March 24, 2018 - Boston Flora

Monday, April 2, 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Taking Stock Tree Walk

March 24, 2018 by Boston Flora

A bit of magic happens when The Arnold Arboretum invites three tree professionals to wander a landscape together. In this case, we have matched professor with former student and three individuals with differing experiences and expertise in woody plants. Nina Bassuk (pictured), a leader in urban tree research, was one of Michael Dosmann’s professors while he earned his doctorate at Cornell. Michael is responsible for curating the 15,000 specimens of the Arnold Arboretum. Andrew Gapinski, who has worked at several arboreta prior to his tenure at the Arnold Arboretum, is charged with the horticultural care of the Arboretum’s 281 acres. On this arboreal walk, they will speak as moved by the sights and sounds of the Arboretum’s living collection. We can’t define the topics they may cover on this walk, but we do know that you will gain a richer appreciation for trees and absorb some nuggets of botanical wisdom to share with others. The event takes place April 2 from 2:30 – 4, and participants will meet in the Hunnewell Building. Fee $10 Arboretum member, $20 nonmember

Saturday, April 7, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Home Orchard Establishment, Basics, and Pest Management

March 24, 2018 by Boston Flora

Enjoy a day at Windy Hill Farm, 686 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington, with Dr. Dan Colley and Jon Clements, as part of the UMass Extension courses, this time focusing on Home Orchard Establishment, Basics, and Pest Management. The morning session (10 – noon) will cover the basics of planting fruit trees, including site selection, choice of variety and rootstock, planting best practices, tree training and pruning, fertilization and ongoing fruit tree care. (In-depth pest management will be covered in the afternoon session.) If weather permits, there will be a hands-on demonstration of planting fruit trees at Windy Hill Farm Orchards. One of the most challenging thing about growing your own fruit is knowing how to identify the insect pests and diseases that might afflict them. From 1 – 3, learn the basics of pest and disease identification and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the home orchard. Hands-on, scouting, monitoring, placement of traps, etc. will be covered. You may take either session separately ($35) or take both at a reduced price. To register, visit http://ag.umass.edu/fruit/news-events/mass-aggie-seminars/mass-aggie-seminars-2018