Apple Calendar

JANUARY/FEBRUARY

  • Prune fruit trees.
  • Collect scions for grafting.
  • Clean and sharpen tools.
  • Rake mulch 12-18″ away from trunks of trees.
  • Check soil moisture once each month; water if necessary.
  • Do first dormant oil spray if nightime low will be above freezing.

MARCH/APRIL

  • Plant bare root trees.
  • Do second dormant oil spray at 1/4″ green tip.
  • Fungicidal application–10 days after dormant oil and before bloom.
  • Check soil moisture once each month; water if necessary.
  • Graft apples and pears.
  • Prune rose bushes on or after April 15 (if no hard freeze imminent).

MAY

  • Turn on watering system.
  • Remove plastic tree guards.
  • Begin pesticide spray program after 90% petal drop (for codling moth).
  • Monitor for aphids (curled, deformed leaves at shoot tips).
  • Monitor for powdery mildew (prune out affected shoots).
  • Mulch.
  • Prune grapes.
  • Memorial Day weekend–plant tomatoes; bar-b-que ribs.

JUNE

  • Thin fruit when <1/2 inch diameter.
  • Continue/finish pesticide spray program (codling moth).
  • Continue to monitor for pests and disease (esp. fire blight on pears).
  • Check and adjust watering system.
  • Halibut fishing.

JULY

  • July 4th–bar-b-que brisket.
  • Collect and send in leaf analysis.
  • Check and adjust watering system as needed.
  • Monitor for pests, esp. pear sawfly larvae (skeletonized leaves on cherries).
  • Cover ripening cherries and stone fruits with bird netting.
  • Harvest stone fruits as they ripen.

AUGUST

  • Continue harvest of stone fruits as they ripen.
  • Check soil moisture and adjust watering system as needed.
  • Cover apples/pears with bird netting.
  • Continue to monitor for pear sawfly larvae and other pests.
  • Salmon fishing.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

  • Labor Day–bar-b-que ribs.
  • Check soil moisture; start cutting back on watering.
  • Clean up wind fall fruit at least weekly.
  • Bud graft stone fruits.
  • Procure wine grapes and start wine.
  • Pick wild elderberries and chokecherries; make jam.
  • Harvest apples (ripe when pips/seeds are dark brown to black).

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

  • Give orchard area a last, good soaking.
  • Turn off, drain watering system.
  • Crush, press, start cider.
  • Paint tree trunks and/or wrap with plastic tree guards to protect from sunscald.
  • Clean leaves and debris from orchard floor.
  • Mulch.

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