Fruit Production - Temperate Climate

This course is ideal for anyone serious about fruit growing; from the small hobby farmer to orchard worker, or enthusiastic amateur who aspires to win first prize for their fruit at the local garden show.

Lesson Structure: Fruit Production - Temperate Climate BHT218

There are 8 lessons:

1. Introduction to Temperate Fruit Growing
   • Identify different types of fruit crops, which can be successfully grown in your region.
2. Establishing an Orchard
   • Develop a plan for the establishment of an orchard.
3. General Cultural Practices
   • Determine the cultural requirements for different fruit crops in your locality (Part A).
4. Tree Fruits
   • Determine the cultural requirements for different fruit crops in your locality (Part B).
5. Vines, Nuts & Berries
   • Determine the cultural requirements for different fruit crops in your locality (Part C).
6. Citrus
   • Determine the cultural requirements for different fruit crops in your locality (Part D).
7. Cultural Management of a Fruit Plantation or Orchard
   • Develop a calendar for cultural management of a fruit plantation, or orchard.
8. Marketing Your Produce
   • Formulate appropriate methods for marketing specific fruit crops grown in your locality.

This course is taught by:

Katie Freeth
BSc. (Hons) Horticulture, (University of Bath); RHS General Examination; FI Hort; MIfpra.

An experienced and professional horticulturist with extensive management skills gained internationally; experienced in landscape management, staff supervision and management, written and oral communication, horticultural knowledge and application, supported by organisational and administrative skills and attention to detail.

Katie brings 20 years experience in Horticulture and is an accomplished lecturer, horticulture consultant and freelance writer. Katie is a judge for the International Awards for Liveable Communities in the Whole City Category.
Katie also worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in France for approx 5 years first as a Sector Manager and then as an Area Manager; management of the cemeteries, peripatetic teams of gardeners (UK & French nationality) for the constructed cemeteries and memorials and static French nationality gardeners for small town/village plots.

Susan Stephenson
BSc in Applied Plant Biology (Botany) Univ. London 1983.
City and guilds: Garden Centre Management, Management and Interior Decor (1984)
Management qualifications in training with retail store. Diploma in Hort level 2 (RHS General) Distinction.

Susan Stephenson is a passionate and experienced horticulturist and garden designer. She has authored three books, lectures at 2 Further and Higher Education Colleges, teaching people of all ages and backgrounds about the wonders of plants and garden design, and tutors many students by correspondence from all over the world.

Susan studied botany at Royal Holloway College (Univ of London) and worked in the trading industry before returning to her first love plants and garden design. She is therefore, well placed to combine business knowledge with horticulture and design skills. Her experience is wide and varied and she has designed gardens for families and individuals. Susan is a mentor for garden designers who are just starting out, offering her support and advice and she also writes, delivers and assesses courses for colleges, introducing and encouraging people into horticulture and garden design.

Susan is a Professional Associate and exam moderator and holds the RHS General with Distinction. She continues to actively learn about horticulture and plants and (as her students will tell you) remains passionate and interested in design and horticulture.

She also supervised the Area Arboriculture Team and was Exhumations Officer€“ in charge of collecting discovered remains and arranging identification (if poss) and interment of same.

Learning Goals: Fruit Production - Temperate Climate BHT218

• Identify different types of fruit crops, which can be successfully grown in your region.
• Explain the nature of the fruit industry in your region (locality).
• Determine the cultural requirements for different fruit crops.
• Develop a plan for the establishment of an orchard.
• Formulate appropriate methods for marketing specific fruit crops grown in your locality.
• Develop a calendar for cultural management of a fruit plantation, or orchard.

Practicals:

• Compile a resource file different sources of information regarding commercial fruit varieties.
• Compare the facilities used to produce different fruit crops, in a specified locality.
• Determine criteria for selecting a fruit variety to grow as a commercial crop in your locality.
• Select different fruit varieties with commercial potential for a specified location.
• Analyse the physical layout of a specified orchard.
• Determine the scope of commercial fruit growing in a specified locality.
• Demonstrate standard soil tests to three different soils to determine:
  
  • Soil type
  • pH
  • Drainage
  • Water holding capacity
• Evaluate the three different soils tested to determine their suitability for growing different fruit varieties.
• Analyse the culture
• Watering
• Weed control
• Soil management
• Pruning
• Fertilising
• Pest control
• Disease control
• Determine soil management practices, including:
• Nutrition
• Soil structure
• Cultivation
• Weed control
• Determine the susceptibility of four specified fruit species to pest and disease problems.
• Explain how to control twenty different, specified pests and diseases, on different fruit varieties grown.
• Develop sets of guidelines for pruning three different types of fruits.
• Determine the factors which are critical to growing fruit trees in your locality.
• Determine criteria to select a site for fruit growing in your locality.
• Compare the physical layout of two different orchards you visit.
• Prepare a plan for establishing a fruit growing area, in your locality, including:
  
  • Concept layout plan drawn to scale
  • Materials list (including plants)
  • Cost estimates for establishment.
• Analyse three different marketing systems in the fruit industry, including at local, national and international levels.
• Explain four common reasons for price fluctuations in the fruit industry.
• Compare different fruit crops in relation to different factors, including:
  
  • Storage requirements
  • Storage life
  • Harvesting time
  • Shelf life
  • Transport to market
• Evaluate the presentation and packaging of three different fruits, for marketing through different marketing systems.
• Analyse different marketing strategies used by a specific fruit grower.
• Develop a marketing strategy, including:
  
  • Marketing stages
  • Marketing schedule (ie. timetable)
  • Estimated marketing costs
  • Handling procedures
  • Promotions, for a specific fruit crop.
• Differentiate between the cultural practices undertaken by different growers, on the same crop, grown in different localities.
• Determine the cultural practices necessary to grow different fruit crops for a twelve month period, on a specified site.
• Prepare a monthly calender, covering a twelve month period, for cultural practices in a fruit plantation or orchard.

Those interested in serious fruit growing.

None.

Fruit Growing and Production.