You've come to the wrong time of year if you've got the itch to grow some fresh fruit in the late fall. But if you're willing to channel your taste for fresh fruit into working on your garden, you'll be in perfect shape to start picking sooner rather than later. Here are a few things you can do this time of year to be ready to live your fruit-growing dreams next growing season.
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Berries
If you're plotting to put in berries next year, it's a good time to check for soil acidity. It's a little late this year to start acidifying for bare-root season in February, but you could still hustle and be ready to plant potted plant starts next spring if your soil is already fairly acidic. Add some broken-down leaf matter and the acidifying agent of your choice.
Blueberries: Demand soil acidity of 4.0-5.5, or they get grouchy (which is the technical gardening term for turning yellow, not producing much and generally looking sickly). It could take a few years, so get started as soon as possible.
Raspberries: Prefer soil acidity of 5.6-6.2, getting to which might require several applications of sulfer or pine needles. Again, the sooner you get crackin' on acidifying that soil, the sooner you'll have your berries. This helpful link provides lots of info on growing, fertilizing, staking and other stuff.
Strawberries: Like soil acidity of 5.5-6.5 (so they're the most forgiving of the berries).
Keep in mind as you're selecting and preparing your site that berries need full sun to grow well. They also don't like "wet feet," so make sure the site is drained nicely, or better yet, mound up the dirt and plant on berms. It'd be a darn shame if you put all that work into prepping a perpetually soggy site that only gets morning sun.
Trees
This is a great time of year to start thinking about planting fruit trees. Bare-root fruit trees start cropping up in nurseries in February, and you can put in special orders at Valley View Nursery right now if there's a certain cultivar you're after. If you've got crummy soil, start adding compost, rotten manure, broken-down leaves and other goodies to the spot you're going to plant.
If your soil's already in good shape and ready for planting, go get your tree and put it in the ground! Plenty of rain without super-chilly temperatures are just right to get your tree happily established.
Grapes
This is another fruit that likes a somewhat more acidic soil of 5.5-6.5. Grape vines can be planted as bare-root plants in February or as small starts as soon as the soil can be worked (usually February for us). This article provides a lot of information and good advice on pruning (toward the bottom). While it's really pretty eager-beaver to be thinking about planting grapes right now, you can get your soil in good order by making sure it's nicely amended with compost or rotted manure. Well-drained soil is key for grapes. And plenty of sunshine. Take a look at this guide from the OSU Extension (PDF) on grape-ing successfully.
The Bottom Line
It's always the right time to start getting things ready for your next gardening venture. Growth doesn't happen overnight, and a little planning always pays off in the end (in cases like this, with juicy, delicious treats).
