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.