Category Archives: Our Events

Our first run-in with fruit tree disease

Norm Herbert Inspects our Orchard

Humans have been growing fruit trees for thousands of years. But did you know that today our fruit trees have more diseases than ever before? That makes it more challenging than before to grow fruit trees organically.

When you have a diseased tree, sometimes the only solution is to quickly remove it from the orchard so that the disease does not spread to neighbouring trees. Sadly, this is something we recently discovered first hand.

During our workshop on May 19 on Organic Pest Control, our teacher Norm Herbert showed us a clear blob oozing out of the slender trunk of one of our young plum trees (see picture below). Norm identified this as Canker, a deadly disease caused by fungus.

If the Canker was on a branch, perhaps we could have cut it off and saved the tree. But because it was on the trunk, it was too late. The tree would have to be removed. Norm told us that the disease was probably in the tree when we purchased it.

And so, just two days later, Lynn, Cliff and I (Susan) went out to the park to do the deed. We used a saw to cut it down. We also had to remove one of our cherry trees as it had somehow received a fatal gash on its trunk.

One suggestion to prevent spreading disease in your urban orchard: ALWAYS sterilize pruners before moving from one tree to the next, even if there is no evidence of disease. It will pay off to be cautious. And avoid pruning in the rain since wet conditions encourage the spread of disease.

The good news? There has to be some of that too. Norm is coming back this Sunday to teach us about how to choose a fruit tree for your yard (it’s not as simple as you’d think). And he’s bringing along two handpicked trees from Niagara that we can plant: one plum and one cherry. We will soon have 14 fruit trees again.

According to Norm, our little orchard is the perfect teaching tool specifically because we face all the challenges commonly found in urban conditions.

We look forward to seeing you all in our little orchard soon.

Goopy evidence of canker, a fungal-based disease on fruit trees

Tree Pruning Workshops – A Cut Above

Pruning workshop 2011 starts in the rain


In spite of the cold weather and the rain, 38 brave souls came out to learn to care for fruit trees at Growing for Green’s Pruning Workshop on April 10th. This year our group planned two workshops – one started at 10.00 a.m. and the second workshop started at 2.00 p.m. This way we could keep the groups small – under 25 students per group – while still accommodating the number of people from around the city who wanted to learn these skills.

The 10.00 a.m. workshop was hampered by a light drizzle but our teacher, Ken Slingerland, took that in his stride. The recently retired soft fruit and grape specialist from the Ontario Ministry for Food and Rural Affairs had prepared a handout for the students who huddled around the harvest table. By the time the group was up and about and had pruned three of the orchard’s fruit trees, the thunder and lightning had arrived and it was time for us to move to a different location.

So we hiked up the road to our favorite local pub, The Thirsty Fox at 1028 Eglinton West where Tony, the proprietor, served us coffee and encouraged us to get comfortable and take over half of the pub to continue our workshop.

The afternoon group got lucky. Despite the forecast of the rain continuing throughout the day, the sky was clear and the sun was out by 2.00 p.m. and those attending the afternoon workshop were warm and dry for the full three hours. So how was the workshop? We asked participants to fill out a survey on Survey Monkey and 87% said they found the workshop “very successful”. 100% of respondents felt it was good value for money and 100% also wanted to be updated on future workshops. So we at Growing for Green are thrilled.

Coming up next month we have four more workshops, this time taught by Norm Herbert, former orchard manager of ED Smith Farms. We hope to see some familiar faces at the workshops on soil for fruit trees, organic pest control, choosing a fruit tree and on grafting. And we would love to see some new faces too. And our hope? That the weather for the upcoming workshops will be perfect. But if not, the coffee and atmosphere at Thirsty Fox is warm and welcoming so we’ll be happy to go back there again. Interested in our upcoming workshops? Sign up soon to reserve your spot by emailing us at growingforgreen@gmail.com.

Pruning workshop in the afternoon enjoys full sun and warm weather

Spring Pruning Workshops and More

Ben Nobleman Orchard in Winter

Looking at Ben Nobleman Park now, it’s hard to imagine that spring is just around the corner. The snow is thick. The kids are building snowmen. And the fruit trees are resting well. But behind the scenes fruit tree fans in our community and beyond are making fantastic plans for the new year and learning about fruit trees – and how to take care of them is on the top of our agenda.

FRUIT TREE PRUNING WORKSHOP

Our group, Growing for Green, is offering our second annual Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop on April 10 at 10.00 A.M. Last year’s workshop was so popular that the 25 available spots in the workshop filled up within a couple of weeks. This year, if our morning workshop fills up, we’ll hold a second one in the afternoon.  This workshop, with our pruning expert Ken Slingerland from the Ontario Ministry for Food and Rural Affairs, is for anyone who wants their fruit tree to thrive and to produce great fruit. You’ll learn about cross-pollination, choosing and planting fruit trees, and pruning for optimal health and production. Sign up now while there is still room in the course. For more information click here.

LEAF TREE TENDERS COURSES

Now, many of us have limited experience with tree care in general. So we suggest folks keen on learning about caring for fruit trees should also sign up for the fantastic Tree Tenders course offered by LEAF – Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests. This three-part workshop is thorough and reasonably priced. You’ll learn about tree anatomy, tree identification, proper planting and more great stuff. To sign up for one of these courses visit LEAF’s website by clicking here.

URBAN ORCHARDING AND NOT FAR FROM THE TREE

Still wondering if planting fruit trees – or perhaps planting a community orchard – is for you? Find out everything that’s involved from the experts. Not Far From The Tree’s Laura Reinsborough and Liz Hood from Oakvale Garden Green will be teaching a new class called “Urban Orcharding” at the Toronto Botanical Garden on May 7th this year. In a three-hour afternoon session they’ll introduce you to the various techniques for growing fruit trees in back yards, parks and other small spaces. You’ll also learn about native and domestic fruits you can grow at home. For more information and to sign up, click here.

Pruning Workshop in Ben Nobleman Park in 2010