MOFGA's Organic Orcharding Workshop Series

March-October, 2006

A series of 5 day-long sessions, covering theory and hands-on practice in organic fruit tree and orchard management

Designed for beginner to intermediate orchardists managing backyard plantings to larger orchards

Workshops

Saturday, March 11: Pruning fruit trees and early spring orchard care
Learn to prune fruit trees to encourage vigorous growth, heavy fruit set, and quality fruit yield. Scionwood collection and storage will also be covered.

Sunday, April 30: Propagation and planting fruit trees and spring orchard care
Learn to propagate and reproduce your favorite fruit tree varieties. Several methods will be covered, from bench grafting (indoors) of rootstock to outdoor grafting (top working) of established trees of various ages. Spring orchard care, fertilization and more.

Saturday, May 20: Late spring & early summer orchard care
Join several experts for a pre-season exploration of organic disease and insect strategies, including lectures, discussions, question and answer periods inside and out. Learn what to expect in your orchard and how to manage it.

Saturday, July 15: Summer orchard care and organic commercial orchard tour
Learn to identify disease and insect damage in the orchard. All major orchard pests and diseases will be explored. Prevention strategies will be examined. Learn about leaf analysis and more.

Saturday, October 7: Apple picking, varietal tasting, and fall orchard care
Celebrate the harvest! Sure to be a rewarding wrap-up to the series. Participants are encouraged to bring their own apples to share and be identified.

Cost: $175.00 for the series, or $50.00 per class, 30% student/apprentice discount

All classes held rain or shine. Total enrollment is limited, so early registration is recommended.