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Strawberries should be "strawed" to prevent weed growth
Late Winter
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Redcurrant and gooseberry can have their summer pruning completed by cutting the remains of the year's new lateral shoots to 2" stubs (if this has not been done in December)
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Raspberry canes should be tipped and wires renewed where necessary
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Strawberries cloched late in Feb will be ready for picking early may
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Carry on with pruning and planting of new fruit.... have a break for Christmas and look out for the new catalogues....