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Join us for the Fruit Tree Pruning Fundamentals workshop to discover the essential skills that separate thriving orchards from struggling trees. This class will teach you the science and artistry behind proper pruning, empowering you to maximize your harvest while maintaining healthy, beautiful trees for years to come. The skills you learn in this course will prepare you to prune your fruit trees in the dormant season of mid-December to late February, when pruning should be done. Since 2017, Grant McCarty, Local Foods and Small Farms Educator, has taught fruit tree pruning classes for Northern Illinois growers, both commercial and noncommercial. His approach uses a color coding systems to help you visualize the cuts you need to make this season, the shape your tree currently is or is heading, and the confidence to take his suggestions and put into action. This unique approach combines education with consulting and coaching without stepping foot on your orchard.
What You'll Learn
In this workshop, you'll master both the theory and practice of apple tree pruning through detailed classroom instruction and personalized tree analysis:
Pruning Timing and Strategy
Proper Cutting Techniques
Tool Maintenance and Care
Tree Training Methods
Disease Prevention and Management
Fruit Thinning Strategies
Personalized Tree Analysis
Why Attend This Class
Proper pruning is the difference between a productive orchard and a disappointing harvest. Many apple growers struggle with overgrown, diseased, or poorly shaped trees that produce small, low-quality fruit. You may also be encountering heavy crop loads every other year. This class will save you years of trial and error, helping you avoid common mistakes that can permanently damage your trees. You'll learn techniques that commercial orchardists use to maximize both fruit quality and quantity, while developing the confidence to make decisions that will benefit your trees for decades.
What to Expect
This comprehensive classroom workshop combines expert instruction with personalized guidance for your specific trees. Before class, you'll have the opportunity to submit photos of your fruit trees, which we'll analyze together to create customized pruning plans tailored to your orchard's unique needs.
Who Should Attend
This class is perfect for backyard fruit tree growers looking to improve their harvest, homesteaders wanting to establish productive orchards, and anyone who has inherited apple trees and wants to care for them properly. Further, this class is designed for new commercial orchardists, whether adding to their farm or just getting started.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
U of I Extension - Stephenson County, 2998 W. Pearl City Road, Freeport, United States
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