Planning and Managing Orchards for Hobby and Business
Tree fruit are an important component of the agricultural and homeowner landscape. Planting and management of apple and other tree fruit orchards is a rewarding hobby and business, but you cannot simply plant trees and expect good fruit. There's a lot that goes into successful orcharding!
This course trains beginning tree fruit growers in fundamental concepts in orchard planning and management. Content will include site selection and management, rootstock and cultivar selection, orchard systems, pest management, nutrient management, and harvest considerations for commercial orchards tailored to the northeast U.S.
Target Audience
All levels – The course is for beginning tree fruit growers, or experienced growers seeking a refresher on basic concepts in orchard management. The topics covered will be specific to orchard systems and may not be appropriate for all climatic zones.
Course Objectives
At the completion of this course, you will:
- Understand of the basics of tree fruit production, harvesting, and marketing
- Have information sources to develop an orchard planting and management plan
Webinars
The bulk of the course happens on your own time, with discussions, readings, and assignments in Teachable, our virtual classroom. To add to the experience, webinars will be woven into the online interface of the course to allow you to meet on a weekly basis to learn from outside presenters and ask questions to address your farm issues in real time. If you miss one, they are always recorded and posted for later viewing. Access details will be posted in Teachable once you have registered and logged in.
Webinar Schedule
Incorporating feedback from previous years, we expanded this course to include additional webinar content. In 2025, this course will be offered live for 6-weeks every Thursday from 6:30 - 8:30 PM (Eastern) from February 27 – April 3. In addition, to the weekly Thursday webinars, two additional live webinars will occur in weeks 4 and 5 on Monday evenings March 17 and March 24 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM (Eastern). Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for all 8 live sessions!
We understand that it might be difficult to join us two nights a week, so homework will only be based off the Thursday night material. While we encourage live attendance, so you have the opportunity to engage with presenters and ask questions, all 8 webinars will be recorded and posted in the online classroom to watch anytime. Once enrolled in this course, you will retain access to all materials indefinitely, and can return to participate in the live webinars in future offerings of the course if you wish.
Your Instructor
As a Tree Fruit Specialist for the Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program, Mike Basedow coordinates educational programming and conducts applied research for fruit growers across Eastern New York. In addition to co-teaching BF223, Mike's primary areas of interest include cultural orchard management and applied pest management. He also works closely with other Cornell faculty and extension staff to develop programming for hard cider producers. He is currently seeking a home on well-drained soils to eventually plant his hobby cider orchard.
Janet van Zoeren is a pest management specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Lake Ontario Fruit Program, specializing in “IPM” (integrated pest management) of insects, weeds and diseases. She covers all fruit crops in the counties bordering Lake Ontario, a region predominantly growing apples and other tree fruits. Janet has a M.S. in Entomology from the University of Wisconsin, where she worked with the Fruit Extension team and conducted research on biological control of the brown marmorated stink bug. Prior to returning for her master’s degree, Janet worked as a farm manager of a diversified organic farm, running a small-scale orchard, winter greens greenhouse, and poultry operation.
Student Testimonials
"This course is a must for anyone considering establishing an orchard. Had I taken this course before I began orchard establishment, I could have avoided many mistakes and would have been able to better make decisions on placement, rootstock, and varieties based on my orchard goals. The instructors for this course are professional and some of the most knowledge in the state. I can say without a doubt that this course is worth it!"
"Wow. This course blew me away with the sheer volume of information shared. Now I have so many more trusted information sources to reference, and a much better sense of how to proceed with my orchard."
"Both instructors did a good job managing the webinars. They made an environment where questions were encouraged during and after the lecture. They stayed on the call until all questions were answered. They followed and added to the forum. And they were available and responsive to email questions. Top notch."
“I looked forward to attending this course weekly. There was a lot of information provided in the class presentations as well as the weekly readings which I have downloaded for reference. Interaction with my fellow attendees was of great value as well.”
“Great technical information and connection with other similar orchard students. Plans have gotten more realistic and detailed as result of course.”
Course Curriculum
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StartInstructor Contact
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PreviewWebinar Schedule and Participant Guide
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StartPre-Course Survey
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StartFavorite General Orcharding Resources
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StartCider Resources
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StartAdditional Tree Fruits and Tree Nuts
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PreviewKiva U.S. - 0% Interest Loans up to $15,000
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StartNavigating in Teachable; Getting a Course Completion Certificate; and More
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StartFORUM: Introduce Yourself; Meet Your Peers