Pruning old fruit trees
Two-day hands-on courses held in an old apple orchard
Course 1: Saturday 12 - Sunday 13 January 2013
Course 2: Tuesday 15 - Wednesday 16 January 2013
Both days of the course run 10am - 5pm in Stanmer Park, Brighton.
(Click here if you would like to be notified about future runs of this course/event.)
You will learn how to improve the health and productivity of old fruit trees by appropriate pruning. Skills learnt will also be applicable for pruning younger fruit trees and other trees/shrubs.
What will the Pruning old fruit trees course cover?
The course will provide participants with practical skills through hands-on experience of renovation and ongoing pruning of old apple trees. These skills are essential to anyone caring for mature fruit trees, but the expertise to carry out this work is not very widespread or accessible. Fruit trees that are not properly cared for often become unproductive and diseased, frequently causing them to die prematurely. Many of the techniques learned will have applications in the care of younger and newly-planted fruit trees, and other trees and shrubs.
Who is the course for?
This course is open to anyone aged 16 or over. No prior knowledge of pruning is needed. However due to its specialist nature it will be of interest to experienced gardeners and professionals as well as the complete novice. It is a practically based course. Participants should be willing, and consider themselves physically able, ‘to have a go’. Most participants are likely to want to use ladders to gain access to taller trees but access to some of the smaller trees is feasible without leaving the ground. You must also be willing to spend most of the weekend out of doors!
Learning methods and outcomes
A discussion about what participants want from the course will be followed by brief theory sessions and practical demonstrations. However, the majority of the course will be devoted to practical hands-on experience with guidance from the tutor. By the end of the course participants will have the practical skills necessary to carry out renovation pruning of old fruit trees without supervision.
What does this course lead on to?
This short specialist course is not accredited. It does not lead on directly to any other courses, but should provide a taster for those interested in progressing to work or courses in silviculture or horticulture.
Course tutor
Tuition will by provided by Bryn Thomas, an experienced tutor/trainer who has been pruning old and neglected fruit trees professionally for over 15 years.
Venue
Stanmer Park (near University of Sussex), Brighton. Click here for directions to our meeting point near the church in Stanmer Park.
Click here for details of local accommodation and to find out about Brighton Permaculture Trust supporters who can provide accommodation in their homes.
What you will need to bring
• Plenty of warm weatherproof outdoor clothing
• Sturdy outdoor footwear
• Secateurs and pruning saws if you have them
• Belt for your trousers (needed to attach pruning saw holsters)
• Pens and a notebook
• A packed lunch
• A flask of hot drink is strongly recommended
Tools
We would strongly advise that anyone who intends to prune trees should have good tools. Poorer tools are a false economy; they are harder work, give inferior results and do not last. It is advisable to purchase tools before the course as we only have limited/inferior tools to lend to people. We recommend the following tools, which are not available from the shops and are best bought well in advance:
• A good quality pair of secateurs - we recommend Felco secateurs, model number 8 is Bryn's favourite, but model numbers 4 and 5 are good and are cheaper (left-handed people should buy model number 9). A leather holster is also recommended. Click here to visit a web site where these tools can be bought.
• A good quality pruning saw - we recommend Silky saws. The Gomtaro 300 models are most universally useful and come with a holder that attaches to your belt making them safer to carry when not in use. Some people with short legs have commented that they prefer to use a saw with a shorter blade as the larger holsters can uncomfortably jab in the back of the knees. The fine blades have smaller teeth which make a better quality cut but are a little harder to use; replacement blades are available. Click here to visit a web site where these tools can be bought.
Recommended reading
This book is recommended but it is not necessary for those attending to buy/read it.
• RHS Pruning and Training, Christopher Brickell and David Joyce
Fees
Fees include tuition, refreshments, handouts and information sheets.
£200 - Sponsored/organisation rate
£200 - Individual income more than 25k/yr
£160 - Individual income 18-25k/yr
£120 - Individual income less than 18k/yr
£80 - Individual, concessionary rate (please read below)
Concessionary rates are available to people in receipt of means-tested benefits (including housing benefit, council tax benefit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or the guarantee credit part of Pension Credit, Working Tax Credit (income does not exceed £16,190) and/or Child Tax Credit), full-time students and OAPs. Please bring evidence of this to the course.
We endeavour to make our courses/events affordable to all. Unfortunately we do not receive any external funding for most of our courses/events and rely on large amounts of voluntary input.
See the cancellations and refunds policy.
Booking Pruning old fruit trees
Booking is essential, as most of our courses/events are fully booked weeks in advance. However, if places are still available, then bookings can be made until midday the day before the course/event. A place is not secured until we have received the requested payment.
Please do not book unless you are able to pay for your place.
Paying for your place
Please read this section carefully, as you could lose your booking.
When you complete the booking process, you will receive a confirmation email from us. If you haven't received that email within the next few hours, please contact us immediately, as this email contains vital information regarding your booking.
You can pay when you book your place using a credit/debit card or PayPal, or you can tick the 'Pay later' box (in the Event Fee section), which gives you the option to pay by BACS or send us a cheque after you have booked.
If you tick the pay later box, you will have 7 days to pay for your place. Bookings that remain unpaid on our system for longer than that will be cancelled. You will receive notification of this cancellation by email. If you then decide you want to come, you will need to contact us to see if there is a still a place available for you.
If you are booking within two weeks of the course, you will not have the option to pay later. Instead, you will need to pay immediately at the point of booking using a credit card or PayPal. This will also be the only option available if the course is nearly fully booked.
Be certain that you understand ALL the information on this page, then:
Register here for Pruning old fruit trees, 12-13 January 2013
Register here for Pruning old fruit trees, 15-16 January 2013
If places are available, you will automatically be taken to the booking form.
Contact us
For further information or if you have problems with your registration please contact us.