SULTAN, Wash. — Western Washington’s wet weather has always gotten a bad rap when it comes to growing healthy tree fruit like apples, pears, peaches, and cherries. Lucky for those of us on the “wetside,” many years of WSU Extension research into variety and growing technique improvements are coming to fruition. New, disease resistant cultivars combined with updated methods of pruning, pest, and fertility management are helping Westside growers establish healthy orchards.
WSU Snohomish County Extension is pleased to present Westside tree fruit expert Gary Moulton on ‘Orcharding on the Westside,’ March 3, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Ed’s Apples in Sultan, 13420 339th Ave SE, just off SR 2. The cost is $80 per person and includes a catered box lunch.
Topics include the basics of tree fruit production, varieties and different fruit kinds, rootstocks, nutrient management, pest management, irrigation, orchard layout planting, pruning, and harvest indices. This will be mostly an inside discussion of best management practices with some time spent exploring the orchards to reinforce the concepts learned.
Instructor Gary Moulton started in 1980 with the fruit horticulture department at the WSU Research Station in Mt. Vernon. In 1991, he took over management, direction, and leadership of the program. When the tree fruit program in western Washington was eliminated in 2009 due to budget cuts, Gary continued this work by hiring out as a consultant and workshop speaker. He holds a Master’s from WSU in Plant Pathology specializing in fruit diseases, and a Bachelor’s in Pomology/Fruit Science from Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo. He has authored several WSU Extension publications and produced a widely regarded video on pruning fruit trees.
Enrollment is limited. Registration and prepayment is required to hold your spot; Gary’s workshops often sell out. To register online, visit http://bit.ly/westsideorcharding201203; download the form at http://bit.ly/orcharding20103pdf and mail with your check; or contact Karie Christensen at 425-357-6039, e-mail christensen4@wsu.edu.
For more information on the workshop, contact Andrew Corbin, corbina@wsu.edu, 425-357-6012.
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