Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden will present an an in-depth weekend workshop on selecting, growing and caring for apple and pear trees.
“Apples, Pears and Other Pomes: A Fruit Tree Weekend Intensive Workshop" will take place from 10 a.m, to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, February 8 and 9 at the UCSC Farm on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
Led by Orin Martin and Sky DeMuro of UCSC’s Alan Chadwick Garden, the course will use lectures and hands-on practice to teach how to select appropriate varieties, choose and prepare a planting site, plant trees, and care for them year round.
Topics include: varietal choices, tool selection and care, optimal site selection, soil fertility, cover crops and fertilizers, irrigation, winter and summer pruning, and disease and pest control.
Online registration costs are $250 for general public, $225 for Friends of the Farm & Garden members, $200 for Farm & Garden docents, $75 for current UCSC students.
Workshop registration cost includes the Fruit Tree Reader, coffee, tea and snacks. Please bring your own lunch. Registration deadline is Wednesday, February 5. Pre-registration is required and class size is limited. Register online at: http://pomefruit.bpt.me
The UCSC Farm is located 1/4 mile up the gravel road above the Blacksmith Shop; free public parking is available in the parking lot at the corner of Coolidge Drive and Carriage House Road, off of Coolidge Drive inside the main entrance to the UCSC campus.
Other offerings in the Friends of the Farm & Garden’s 2014 winter workshop series include classes that focus on winter pome and stone fruit pruning, fruit tree grafting, and blueberry growing. See http://tinyurl.com/casfs2014 for details.
For more information, call (831) 459-3240 or email casfs@ucsc.edu. Workshops are cosponsored by the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems and the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden; UCSC student entry is supported by UCSC’s Measure 43.
