Masterclass
The art of summer pruning
Brought to you by The Diggers Club
Your Masterclass
Developed by French orchardists to keep their fruit trees productive and manageable, summer pruning is an essential technique for Australian gardeners. By pruning in summer, we can easily keep trees to a manageable size and direct their energy into fruit production. Join Diggers Head of Gardens, Julian Blackhirst, in the Espalier Orchard at St Erth to learn the art of summer pruning fruit trees and espaliers.
What you will learn:
- How to use summer pruning to increase fruit production in your orchard.
- The difference between winter and summer pruning methods and their uses.
- Pruning and training methods for growing espaliers, cordons and free standing trees.
- How to limit or encourage growth of fruit trees by pruning at different times of year so you can keep your fruit trees at a manageable size.
- The varying pruning requirements of different types of fruit trees.
This Masterclass is designed to teach you everything you need to know to incorporate summer pruning into your orchard management and reap the benefits of this often overlooked technique.
Become a Diggers member today and save.
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
Featuring over 4 acres of food, cottage and bush gardens each season provides different delights and inspiration to both experienced and aspiring gardeners. The gardens are filled with plants which thrive in central Victoria’s cold winters and hot dry summers. A huge range of daffodils, hellebores and other flowering bulbs bring the garden to life in spring.
Visitors can admire the colour and beauty of our perennial flower borders throughout summer and autumn with hardy, long flowering perennials creating an amazing cottage garden display amongst our Australian bush setting.
The Garden was certified organic between 2008 and 2023. Today, the Digger’s range of perennials, bulbs and heirloom vegetables are grown at St Erth using best-practice organic methods. Seasonal produce from our kitchen gardens is served at St Erth café throughout the year.
See more information on The Garden of St Erth
Masterclass
The art of summer pruning
8 February 2026
The Garden of St Erth (Blackwood)
Sunday 11 am - 12.30 pm
Limited tickets, don't miss out.
