January 9, 1997 Contact: Jennifer McNulty (408) 459-2495; mcnulty@ua.ucsc.edu

TWO-DAY WORKSHOP OFFERS FRUIT-TREE TIPS FOR HOME GARDENERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CRUZ, CA--If your apple tree is looking anemic, or your peaches have lost their punch, you'll want to attend a two-day fruit-tree workshop for the home gardener at UC Santa Cruz on February 7 and 8.

Orin Martin, manager of the Alan Chadwick Garden at UCSC, will offer tips for beginning gardeners and those who want to improve their skills. The emphasis will be on dwarf fruit trees, especially apples and pears, and he'll cover everything from rootstock and variety selection to planting, pruning, training, harvesting, and basic care.

"The timing of this workshop will help both gardeners who have trees that need pruning and those who are gearing up to plant trees," says Martin. "By planting dwarf trees, home gardeners can get more varieties in a limited space, and they can prune without high ladders. With smaller trees, the home orchardist can select varieties that will produce apples for nearly year- round production." Dwarf trees, which reach heights of six to ten feet when mature, also require "less pruning and more training," adds Martin.

The workshop begins Friday evening from 7 to 9 P.M. with a slide show, lecture, and question-and-answer session in the Horticulture Building at the UCSC Arboretum. It continues Saturday from 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. with a demonstration in the Chadwick Garden of planting, pruning, and training that will be followed by an opportunity for hands-on experience under the supervision of Martin and other staff.

The cost of the workshop is $50, or $40 for members of the Friends of the Farm and Garden or Monterey Bay Master Gardeners. Enrollment is limited, and the registration deadline is January 31. To register by phone, call (408) 459-3240 or (408) 459-3376. To register by mail, send a check payable to the UC Regents to CASFS, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064-1077, Attn: Pruning Workshop.

This release is also available on the World Wide Web at UCSC's "Services for Journalists" site (http://www.ucsc.edu/news/journalist.html).

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