Newsletter: Nov.-Dec. 2006

DECEMBER MEETING

WHEN: Saturday, December 2, 2006, 10-Noon meeting, noon- BBQ

WHAT: Deciduous Pruning of Dormant Fruit Trees & Winter Tree Management

WHERE: the Old Mission HUERTA Project Orchard-Garden Mission Santa Barbara

DIRECTIONS: In Santa Barbara, exit the 101 Freeway at Mission Street. Drive north on Mission Street toward the foothills; past State Street. Turn left turn at Santa Barbara Street. Proceed one more block. Turn right turn at Pueblo Street (Pueblo Street dead-ends at Garden Street). Cross Garden Street, and enter the driveway. Proceed 100 yards, take the first right turn at the sign “Old Mission Santa Barbara”.

Drive along the south façade of the mission complex. Park in the restricted parking lot. The Huerta garden is located at the south, lower end of the lot. Take the short path (next to the sports court) down to the Huerta garden.

Jerry Sortomme, manager of the Huerta Project and Huerta Folks (the garden volunteers) will conduct a program on the winter management of deciduous fruit trees, including pruning, dormant oil spraying, and other considerations. The meeting open to CRFG members and interested community members.

The Huerta (who-AIR-tah) Project is a one acre plus living museum, an orchard-garden that exhibits the fruit trees and example-plants that grew from 1759-1834 in Spanish Alta California's mission-era. A mission "huerta" was the site where introduced domesticated and cultivated trees and exotic plants were grown for the first time in the aboriginal, indigenous California frontier. The S.B. Mission Huerta has many kinds of heirloom and modern cultivar stone fruit trees, pome fruits and other kinds of winter deciduous fruit trees that are being grown to view and inspect. A new 400 foot long D.G. pathway allows you to stroll the living museum garden.

A list of Spanish California Mission-era plants that grew in 1769-1834, appears elsewhere on this blog site.

Saturday Program: (weather permitting)

1. Stroll the orchard-garden.

2. Observe the techniques of pruning the various categories of deciduous fruit trees.

3. A Discussion of deciduous pest/disease management.

4. YOU can practice pruning at the site. Bring your own pruning shears, pruning loppers, and pruning saw.

5. Relax and at the Huerta ramada terrace Stay for a BYO-lunch aftermath event. A hot BBQ grill will be available. Bring your own food, drink and picnic supplies.

This should be the optimum time for local winter fruit tree management, usually done from mid December thru mid-February. There are several recognized techniques for winter pruning and tree care. See the demonstrations and practice pruning at the Huerta garden.

Report on the October meeting – Jerry Sortomme

I want to extend the group's many thanks to Pat and Edgar Valdivia who hosted the October meeting in their lush urban orchard landscape packed full of exotic trees and shrubs and of course, oodles of pitahaya (pee-TIE-yah) vines snaking everywhere. Gorgeous, large fist-size blood red dragon fruits peppered the landscape, high and low. Edgar presented a wonderfully informative program on their propagation, culture & care and marketing of this tropical vining cactus. Edgar has been growing their edible zoo of plants for 8 years and cultivating pitahaya for 6 years.

It was a perfect, mild fall day in Simi Valley and the huge crowd of CRFG members from far and wide got to taste wedges of the succulent fruits and, thanks to Los Angeles Chapter, were treated to an outstanding potluck lunch of marvelously diverse food and desserts.

Treasurer's Report

Balance as of October 31, 20006: $ 5308.69