After weeding, mulch around newly planted fruit trees, but keep a circle immediately around the main stem free of mulch (to prevent the bark from rotting).

Bush and cane fruit will also benefit from mulching.

Feed fruit trees, bushes and canes with a sprinkling of potassium sulphate fertiliser, also known as sulphate of potash, at 15g per sq m hoed into the soil surface. Give a balanced fertiliser as well (containing nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium), if not done last month.

Prune autumn raspberries (if not done already), cutting all canes down to the ground before mulching and top dressing with fertiliser over the roots.

Prune gooseberries if not done already. All side shoots from the main stems should be cut back to three buds, cutting just above a bud. Last year’s new growth on the main stems can also be shortened by about one-third, tipping back the main branches. Feed and mulch the bushes after pruning.

Cane fruits, fig trees and young trained fruit trees can be re-trained, if necessary. Last years new shoots can be un-bundled and spread out to provide this year’s fruits (for blackberries and hybrid berries). Other soft fruit and young tree fruit could benefit from lowering of vigorous branches and raising of less vigorous branches. This alters apical dominance, which can help to balance out unevenly developed branches in a fan or espalier.

Check ties on cane, cordon and fan fruit. Tighten or loosen as necessary, and replace those that are broken or damaged.

Plant container-grown outdoor grape vines this month. Although bare-rooted vines are planted throughout the winter, containerised vines can be bought and planted in March, once all risk of frost has passed. Vines need deep, well-drained soils with a pH of 6.5-7.

Prune blueberries, if not done already, by removing a few old or weak branches from the base of the bush, removing up to a quarter of the total branches.

Strawberry runners that were removed last year and potted up can be planted in new strawberry beds, or in pots.

Sow alpine strawberry seeds under glass.

Place cloches or fleece over outdoor strawberry plants for an early crop. Make sure to lift the sides of the fleece during the warmest part of the day, to allow pollinating insects to enter. High potassium feeds (such as tomato fertiliser) will also help to encourage flowers and fruit. Hand pollination may be necessary in very cold spring weather, when insects are scarce.

You can still plant new fruit trees and bushes, as long as the ground is not too wet, or frozen. Incorporate lots of well-rotted organic matter into the ground before digging the planting hole or trench. Try to complete all plantings early in the month, to give them time to establish before coming into full growth.

A wide range of fruit trees, including apples and pears, can be grafted at this time.

Pest & disease watch

Keep temporary shelters in place over peach trees to protect against peach leaf curl. Nectarines and almonds are also vulnerable.

Net your fruit crops to reduce pigeon damage, and to keep bullfinches off fruit buds (particularly gooseberries). Nets can be removed once flowering starts.

Keep an eye out for early aphid attack on soft fruit, and deal with this appropriately, either by squashing small colonies, or by using pesticide on larger infestations.

If American gooseberry mildew has been a problem in previous years, you may want to spray with fungicide (containing sulphur or myclobutanil) on leaf emergence.

Apples and pears may also need spraying against scab, where this has got out of hand in previous years. Fungicides containing mancozeb or myclobutanil are suitable choices.

You may need to spray against pear midge, taking care to do so only when the flower buds are white but still closed. Do not spray once the flowers have opened.

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