We offer a range of educational services and options to help you learn to prune your fruit trees including prune-alongs, our Welland Orchard pruning apprenticeship program and summer and winter pruning workshops. Read on to find out more and see which one is the best fit for your needs.

Prune Alongs

Our Prune Along service is a 90 minute session designed to teach the basic skills of pruning and fruit tree care. During a session, one of our fruit tree specialists will:

• Assess your tree(s) health and condition.
• Instruct you on how to care for and maintain your fruit tree(s).
• Introduce you to proper pruning techniques.
• Advise you on a tailored pruning plan that meets your goals.

Instruction is hands on and interactive, and our tree care specialists are happy to answer any questions you may have about your trees. If there is more work to be done than can be accomplished in the session, we can advise you on the next steps and walk you through the rest of the process. This service does not include debris removal.

Pruning Apprenticeship

The Welland Orchard Pruning Apprenticeship is a free skill-building and volunteer opportunity that gives participants the opportunity to develop a solid theoretical understanding of fruit tree pruning, as well as the chance to bring that knowledge into practice while helping with winter pruning at Welland Orchard. This program runs twice per year, with one session in January and February for winter pruning, and one in July and August for summer pruning.

The program consists of attending one training session and a minimum of three volunteer sessions. The training session is primarily theoretical with some limited hands-on practice. The volunteer sessions provide the opportunity to bring that knowledge into practice in a smaller group size with ample opportunities for feedback, as participants will work together with the Welland Orchard Coordinator to prune the orchard. 

Who we’re looking for: This program might be a good fit for you if you are looking for ways to increase your skills and knowledge around fruit tree care AND are looking for a fun volunteer opportunity.

Dates: Dates for this program will be sent out by email to Welland Orchard volunteers prior to the start of each apprenticeship program and training and volunteer sessions will available for registration on the Gleaning Hub.

Location: Welland Orchard, 1217 Stancil Lane, View Royal

Cost: Free

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the Pruning Apprenticeship, participants will have learned:

• How to safely use and care for tools required for pruning work including secateurs, pruning saws, orchard ladders and pole pruners. 
• The 3 primary different types of pruning cuts, and when, why and how to use each one. 
• How to prune fruit trees and vines in a way that supports plant health and shapes future growth

Volunteer Work Examples – Tasks on the volunteer days will include:

• Pruning of a range of fruit trees and vines including apple, pear, fig, kiwi and grape both from the ground and from a ladder. 
• Cleaning up cut branches to help maintain orchard sanitation. 
• Identifying and removing diseased wood from trees and shrubs in the Orchard. 

Requirements: Participants must be able to get to and from Welland Orchard (1217 Stancil Lane, View Royal). The orchard is accessible by bicycle with an entrance right on the Galloping Goose Trail, by bus, or by driving and parking in the small lot at the end of Stancil Lane.

All sessions will be held outside and participants must be comfortable with spending up to 3 hours at a time outside learning and working at Welland Orchard. This will include working in the rain and cold. Sessions will be cancelled/postponed if weather poses a safety risk.

To sign up, participants must be able to commit to attending one of the initial training sessions as well as to a minimum of 3 volunteer pruning sessions held throughout January and February for the winter pruning apprenticeship and July and August for the summer pruning apprenticeship

While there will be ladder work involved in pruning, comfort on a ladder is not a requirement for participation. 

Previous experience is not required; however, participants must feel comfortable and able to learn to use, and to use hand tools including secateurs, pole pruners and pruning saws.

If you have any questions about this program, or are looking for dates for the upcoming season please reach out to River (Welland Orchard Coordinator) at [email protected].

Pruning Workshops

We host numerous fruit tree pruning workshops each year at Welland Orchard, including both summer and winter pruning. These workshops are designed to teach you the basics of summer and winter pruning respectively, and to help you become more confident in caring for your fruit trees. Information about these and other workshops can be found through our eventbrite below.