Prune-Along: At-Home Fruit Tree Pruning Sessions with LUSH Valley

Early bird access for LUSH Tree Stewards and 2025 Prune-Along waitlist open from December 17th-January 4th (access code will be emailed).

General Admission tickets will be available on January 5th, 2026.

Prune-Along has returned for 2026! This program is a hands-on way to build the skills and confidence you need to keep your fruit trees healthy and productive for years to come.

This program offers 2 types of sessions:

Prune-Along, pairs fruit tree specialists with tree stewards for one-on-one, hands-on sessions focused on the fundamentals of fruit tree care and pruning, tailored to their tree's needs and goals, all while completing pruning;

Pruning service, where pruning needs are assessed and completed by LUSH fruit tree specialists: homeowners need not be present.

Pruning sessions focus on the three essentials of tree care:

• Optimizing sun penetration and airflow to improve fruit quality and reduce pests and disease
• Removing old or damaged wood to promote new growth
• Creating an ideal tree shape for safer, easier harvests

Details:

Prune-Along sessions will be available from late January until early April, 2026, with a few summer pruning dates available in June. Each session is two hours long. LUSH Valley will provide all of the necessary tools and ladders for each session.

Debris: Facilitators allow time in the session to assist the homeowner in tidying up afterwards, and homeowners typically put clippings into municipal organics collection or manage debris themselves. This year, LUSH Valley is able to offer debris management service! For a flat fee of $75.00, LUSH fruit tree specialists will remove apple prunings for composting offsite. Please select the Debris Management add-on at checkout if you would like to utilize this service.

Weather cancellations: The pruning season is brief, during a time of fickle weather. As such, only a limited number of bookings are available. Because working outdoors in the winter can present some challenges and hazards, sessions may be rescheduled in the event of heavy snow or other extreme conditions. In the case of inclement weather, facilitators will assess conditions up to the hour of the session and, if it’s unsafe to proceed, we will contact you to arrange an alternate date.

A limited number of bursaries may be available. If the cost is a barrier, please reach out to harvestlead@lushvalley.org.

Tree Eligibility:

For safety reasons, LUSH Valley’s tree care experts will not work on ladders exceeding 12ft, and will undergo no rope work or tree climbing. For this reason, excessively tall trees (18ft+) may not be suitable: small- to medium-sized trees will benefit most.

Trees which are older, overgrown, or significantly neglected may require a multi-year approach to restore and reinvigorate them. Our tree care team is happy to help you come up with a restoration plan to bring your trees back into good health!

All cuts will be made with hand tools, so any tree requiring major saw work or limb removal will need the assistance of a certified arborist.

If you’re not sure if your tree falls within these guidelines, please email the Fruit Tree coordinator at harvestlead@lushvalley.org. Photos are helpful to assess tree eligibility!

A Note on Timing:

We are incredibly fortunate to live in a region where many types of fruit flourish. Some species of tree, however, are less resilient to our coastal climate than others.

• Apples, Pears, Crabapples, Quince: Can be safely pruned at any time during the dormant season (December-April).
• Plums, Cherries, Peaches, and Figs: We recommend waiting until the weather is a little warmer and drier before making cuts (March-April), as these trees can be sensitive to cold and damp conditions.
• Summer Pruning: This type of pruning is perfect for espalier-style trees, mature trees that send out too many watershoots, or if you are a returning Prune-Along participant and our tree care team have talked to you about summer pruning.

Why 'Prune-Along'?

The Prune-Along program aligns with LUSH Valley's mission to support the Comox Valley community to gain food systems tools, engage in just and resilient local food systems, and receive equitable access to nourishing food.

The hope is that by empowering community members to care for existing fruit trees, LUSH Valley can improve fruit quality, promote safer and easier harvests, and continue to share the harvest with our community. LUSH Valley has a high standard for the fruit utilized through its programs, and recognizes that higher fruit quality begins with well-cared-for trees.

LUSH Valley respectfully acknowledges that this work is being done on the Unceded Traditional territory of the K’omoks First Nation.