Happy Day Ranch Pruning Class

It was a sunny day at Happy Day Ranch orchard, and we pruned four trees, two of which were sorely in need of a haircut, as you can see from the pile that came out of Bob and Deborah's tree, below.
Alex Halperin and one of her two apple trees, which is now sporting a Summer "butch cut". All the apple trees in Ginny Parker's orchard are full of fruit buds, so if their blossoms escape frost this Spring, get ready for a heavy harvest this Fall.

Dr Will Evans - "Shifting Gears" on KDNK Radio

A local retired MD, Dr. Will Evans, asked MT to be interviewed on his KDNK Radio talk show, "Shifting Gears", about the Heritage Fruit Tree Project, and about the "Gift Economy", to be aired at 4:30 pm Mountain Time, on Thursday, May 7. You may catch the show on streaming audio on your computer at: kdnk.org

Fruit Tree Pruning Class, Saturday May 2, at Ute City Farms, Woody Creek

Weather for Aspen, Saturday May 2: 80% chance of rain, high 52.degF. Dress to be dry and warm, and please wear waterproof shoes with soft bottoms (I'll be wearing my Sorels), because we'll be climbing the trees more than using ladders, as they are on a sloped hillside.
See you outside the Woody Creek Tavern in the morning, 9:00.
MT
Map of Ute City Farms;
Carpool from Woody Creek Tavern, leaving there at 9:00 am;
Dress for the weather;
Bring work gloves, stepladder if you have one and can carry it, and pruning shears and saw, if you have them (links to good pruning equipment, below)
Bring lunch and water, plan to be learning and working until 3:00 pm;
Sign up by leaving your name in the comments at the bottom of this blog, and keep an eye on this post for updates as we near the day of class.

Click here for my favorite pruning shears, also available at Eagle Crest Nursery in El Jebel;
Click here for my favorite folding saw, also available at Eagle Crest Nursery in El Jebel;


For a preview of Fruit Tree Pruning basics, view the YouTube video links, in the April 5 post, below.

Pruning and Grafting Workshop at CRMPI, Sunday April 26

Jerome Osentowski, founder and director of the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute on Basalt Mountain above the Town of Basalt, teaches detailed fruit tree pruning, and grafting of fruit trees onto hardy rootstock, your best bet for successful duplication of the fruit you love.
Class fee $50., includes lunch and a potted tree you will graft and take home to plant.
Sign up at:
http://www.crmpi.org/Workshops.html

Fruit Tree Pruning Class, April 18, at Happy Day Ranch, Emma

ALERT! Weather Sat. Apr.18: 33-36F, Rain/Snow 50%, Wind 10-15.mph - YUCK! Class postponed until same time, same place SUNDAY, Apr.19. If you can't make that, I will have a special afternoon class on Sat. Apr.25 in Emma. Sorry!
Map of Happy Day Ranch;
Carpool from Emma Schoolhouse, leaving there at 9:00 am;
Dress for the weather;
Bring work gloves, stepladder if you have one and can carry it, and pruning shears and saw, if you have them (see links to good pruning tools, below)
Bring lunch and water, plan to be learning and working until 3:00 pm;
Sign up by leaving your name in the comments at the bottom of this blog, and keep an eye on this post for updates as we near the day of class.

Click here for my favorite pruning shears, also available at Eagle Crest Nursery in El Jebel;
Click here for my favorite folding saw, also available at Eagle Crest Nursery in El Jebel;

For a preview of Fruit Tree Pruning basics, view the YouTube video links, in the April 5 post, below.

Fruit Tree Pruning Class, April 4, Sustainable Settings

The weather was cloudy, snowy and cold, but 17 hardy souls came out dressed for the weather, and we pruned four old trees in the orchard at Sustainable Settings. Stay tuned for a post here, with the dates for a Grafting Class, when Brook's root stocks are potted and ready. Come on out and learn how to graft, while helping to preserve the apple gene pool of these old trees.

Apple Tree Pruning Videos

Malcolm McMichael, one of 18 students at our Fruit Tree Pruning Class at Sustainable Settings this Spring, has found and sent to us a series of pruning lessons on youtube. Here are the links:

General Apple Tree Pruning, Part 1
General Apple Tree Pruning, Part 2

Restoring old apples trees, Part 1
Restoring old apples trees, Part 2
Restoring old apples trees, Part 3
Restoring old apples trees, Part 4
Restoring old apples trees, Part 5
Restoring old apples trees, Part 6