Masterclass
Love your orchard: Grow healthier
& happier fruit
Brought to you by The Diggers Club
Your Masterclass
Caring for and managing home orchards can be a daunting task. Diggers Head of Gardens, Julian Blackhirst, shares his experience of all aspects of fruit growing, from fertilisation, pruning and training to pest control and companion plants.
What will you learn?
- How to prune your fruit trees to give them structure, shape and encourage fruiting.
- The difference between winter and summer pruning and how to use each technique to get the most out of your trees.
- Soil preparation and ongoing soil management to ensure a healthy, living soil in your orchard.
- Growing companion plants with your fruit trees to encourage biodiversity, support soil health and help prevent pests and diseases.
- How to identify and treat pests and diseases in the orchard to keep your trees healthy and productive.
This Masterclass is designed to teach you everything you need to know to grow healthy fruit trees in the home garden or orchard.
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Member price
$80
Non member price
$110
Your Presenter
Julian is our Head of Gardens here at The Diggers Club. He brings a wealth of experience from his time at St Erth, where he was the curator of the espalier orchard, the food forest and the bulb meadows. Julian is also a highly experienced market gardener and a passionate farm-to-fork foodie.
The Location
Heronswood is the home of The Diggers Foundation, a living catalogue of garden treasures showcasing all that can be found in Diggers Club magazines and books.
At the heart of Heronswood is a cottage garden of meandering paths and lawns, seamlessly combining edible and ornamental plantings. Australia’s first certified organic open garden, it is the place to learn about sustainable practices and the preservation of heirloom flowers and vegetables.
A working garden for gardeners, with new projects always on the go and ideas to take home to your patch. Heronswood delights throughout the changing seasons, with the warmer summer months bringing the stunning perennials into full show.
See more information on Heronswood Gardens
Masterclass
Love Your Orchard: Grow Healthier
Happier Fruit
21 September 2025
Heronswood (Dromana)
Saturday 11 am - 12.30 pm
Limited tickets, don't miss out.