Putting on a workshop takes a lot of work and planning, having someone else conduct the workshop…not so much. Last Saturday we had another in our ongoing homestead workshops, this one on pruning fruit trees. Our orchard is still a young but firmly established thirteen years old containing a mixture of Southern and English heirloom apple, pear, peach, plum and cherry trees.

Looking over the orchard this summer I was reminded of the need to do an annual pruning in the fall. Knowing a few basics, this chore is done each fall with modest results. The epiphany hit. What would Tom Sawyer do? Aunt Polly is, after all, mighty particular about how this fence gets painted.

So, last Saturday with ten workshop attendees in tow our certified fruit tree pruning specialist (Andrew Merriss) conducted a workshop using our orchard to demonstrate proper techniques: pruning to diminish pathogens and pests, understanding tree growth from leaf and flower buds to shoot elongation.

It was well received by all, quite informative and at the end of the workshop we had a number of nicely pruned, formerly out of control, pear trees. And I think that if I have been good this year instead of my usual sweet potato and switches Santa just might bring me a pruning ladder.