2. Secondly, I look at the tree and try to cut out branching that crosses other branches and/or grows inward. These can rub and open wounds up to disease as well. These will not be of benefit in the long run so let’s get’em out of there. Branches that have too acute of an angle from the tree will become weak and are more likely to break and split from the tree, possibly causing severe damage if they were to tear down the side of the trunk. That’s no good.

By strategically keeping branches lower to the ground (not too low though) and plenty of open space between branches, it allows the fruit to get the sun and airflow it needs to ripen, without as much disease, and it allows humans to reach it for harvesting ease. Seems intuitive and it kinda is!

There are specific things to know about tools and techniques, what wood is what, where will the fruit develop, different rootstocks, etc. Don't worry, There’s plenty to nerd out on.

3. Finally, different species do require different pruning methods.

You must understand what type of tree you’re working with, how old it is and where it sets fruit. If you prune off all the tips of a tip bearing tree you’ll have no crop. If you don’t prune enough off another tree, it might set out tons of lil puny apples that you’ll have to hand thin.

• Peaches and some other stone fruits do better and are generally kept to an open vase shape, they are lower growing trees with lateral branching that fruit on younger wood.
• Cherries perhaps being an exception to the lower growing tree thing, they can really reach!
  
  
• Apples seem to do better with a more upright central or modified leader form and they fruit on older wood fruit spurs similar to pears.
• And another example, Bradford pears like to be cut back all the way to the ground.
  
  

You will want to have sharp, clean tools. A folding ladder is usually needed.

There’s so much fruit in this world, you’ll have to dive in and read up. Get a hold of some books, go to some local workshops, help your neighbors. There are many talented fruit and nut tree people here in our area, many of them ready to share their knowledge. See what you can learn.

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Many thanks to Nico for sharing his knowledge! Do check out this amazing resource from Oregon State University with detailed diagrams, glossary, and videos. If you are interested in fruit tree care workshops, check out these opportunities in the area such as the Organic Growers School. 

Written by: Eliza Rose Laubach

While many plants we use in Healing Roots Design landscapes are natives well adapted to the Blue Ridge Mountains, some are not. There are a few plants that are especially susceptible to a deep freeze like what we have coming up this week, especially some edible perennials we use in our designs such as figs, rosemary, lavender, and some broad-leaf evergreens.
 
If you are unsure whether a plant is going to survive a deep freeze, look up its plant hardiness range. Asheville and the surrounding region is in Zone 7, where temperatures can drop to 0 to 10 degrees during deep freeze cold snaps. In areas of higher elevation, with north or west facing slopes, the low will be on the colder end of that range. Frost can gather in low-lying areas, such as small valleys and the bottom of a holler. High winds can increase the wind chill, which can cause plants to dry out faster and become more susceptible to cold temperatures.
 
Plants that are especially susceptible:

• Figs
• Rosemary
• Lavender

*Some of these come in more cold-hardy varieties. If you do not know whether you have a cold-hardy variety planted, protect them anyway*

• Camellia
• English Laurel, such as Skip Laurel. Especially if recently planted.

Steps to take:

1. Ensure there are 2-4” of mulch covering the root system of the plant. Add more if necessary. Asheville Mulch Yard is a good source for mulch, and reach out to us if you need a delivery!
2. Water deeply before temperatures drop below 32 degrees. Air gaps in the soil can drop the soil temperature below the ambient air temperature. The water will freeze around the roots and insulate them.
3. Wrap vulnerable shrubs with frost cloth, burlap or a sheet. Start from the bottom, pinning it down with stakes, wrapping toward the top.
4. Wilt-pruf is a spray-on product that can protect tender, recently planted evergreens such as camellias and English laurel. It can be found at Reem's Creek Nursery.

Feel free to reach out to us if you would like assistance with winter garden protection, or have any questions. May your gardens be well protected for their sleep in the dormant winter months, so they may grow and thrive come spring!

