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A Jovial Year starts anew! 🌳🍇🏞️

Fruit and Grape Tree pruning workshop Feb. 21 and Feb 28 @ 10am.<!–



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Orchard Happenings and Updates
❄️In February❄️
Did you know that late winter, while tree are still dormant, is the ideal time to prune fruit trees and grapes? We’d love for you to join us at the Weaver Creek Park Community Gardens this Saturday (Feb. 20) at 10:00am. We’ll meet at the North Raised Beds, and then host a short workshop on fruit tree and grape pruning, then head into the orchard for some hands on learning!

Stay tuned for more info as we get up and rolling for another Jovial year!

Here is a look at our upcoming Calendar!

  • February 28 (10am–2pm) – Second Chance, Fruit Tree and Grapevine pruning Workshop.

  • March 7 (10am–2pm) – Seed Starting, Tool Care & Pruning Workshop; Last chance for hands on grapevine and fruit tree pruning.

  • March 14 (10am–2pm) – Seed Starting, Milkweed Planting, Cold Stratification, Seed Scarification workshop

  • March 21 (10am–1pm)Annual Open House: Meet the team and learn about this year’s plans.

Follow us @JovialConcepts on Instagram for updates, garden tips, and winter inspiration!

Check out the section below for information about Fruit Tree pruning.

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Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

A hearty, warm dish for these (recently) frigid winter days!

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Fruit Tree Pruning!

Remember the 4 D’s.
The first thing to do when pruning a fruit tree is to remove Dead, Disease, Damaged, and Deranged branches.

Deranged meaning branches which are sticking into other branches at strange angles or that could possibly rub the bark off of another branch. You can take those out.

Pruning and training trees is a complex topic where extra photos can go a long way.
Check out this resource from Oregon State University for a really good write-up about this whole process: 

Know your tree type
Dwarf fruit trees for example benefit from slightly different pruning techniques than nondwarfs which can grow up to 40 feet tall.

Keep structural branches intact and prune for the right ‘shape’.
Different types of fruit trees benefit from different overall shapes. For example, a vase shape is often used for stone fruits like Peaches; while a central-leader shape is often used for Apples and Pears. Check out the link above for photos.

Did you know?
Most fruit trees we plant have grafted unions between two different trees. The top is a fruit bearing variety, bred for tasty or productive fruit, and is often joined together with a different variety used as a “rootstock”. The rootstock is often a variety bred for disease resistance or to confer some other benefit.

Why Prune?
Pruning can increase fruit production and fruit quality, prevent large branches from breaking later on in a tree’s life, and help prevent disease and fruit rots from taking hold.

Techniques

  • Open the canopy for airflow. Encouraging airflow in the canopy can reduce disease and improve fruit quality.
     
  • Aim to keep branches that have 45-60 degree angles; these are stronger and can bear more fruit than branches with tighter angles. 
     
  • Prune out Watersprouts and suckers. Watersprouts are thin branches that stick straight up and grow vertically; they can grow very quickly over a year. Suckers are similar but grow from the rootstock of a grafted fruit tree.

Additional Information from trusted education based resources.

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