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One of the general rules of thumb about pruning fruit trees is to take a hands-on pruning class to experience good pruning in process. Another rule is to prune fruit trees in the winter when the trees are dormant, and also when there's enough time to finish the job.A Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop at Frog Hollow Farm is set for Sunday, February 8, 11am-1pm, at Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, California. Registration and tickets are $25 each and available online.
Readers who are not near Frog Hollow Farm may call the local county office of the state Ag Extension Service for workshops or demonstrations nearby. County offices can be found online.
Frog Hollow Farm's two hour hands-on pruning workshop is a great opportunity for home gardeners with fruit trees to learn the basic principles of pruning, to see how Farmer Al and Farmers Kristin and Marlene prune at Frog Hollow Farm, and to gain some skills making the essential cuts. Fruit and hot tea will be provided.
Fruit trees need pruning for two primary purposes: to establish the basic structure, and to provide light channels throughout the tree so that all the fruit can mature well. A well pruned fruit tree is easier to maintain and to harvest, and adds esthetic value to the home garden as well, but the primary reason for pruning is to ensure good access to sunlight. The best fruit always seems to be in the top of the tree because that's where the most light is available.
Training a tree to be open to the light, and easy to care for and to harvest, are the main considerations to keep in mind when pruning. Prune out any diseased, dead, dying or crossed limbs. It's easier to see them in winter when the leaves are gone and the tree is dormant.
Get a good mental picture of the desired shape for the pruned tree this year and five years into the future. Then prune for shape, size, light channels, and strong lateral branches to support the fruit. Learn to make good cuts for best results.
Pruning is both science and art. Join a workshop to learn the science. Practice to develop the art. Get hands-on practice at a fruit tree pruning workshop.
More about Frog Hollow Farm and Frog Hollow CSA aka Happy Child CSA –
They are a 143-acre certified organic farm located in the fertile Sacramento River Delta just east of San Francisco in Brentwood, California. Farmer Al has been called a “rock star” of the organic fruit delivery industry because he selects only the sweetest, most flavorful, tree-ripened fruit to ship directly to his customers, from tree to table in 48 hours. All tree-ripened fruit from Frog Hollow Farm is carefully boxed and shipped unblemished and ready to eat.
The Frog Hollow Community Supported Agriculture program offers Bay Area food lovers weekly or bi-weekly fruit shares delivered to a convenient pick-up location. According to Farmer Al, only 2% of fruit is cosmetically perfect. Fruit with minor blemishes makes up the bulk of any harvest and much of it goes to area Farmer's Markets. Frog Hollow Farm is a member of the Pacific Coast Farmer’s Market Association and operates fruit stands at farmer's markets all around the Bay Area. Beautiful fruit that is ripe enough to have great flavor and survive shipping goes to Frog Hollow Farm's mail order customers. Ripe and ready-to-eat blemished fruit finds a home in the weekly boxes of the Frog Hollow CSA.
Contact Info:
Name: Lael Gerhart, Director Frog Hollow CSA
Email: Send Email
Organization: Frog Hollow Farm
Address: P.O. Box 2110, Brentwood, CA 94513
Phone: (925) 634-2845 Ext: 206 for CSA
Website: http://www.froghollow.com/
Release ID: 72396