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July 7, 2008

UC Santa Cruz Offers Summer Fruit Tree Pruning and Care Workshop on Saturday, July 19

By Martha Brown (831) 459-3376; mtbrown@ucsc.edu

Although we often think of pruning as a winter chore, summer pruning can help maximize your fruit trees' health and productivity. Join fruit tree experts Matthew Sutton and Jeffrey Caspary for a lecture and demonstration workshop on summer fruit tree pruning and care at the UC Santa Cruz Farm on Saturday, July 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"Summer pruning can be used to control the size and shape of an overly vigorous tree," says Sutton, founder of Orchardkeeper, a company specializing in ecological fruit tree and orchard management. "Particularly for apples, proper summer-time pruning can get more light to the fruit to help it ripen properly," says Sutton.

During the workshop, Sutton and Caspary will also discuss after-harvest care to prepare your trees for fall and the coming dormant period

Cost of the workshop is $15 for members of the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden, and $20 for the general public, payable the day of the class (check or cash only). No pre-registration is necessary. Wear comfortable walking shoes and sun protection, and bring a snack. Memberships to the Friends of the Farm & Garden are available at the workshop.

For more information, call (831) 459-3376, email mtbrown@ucsc.edu, or see http://casfs.ucsc.edu. The workshop is cosponsored by the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems and the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden.

The UCSC Farm is located 1/4 mile up the gravel road above the Blacksmith Shop; free public parking is available across the street from the Blacksmith Shop in the Physical Plant parking lot, just inside the main entrance to the UCSC campus.

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