Getting Started with Fruit Trees

This workshop is full. Check out our other offerings on our website.

Learn how to select, plant, grow and manage healthy, productive deciduous fruit trees organically with instructor Orin Martin, manager of the Alan Chadwick Garden and author of Fruit Trees for Every Garden.

Planting a fruit tree should be a considered act, and yet it's common for people to simply grab a tree, grab a spade, dig a hole and plant the tree. Most mistakes made with fruit trees are a result of poor, or even no planning.

In this workshop we will review the 'prerequisites' required for healthy trees:

• Site selection to determine your microclimate conditions
• Soil assessment and improvement options
• Sourcing quality trees
• Chill hours required
• How to choose size-controlling rootstocks
• Delicious and reliable fruit tree varieties for the Monterey Bay area

After going over these basics, we will walk to the orchard for a hands-on demonstration that covers installation and maintenance considerations such as:

• Planting your young tree
• Fertilization, mulching, and growing cover crops
• Watering
• Pruning and training young trees
• A review of the growing season and what to do when

A series of informative handouts will be provided. Orin's excellent book on growing fruit trees, Fruit Trees for Every Garden, will be available for sale.

Pre-registration is required for this workshop. Email accommodation requests to agroecology.ucsc.edu.

Presented by the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden. Members receive a 10% discount on workshop cost. Learn more about becoming a member and sign up at https://agroecology.ucsc.edu/get-involved/join-the-friends/index.html. 

Photo: Jim Clark