Practical orchard skills
Learn orchard skills
Build confidence with practical, hands-on courses in fruit-tree pruning and grafting, led by experienced tutors who make traditional orchard skills accessible and useful.
Choose a course
Explore pruning or grafting, then open the sections you need.
Pruning Courses
Learn to read the tree, prune with confidence and keep fruit trees healthy and productive.
Jon, a professional forester, has been running pruning courses for Brendon Orchards members for over a decade. He shares his experience in a way that makes pruning accessible to anyone keen to learn.
BOC currently offers two pruning courses: Beginners and Advanced Refresher. Beginners introduces the principles and practical skills needed to prune fruit trees confidently. Advanced Refresher builds on those skills for people who have gained some practical experience and want more confidence tackling more complex trees.
Beginners Pruning Course
Pruning Course
Beginner Pruning Course — Saturday 28 November
Starting the day in the Bear Inn Skittle Alley this course is aimed at beginners with no previous knowledge of pruning. It combines some theoretical learning with gaining practical hands-on experience. One soft drink…
£35.00 per place
10 places available
The morning starts in the classroom, covering tree growth, how to work with the tree, keeping trees healthy and productive, pruning tools and techniques, and staying safe. The theory applies to fruit trees large and small, across different varieties.
The practical session takes place in a nearby orchard, where you learn to read the tree, decide what needs doing and make pruning cuts. As confidence builds, participants prune together in small groups.
Starting the day in the Bear Inn Skittle Alley, this daytime course is for beginners with no previous knowledge of pruning. It combines theory with hands-on experience. One soft drink or hot drink is included and can be ordered on arrival.
Thinking of progressing to Advanced Refresher? You should first have completed our Beginners course, or have equivalent knowledge, and gained practical pruning experience of your own. Advanced Refresher builds on these skills and tackles more complex trees.
Advanced Refresher Pruning Course
No Advanced Refresher course is currently available. You can register your interest below.
Advanced Refresher is for people wanting greater confidence tackling more complex trees. It is a refresher for previous learners and a progression from the theory and techniques introduced at Beginners level.
It is suitable for people who have completed our Beginners course, or have equivalent knowledge, and who have subsequently gained some practical pruning experience. Attending Beginners alone does not automatically mean this is the right next step.
Course dates, price & register your interest
Published courses and booking links appear in the relevant course section above. If there is not yet a suitable date, join the priority list below and we will contact you when a course becomes available.
Current paid-up membership of Brendon Orchards Cooperative is required to attend for insurance. We will ask about membership when you book. If you are not currently a member, membership can be added to your booking; if you are unsure, we will check for you.
Tree Grafting Course
Led by Ruth O’Brien.
Learn how to bench graft your own apple tree using the whip-and-tongue technique. You take home two apple trees that you graft yourself, choosing from a wide range of heritage varieties and rootstocks from dwarf to full size. All materials and equipment are provided, along with refreshments.
Ruth is a community market gardener and fruit grower with nearly 25 years’ experience, including ten years running her own fruit-tree nursery on the Devon/Somerset border.
What the course includes
Three hours of tuition at £125 per person, with two people per session.
Basic shelter is provided, but please wear warm outdoor clothing and suitable footwear. Courses are held on the Mid-Devon/Somerset border, approximately five miles from Wellington.
There is an optional extra to extend the course to a full six-hour day, including a light lunch. The full day can cover planting fruit trees, fruit-tree maintenance including basic pruning, and advice on designing a garden or orchard for fruit growing.
Course dates
The February to April 2026 grafting sessions have now finished.
Future dates will be announced here once confirmed. Use the enquiry form below to ask about upcoming sessions.
What previous participants say
“I found the half-day grafting course with Ruth really insightful and interesting. She made me feel welcome and tailored the course exactly to my needs… The pace was just right, with lots of opportunity to practise the techniques she demonstrated.”
— Jo Stobart
Enquire or book with Ruth
Use this form to enquire about future grafting dates and book directly with Ruth once a suitable session is available.