Fruit Tree Workshops

All classes are science-based instruction focusing on sustainable methods. $25/class when registered in advance, $30 at the door, except for the Bench Grafting Class ($30 in advance, $35 at the door).

Space in some classes is limited.

Instructor: Dan Vorhis
B.S. Agriculture, Fruit Horticulture
The Ohio State University
50 years of experience growing fruit.
Owner “Muscle and Arm Farm” Freeland, WA

Class #1: Fruit Tree Selection and Care, January 16, 10 AM – 1 PM

The introductory class on which the other classes build. Addresses cultivar selection, rootstocks, plant needs, diseases and pests, fertilizing, and other important foundations of fruit horticulture.

Class #2: Fruit Tree and Vine Pruning, February 13, 10 AM – 2 PM

The introductory class on which the other classes build. Addresses cultivar selection, rootstocks, plant needs, diseases and pests, fertilizing, and other important foundations of fruit horticulture.

Class #3: Bench Grafting, March 27, 10 AM – 12:30 PM

Addresses the science of hardwood grafting, followed by a hands-on bench grafting lab (apple). Everyone goes home with their grafted apple tree. Bring your grafting knife if you have one. We provide the rootstock, scion wood, and necessary tools and materials.

Class size is limited.

Class #4: Soil Science, April 17, 10 AM – 12 PM

Soil is the basis for plant agriculture. Knowing your soil is a little bit like knowing how your engine works on your car, or knowing about food science when you cook. Our focus in this class is to give you a basic understanding of key elements of soil science that bear directly on the health of your plants, and what you can do about it.

Class 5: Maritime Figs, May 22, 10 AM – 12 PM

Fresh figs are delicious, and beneficial for your health. And fig trees produce very well on many sites on Whidbey Island.

However, online information is not always accurate. We will give you the information you need to decide if your site can reliably grow figs, which cultivars we've cropped here, which ones we are still testing, and which to avoid. And we'll show you how to reliably propagate your own trees. The class is made up of a 1 hour slideshow class with questions, followed by an hour of hands-on propagation. You'll go home with your
own, self-propagated tree.

Class 6: Crowing and Pruning Cane Fruits, June 19, 10 AM – 12 PM

We will go over keys to growing and caring for Raspberries, Blackberries and their hybrids – cultivar selection, pruning and care, pests and diseases and what to do about them, and other dos and don’ts.