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The Prunus genus is known for preferring sharp drainage and not liking wet feet, so they're easily killed by soggy soil conditions from the time they start preparing to shed their foliage until the spring flush is on them. Translated, that means you should monitor how much water is in the soil during the lead-up to dormancy and while they sleep.

You'll often hear it repeated that you shouldn't fertilize in fall or you shouldn't fertilize with a fertilizer containing N, opting for something like 0-10-10 instead, but I'm not in that camp. The reason is, next years buds are already set by late summer or early fall. Nitrogen plays no part in activating these buds (photoperiod and warm temps after the plant is released from dormancy by chilling does that). What tender or herbaceous growth woody plants put on in fall is going to die back to the first set of viable buds anyway. Also, a higher level of mineral solutes in intra-cellular water (which literally acts as antifreeze) enhances cold-hardiness AND enhances the enthusiasm of the spring push, due to the store of nutrients in tissues the plant wouldn't have had if you'd stopped fertilizing in late summer according to conventional thinking. I keep fertilizing with FP 9-3-6 right up until mean soil temps drop below 55* - even if the trees are leafless. I'll probably fertilize one more time this weekend, then not again until the spring flush of growth has hardened off.

Al