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As we slide into fall, we can see the leaves changing colors and begin falling. There’s a briskness in the air and an occasional frost. All Hallow’s Eve has passed, the apples are mostly picked and we’re just stepping back awaiting the real sign of a change in seasons.
After many weeks of working with our fruit trees and guiding them to a fruitful conclusion, we should be fully aware of the unseen changes taking place inside the tree. As fruit growers we know that what we did this year had much to do with this year’s crop, but probably even more to do with next year’s. The health of the trees during the growing season has a huge impact on their health and productivity next year. Pest management, crop load thinning, fertility, and now preparations for winter are what bring the orchard season to a conclusion and set the stage for next year.
But as we’ve been picking apples and pressing cider the trees have been doing their own thing. We may “think” we manage nature, but in reality all we can do is keep it from bouncing off the guard rails. As the apples ripen and the trees enter the fall season, they are already going through their own changes. Growth has slowed down, chlorophyll and compounds in the trees are breaking down and being converted to carbohydrates for transport into the inner realm of the tree. The roots, trunk, branches, fruit and vegetative buds all receive a good dose of nature’s protective sugars and juices to help them weather the long winter ahead. What we do to help the trees through this process is important – but, trust me, it happens with or without us. All we can do is augment what will happen naturally anyway. The trees know when it's fall and what to do – all we do is help shepherd them to safe landing.
One of the more important things we can do in the fall is to put on some final sprays to bolster fertility and reduce overwintering disease inoculum. Additional fertility increases the sugar and mineral content of the plant cells, as well as the biological activity on and in the tree, effectively helping insulate them against cold temperatures. Think “Nature’s Antifreeze.” As well, the addition of a biodynamic tree paste to the trunk and lower branches further increases the potential for trees to be as strong as possible going into winter.
Trees, however, are unable to protect themselves against certain elements like southwest injury, voles, mice, deer, and rabbits. This is where growers can bring their influence to bear in a much stronger way. Painting tree trunks white will help reflect the winter sunlight, reducing the warming of the trunk and the potential for cracking as it shrinks again during the cold nights. Mesh tree guards can help protect vole, mouse, and rabbit damage by creating an impenetrable barrier against the nibbling varmints just looking for food. And while we want nature to thrive, we do not want it to thrive at the expense of our hard work. Not entirely anyway.
With or without our intervention trees will go dormant in the winter and wake up again next fall. But the more we can do to help them thrive as healthfully as possible, the greater the chances that we’ll have a new crop of beautiful fruit a year from now. The next few weeks look to provide ample opportunity to get these pre-snow, mid-fall tasks completed before it gets too cold, and the snow starts to fly. At that point, you’ll be ready to nourish yourself and get ready for the long winter ahead.
For more information on specifics regarding any of the tasks or approaches outlined above, please contact Know Your Roots at mike@knowyouroots.com.
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