Join the Farm's food forester Gav Hardy on a packed practical session learning how to prune your fruit trees, shrubs and vines with hand tools!

We'll take a deep dive into how plants grow and how pruning can enhance their vigor and yields. Guidance and handouts on popular varieties such as lemons, limes, grapes, avocado, mango and figs will be provided. There will be demonstrations of the 'tools of trade' - secateurs, shears, loppers, raking saws, pole saws, bow saws... Advice on what to look for when purchasing. We'll also get into tool cleaning and sharpening, particularly secateurs. And we'll get out into the food forest and prune some wood!

If you've got a pair of secateurs bring it to the workshop and we'll clean and sharpen them up. (You will be able to purchase a sharpening stone on the day).

About the Facilitator

Gav has been growing food at home since he was a child. He helped set up Northey Street City Farm in the 1990's and he is currently the Farm's adult education coordinator and permaculture lead teacher. With a passion for trees, Gav is re-establishing the Farm's food forest, and he undertakes frequent pruning and tree care missions. He currently lives in a one-bedroom unit in inner city Brisbane and grows edibles on the balcony and in the food forest he created in the apartment block's common spaces. In 2022, Gav was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate community food forests and orchards around the world. Gav learnt permaculture with Bill Mollison in 1997, has also skilled-up with David Holmgren and Robin Clayfield, and studied Edible Forest Gardening with Martin Crawford at the Agroforestry Research Trust.