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For the love of Fruit Trees – 1 or 2 days
July 29 @ 8:00 am - July 30 @ 5:00 pm
$175 – $345
For those interested in food security, maintaining genetic bio-diversity and investing in our future heritage.
For the love of Fruit Trees and lovers of fruit trees we have a 2 back to back weekend workshops that covers the basics and beyond of Fruit tree production, care and management. From species selection, pest issues, fertilising and caring for your trees, to pruning, grafting, netting and general care and maintenance this weekend has got it covered!
Complete one day for $175 or the full two-day weekend workshop (recommended) for $345.
Whether you have an urban garden or broad acre farm, these workshops are appropriate for you. The workshops include both theory and hands on practical sessions on pruning, planting and grafting techniques. Participants will get hands on experience planting trees on swales in a permaculture food forest and orchard.
This will be a fun packed hands-on weekend with the experts learning all about the value of heritage fruit trees. You will get the skills to go home and make your own trees though grafting and produce an abundant, organic, healthy crop. This is a rare workshop opportunity not to miss. You will receive a free fruit tree book and Heritage fruit tree stocks and other resources will also be available for purchase.
Day One- Heritage Fruit Tree Workshop
Saturday 29th July
Preserving genetic diversity and heritage species of fruit trees and other plant species is a responsibility of every earth steward. These species not just taste better but are often easier to grow and maintain organically, may be more suitable to your environmental conditions and will help preserve genetic diversity for future generations of food stocks. This workshop will help you understand the value of preserving heritage species; the different types of heritage species; suitability of species to differing sites and conditions; and how to grow them organically, maintain, propagate and plant them.
Day two – Critical Care of Fruit Trees Workshop
Sunday 30th July
Caring for your fruit trees so they are pest & disease free and productive is critical. Knowledge of how to care for them and good management systems will also save you time, work and money. This workshop will assist you with developing a schedule of what to do when, as well as efficient and effective ways of how to do it. It compliments the heritage workshop and provides a deeper understanding of caring for your fruit and trees so they can reach their full potential.
Workshop Program
Day 1 – Heritage Fruit Trees
This workshop will cover practical and theoretical information about rare and heritage fruit trees including what they are, why they are important, how to make your own heritage fruit trees as well as all aspects of how to look after them organically in a Permaculture system. In particular participants will learn about:
- The current status of heritage fruit varieties in Australian collection.
- Rootstock selection suitable for your conditions
- Grafting techniques & propagating
- Selecting suitable species & varieties
- Planting and care of new trees
- Organic pest & disease control
- Pruning your trees or Not and various tree shapes.
- What to do with the fruit and especially the ones that most consider not saleable.
Day 2 – Critical Care of Fruit Trees
- What to do when to care for your trees
- Watering schedule. Critical times to water.
- Enclosing and netting your fruit trees
- Food Forests V’s orchards – different systems for growing
- Earthworks – swales and terraces
- Govt regulations regarding enclosures and other issues
- How to prepare for good fruit and bud set
- Pest management and disease prevention and control
- Low maintenance management systems
- Nutrition and fertilisation
- Soil care and lots more.
About the Trainers
Silvia & Peter Allen aka Pete the Permie. http://www.petethepermie.com/
Peter Allen – Dip Pc, PDC, BD Cert, TAA Cert 1V, Author of “Heritage and Dwarf Fruit Trees for Urban Backyards and Small Orchards” Silvia Allen – PDC
Since completing a PDC in 1995, Peter & Silvia, AKA Pete the Permie, have been building a Permaculture demonstration site on what was a 100 year old cut flower farm in Olinda, east of Melbourne. The 15 acre property now has over 1000 varieties of fruiting plants from apples to avocados and is home to milking sheep, goats and llama as well as rare breed poultry. From here they run PDCs and classes in cheese making, cider & fruit wines, heritage fruits, biodynamics, and units of the Diploma of Pc.
Peter was convener of Mountain Districts Permaculture Group for 10 years and Silvia has been for the last 5 years. Peter was also the Convener of the Permaculture Melbourne Heritage Fruits Group which has now become the Heritage Fruits Society Inc. They have been leading figures and instrumental in the Heritage Fruits Society for over 10 years. Silvia is President of the Heritage Fruits Society Inc and has run the Petty’s Apple Festival tasting tent for the last 10-years with up to 200 varieties to see & 80 varieties to taste and buy. She possibly has the best apple variety knowledge on flavours of anyone in Australia. Peter has been running the Petty’s Orchard Antique Apple Tasting Festival since 2003 and also conducted public grafting days all over Melbourne in winter.
With a background in retail, it was inevitable that the nursery would open in 2008 selling 600+ varieties of fruit trees at the farm shop and at farmers’ markets. Peter’s fruit book is in its second edition with five more in progress following many trips for research on cool climate and subtropical fruits. Peter & Silvia have ran Telopea Mountain Permaculture Farm for 16 years and are the owners of the Telopea Mountain Nursery. Together they are great trainers with a genuine passion to share their knowledge and skills in a fun helpful and friendly way. You will truly love them and this workshop.
