Homegrown Tree Fruit- Not Just For Eastsiders Anymore

Learn how to establish and maintain a healthy orchard in Western Washington.

Western Washington’s weather always gets a bad rap when it comes to growing healthy tree fruit like apples, pears, peaches, and cherries. Lucky for those of us on the ‘wetside’, many years of WSU Extension research into variety and growing technique improvements are coming to fruition. New, disease resistant cultivars combined with updated methods of pruning, pest, and fertility management are helping Westside growers establish healthy tree fruit orchards.

WSU Snohomish County Extension is pleased to present three workshops on Westside fruit tree care: Orchard Management on the Westside, Sat. Jan. 21; Dormant Pruning, Sat. Feb. 25; and Grafting, Sat. Apr. 14, 2012. All workshops include a catered box lunch and take place at Ed’s Apples, 13420 339th Ave SE in Sultan just off SR 2.

Grafting
Sat. Apr. 14, 2012; 10:00am-3:00pm; $80 per person

Learn about different types of grafting, how to choose and take scion wood, choosing a receptor site, how to make the graft and seal it properly. We’ll spend time practicing inside, and then head outside to top work larger trees. Each attendee will receive two apple rootstocks and two pear rootstocks to bench graft and take home. Register online at www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/210072.

Instructor Gary Moulton started in 1980 with the Fruit Horticulture department at the WSU Research Station in Mt. Vernon. In 1991, he took over management, direction, and leadership of the program. When the tree fruit program in western Washington was eliminated in 2009 due to budget cuts, Gary continued this work by hiring out as a consultant and workshop speaker. He holds a Master’s from WSU in Plant Pathology specializing in fruit diseases, and a Bachelor’s in Pomology/Fruit Science from Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo. He has authored several WSU Extension publications and produced a widely regarded video on pruning.

Enrollment for all workshops is limited. To register online, visit www.brownpapertickets.com and enter the event number provided above, download the form at www.snohomish.wsu.edu/ag/workshops/Pomology2012.pdf and mail with your check, or contact Karie Christensen at (425) 357-6039, e-mail christensen4@wsu.edu.

For more information on the workshops, contact Andrew Corbin.

When	Apr 14, 2012 from 09:00 am to 03:00 pm
Where
Contact Name	Andrew Corbin
Contact Email	corbina@wsu.edu
Contact Phone	425-357-6012
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