Registration open for PCSWCD fruit tree pruning workshop

The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) is excited to be once again be hosting CJ Walke, orchard specialist at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, for another installment in its orchard series. Walke will teach a hands-on workshop on pruning fruit trees on Saturday, March 2, with a snow date on Sunday, March 3 — location to be announced upon registration.

In Maine, it is common to own property growing fruit trees. Whether you are starting a small orchard, have a few older trees growing in the front yard or would like to plant fruit trees, this workshop will give you the skills to prune any age or sized tree. This workshop is all about hands-on learning and participants will be out in an orchard actively pruning with Walke offering guidance and instruction. Participants will leave feeling confident and ready to tackle their trees at home. Additionally, Walke will talk about techniques to help increase fruit yield, protect trees from disease and pests, and ways to help your trees flourish.

Walke has years of experience teaching and mastering organic orcharding practices, and has worked alongside many orcharding experts such as John Bunker of FEDCO Trees and Michael Phillips, author of “The Holistic Orchard,” among others. Walke has taught orcharding workshops covering topics such as grafting, pruning, pest management, restoring and revitalizing old trees, and much more.

Registration is required to attend this workshop and spaces are limited to 30 participants. Each year, the PCSWCD has seen these popular workshops fill to capacity quickly, so they encourage folks who are interested in attending to be sure to register soon. They have received numerous requests for Walke to teach a pruning course, so district staff are happy to fill that demand and provide this workshop in 2019.

To register, contact the PCSWCD at 564-2321 ext. 3 or info@piscataquisswcd.org. For more information about this workshop or any of our programs and to register online, please visit www.piscataquisswcd.org – and like and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/www.piscataquisswcd.org and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/piscataquiscountyswcd.

GE