The second class of a four-part series of growing and managing a Montana apple orchard will be this week at Ravalli County's Western Montana Agricultural Research Center north of Corvallis. The series is presented in cooperation with Montana State University's County Extension Offices in Missoula and Ravalli Counties, with support from the Montana Department of Agriculture.

The Wednesday, February 8th event, "Establishing a Montana Orchard," will be from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the center at 580 Quast Lane. Organizers say the workshop will include design of a hard cider or dessert apple orchard. You'll learn about site selection, plant material, orchard design, tree planting and irrigation systems. The program will be presented by Kristine Handley, Katrina Mendrey, and Zack Miller. The first session of the series was in December. "The Business of Being an Orchardist" was December 14. The next workshop will be "Pruning Fruit Trees in Montana" February 24 and the final session will be "Integrated Pest Management in Montana Apple Orchards" on March 14. For more information about the series, call (406) 961-3025. More information about Montana apple orchards can be found online at mtapples.org.

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