Winterizing Fruit Trees

For deciduous fruit trees to break dormancy and produce flowers in spring, they must be winterized properly. The following guidelines on fertilization, watering, pruning, chill hours, and freeze protection will ensure your tree wakes from its winter slumber next spring.
Fertilization: It's time to wean your tree off its monthly fertilization schedule.  Reduce its feeding by half each time you feed until the end of fall. Do not fertilize again until spring.
Watering: Reduce waterings when the tree begins to go dormant. Soil should only be slightly moist throughout the winter period.
Pruning: Do not prune trees less than one year old. Any major pruning of older trees should be done during the dormancy period. See my book, Container Gardening for Health,  for detailed information and illustrations.
Chill Hours: Most deciduous fruit trees require a certain number of "chill hours," the number of hours the temperature drops below 50 deg. F,  in order to produce fruit.  Research the number of chill hours required for your tree variety and compare this number to the average chill hours received in your region. (Ideally, this should be done prior to buying a fruit tree.)
Freeze Protection: Though deciduous fruit trees require chill hours, it is important to keep the roots in containerized trees from freezing.  In most areas trees can overwinter in unheated garages or basements to protect them from hard freezes, but you still may need to wrap the containers in insulative material to prevent root death.  I'd like to hear from gardeners in USDA Zones 1-2B about root protection of containerized fruit trees in these areas. 

For More Information on Growing Organic Fruit Trees in Containers, check out my book, Container Gardening for Health: The 12 Most Important Fruits and Vegetables for Your Organic Garden