Merced County Director and Farm Advisor Maxwell Norton demonstrates proper pruning techniques for the home orchard.
The free workshop is presented on Sat., January 17 by Mariposa County Master Gardeners. Photo credit: Master Gardeners.
The free workshop is presented on Sat., January 17 by Mariposa County Master Gardeners. Photo credit: Master Gardeners.
It’s time to sign up for the annual, free, home-orchard pruning demonstration presented by the Mariposa Master Gardeners.
Maxwell Norton, Merced County Director and Farm Advisor, conducts the class, explaining why you need to do it, how to do it, and the right tools to use.
The workshop is on Saturday, January 17, 2015 from 10 a.m. to noon at 3275 Highway 140 in Catheys Valley. Dress for an outdoor experience.
This is a popular event and early reservations are recommended, so Master Gardeners can prepare enough handouts for everyone. Register online at: cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener or telephone (209) 966-2417.
Norton is an advocate of training your trees to be short enough to pick all the fruit without ever getting out a ladder.
The five main reasons to prune a fruit tree, according to the University of California, are to train the tree for easy management; to influence fruit size; to regulate annual bearing; allow light into the lower portion of the tree; and to improve vigor. What that all means is that you get better fruit and a healthier tree.
