CRESTONE – The Colorado State Forest Service Alamosa Field Office is partnering with the Crestone Tree Board to offer a fruit tree pruning workshop this summer. The workshop will be from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 17, at the Baca Property Owners Association meeting hall.  The morning session will be held inside and cover the science of pruning. The afternoon will involve pruning trees outdoors in Crestone.

Pruning and timing for fruit trees is different than for other trees in the landscape. Using good care and pruning techniques can help improve the potential for high quality and quantity of fruit. Fruit tree pruning is often neglected due to a lack of knowledge or fear that it can injure a tree. Fruit trees may be pruned for either aesthetics and for maximizing fruit production.

“People often think that pruning a fruit tree for produce is more of an art than a science. This is not true. Similar to pruning other trees, there is science behind the proper techniques to minimize damage to the tree and maximize fruit production,” said Vince Urbina, community forester with the Colorado State Forest Service. “A properly pruned fruit tree is more productive, healthy and aesthetically pleasing.”

Topics to be addressed at the workshop include:

• Training young trees to grow properly

• Pruning older trees

• Yearly pruning practices

• Different techniques for different trees

• Selection of fruit trees

The workshop will cost $15, which includes lunch. Participants can register by calling the CSFS Alamosa Field Office at 719-587-0915.

The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) provides professional forestry assistance, wildfire mitigation expertise and outreach and education to help landowners and communities achieve their forest management goals. The CSFS is a service and outreach agency of the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University and provides staffing for the Division of Forestry within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. For more information, visit csfs.colostate.edu.