Upcoming Events
Pruning training & practice at Ignatius Farm's community orchard
Saturday February 7, 1:30 - 3:30 pm
Friday February 13, 9:30 - 11:30 am
Location: Follow this link to our meeting spot at Ignatius Farm. Address is 5420 Hwy 6 N, Guelph.
The community orchard at Ignatius Farm / Ignatius Jesuit Centre is where I gained proficiency in fruit tree care as their resident orchardist before I founded The Urban Orchardist. Situated on the north edge of Guelph, the orchard is now run by Ignatius Farm staff and a volunteer collective, and remains an excellent place to gain hands-on tree-tending experience. The orchard is a little over an acre in size and home to dozens of trees - mostly apple, but also pear, cherry, hazelnut, butternut, chestnut, plum, pawpaw, currant, gooseberry, goumi, goji, and Cornelian cherry.
These two days are focused on practical learning experience for those interested in volunteering at the orchard throughout the year - in any manner, for any capacity. No prior experience required. We will begin with an overview and introductory instructions on pruning before moving into the orchard to put our knowledge to work.
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Searching for, propagating, and tending uncommon fruit trees
Workshop at the annual conference for the International Society of Arboriculture - Ontario.
Friday February 20, 9 - 10 am
Location: London, Ontario.
This workshop is part of the ISA-O conference, so to attend you'll need to register through their website. Even though it is not a standalone presentation, I thought to share it here for those interested in seeing what topics I cover.
Pawpaw, persimmon, quince, almond, goumi, and more - these are examples of uncommon fruit (and nut) species with crossover appeal to both home orchards and naturalization projects - yet there's not much of a body of knowledge of how to care for these trees, where to source them, or how to use them in the kitchen. Some knowledge is transferable from the care of relatively common fruit trees like peaches, pears, European and Asian plums, cherries, and apples, but in some ways they are unique. This presentation will discuss some of these uncommon species and their best practices in maintenance, sourcing, planting, and propagation, and will introduce a new fruit exploring and breeding program aimed at discovering and sharing improved varieties.
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How to grow fruit and nuts in your backyard
Part of the Guelph-Wellington Master Gardener's annual 'A Day in the Garden' event
Sunday February 22, 9 - 3:30
Location: Victoria Park East Golf Club, 1096 Victoria Rd. S., Puslinch, Ontario.
I am one of three featured speakers at a day-long event that includes horticultural demonstrations by Master Gardeners, door prizes, vendors, coffee, snacks, and lunch. I am honoured to be speaking alongside Lorraine Johnson and Sean James. My presentation will feature me singing the praises of home orchards and how we can thoughtfully integrate fruit and nut trees into the landscapes that surround us.
Follow this link for registration and more information.
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Restoring Fruit Trees
Workshop with the Guelph Arboretum
Tuesday March 10, 1 - 4 pm.
Do you have a fruit tree in your life that you'd like to care for? This is a hands-on workshop on fruit tree pruning, using apple trees on The Arboretum grounds to demonstrate proper techniques. You'll learn how to prune for ideal branch structure, how restore old apple trees, how to train new trees for early productivity, and how pruning integrates with other elements of fruit tree care, such as holistic pest & disease management.
Follow this link for registration and more information.
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Best practices for the home orchard: Tips for establishing and tending fruit trees, nut trees, berries, grapes, and more
Part of Centre Wellington's Seedy Saturday event
Saturday March 21, 12 pm.
I will be teaching about tips and best practices for your home garden regarding species options, pollination requirements, choosing planting locations, soil improvement, disease prevention, and culinary uses. There will be ample time for any questions from the audience, so please bring your questions and curiosity.