As we enter a new year, reflections abound. We'd like to share a reflection from one our staff members, Client Relations Specialist, Field Staff and Herbalist Eliza Rose Laubach, who supported recovery from Hurricane Helene.
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When Hurricane Helene swept through these hills, my world forever changed, as it was for so many. I live in Barnardsville, a small town outside of Asheville that was hit very hard from both wind and flooding. Thankfully my house sustained minimal damage. After a few days tending to damage done on the property where I live, I soon joined the many bewildered, grief-stricken and yet resilient, caring hearts who were meeting daily in the center of town at the post office, and then at the old firehouse across the street, to be the first hub for community-led central communication and supplies post-storm.

We collectively organized ourselves to go out into the valley and check on people, organize spring water access, cook community meals and manage chest freezer thaw, chainsaw and tree work, and form work groups to repair damages. A smattering of nurses, medics, community health workers and herbalists gathered to organize a first aid station and field operations for wellness and missing person checks. I was a part of that group, collaborating on organizing medical donations, directing crews of practitioners to go out on 4x4 ATVs through impassable roads, and tending to first aid and medical needs as word of our field clinic spread.

The mutual aid hub evolved constantly to meet emergent needs, thanks to the collaboration of the old firehouse building owner and a plethora of volunteers, many of whom had long-standing relationships from living in the same mountain valley together. The medics had their own room to set up, where we had a fully stocked medic and herbal first aid station. Working at Healing Roots Design, you can guess I’ve got a big place in my heart for plants. I am also a clinical herbalist, having recently completed a two year clinical training program with Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism.

Within a week, I was toting down a box full of bottles of herbal medicine, along with dosage bottles, to support my Barnardsville neighbors, fellow mutual aid hurricane relief workers, and anyone else who came into our first aid clinic. We were open every day for three weeks. Within that time, we began to take in donations of herbal medicine sent from herbalists in other regions, and set up a self-serve table outside our medic room. After three weeks, myself and a fellow local medic and herbalist who had been helping out, CoreyPine Shane of Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine, decided to form an herbal pop up clinic twice a week through November to offer out to the community the herbal donations now rolling in, as well as individualized consultations.

In this time I gained invaluable clinic, community health and herbalism experience working with a variety of emergent and existing health concerns. This project fulfilled a vision I have long held: accessible, free health support and care for the whole person. While we have slowed down to several times a month during the winter, the Barnardsville Free Herb Clinic continues to support people still impacted in Hurricane Helene’s wake, in collaboration with the newly formed Appalachian Herb Collective, where we share donations and organize events region-wide.

If you are interested in an herbal consultation, I am happy to offer that support to Healing Roots Design customers. We can also explore native species we could plant to further support your health goals. This is available as an add-on during the design process, or as part of a Stewardship plan! Reach out if you would like to add this care to your landscaping package!

~ Eliza Rose Laubach
Healing Roots Design Client Relations Specialist/Field Staff and Herbalist

Healing Roots Design, LLC Founder and CEO Keri Evjy was named a Local Sustainability Leader by Green Built Alliance in late 2023, among 13 other stellar movers and shakers. 

About Keri:
Founder and CEO of Healing Roots Design, LLC and Regenerative Life Design, LLC as well as author of Regenerative Life Design Playbook, Keri Evjy has been an environmental educator and advocate for many years.

Evjy says,  “Humans are designers in action, capable of restoring our Earth and life connection as Stewards, achieving a more collaborative, integrated and interdependent life through the process. When we lean into Nature’s Intelligence in the design of our lives, our relationships, and our indoor and outdoor spaces, we witness ourselves as whole, intersectional and critical thinkers in service to resiliency in our world, and it ripples outward. As we tap into Nature and apply simple regenerative patterns to our lives and landscapes, we are meeting ourselves anew, and we can embrace ecological time of our lives, meeting small and large changes with acceptance, opportunity and humility.”

Read the full Green Built Alliance article here