Do you have apple or other fruit trees? Here are some good resources which you may want to consult.

​Richard Hallman is a well-known fruit tree horticulturist. For years, he has consulted across the Lower Mainland and provided numerous presentations on fruit tree selection, pruning techniques, and control of pests and disease. Recently, he has started a newsletter and blog. If you are interested in better understanding how to successfully grow fruit trees, have a look at his re-vamped website.

• Fruit Tree Magic: Science-Based Fruit Tree Growing Methods

Port Kells Nursery offers helpful hints for a variety of fruit trees and shrubs.

• Port Kells Nursery

Lee Valley offers a variety of items that are helpful in the garden and for picking and collecting fruit. They offer curbside pick-up when you order online. I really find the fruit picker helpful for reaching apples without needing to get a ladder out.

• Lee Valley Tools

In this video, South Surrey Garden Club member Roger Phillips demonstrates how to use the Lee Valley Diamond Sharpening Stick and provides suggestions on how to keep your pruners in good working condition.

UPDATE
Recently a question was posed to our discussion list regarding disinfecting pruners. Roger and Mary Dunn answered the question and both also suggested looking at Linda Chalker Scott's website.
Main Site: https://puyallup.wsu.edu/lcs/
Specific Pages: The Myth of Cloroxed Clippers and
Sterilized Pruning Tools: Nuisance or Necessity? 

Mary Dunn' s advice:
Probably the best disinfectant for pruners is a Lysol or Dettol solution, 1 part lysol to 9 parts water. A jar is useful so you can put the pruners right into it. 70% Isopropanol is also effective, and evaporates quickly. Bleach (1:9 with water ) is sometimes recommended, but is corrosive and causes damage to the blades (oil after using it, but Lysol is a better choice). Always clean off any dirt or sap before disinfecting. 

Here's Roger's advice:
Here in South Surrey, the plants that need the greatest care are roses (the dreaded black spot) and fruit trees (black knot on plums, canker on apples).
1)   Check the state of the pruners. They should be clean, sharp, and free of any pitted surfaces where bacteria can build up.
2)   Avoid cleaners like bleach or TSP--these are corrosives and will lead to pitting the surfaces of your pruner blades.
3)   Hand sanitizers that contain alcohol are good but expensive. Rubbing alcohol is cheaper.
4)   Household cleaners like Lysol, Listerine, Pine-Sol, are effective. Lysol comes in a spray can, very convenient to pack around the garden (but it's an aerosol, so not too environmentally friendly). Put enough fluid to cover the pruner blades in a canning jar with a tight lid.
5)   Wipe off any excess cleaner after disinfecting so that the next plant gets pruned with a dry blade.
6)   After finishing the pruning, wash the pruners in warm soapy water, scrub off any sticky deposits from plant sap, rinse, drain, and dry. *** (now is a good time to get the file or kitchen steel and sharpen the cutting edge of the pruners).
7)   To get those unreachable surfaces where the blades hinge, add a couple of drops of sewing machine or other light oil and open and close the pruners a few times to smear all metal surfaces.

Lorna Fraser, our current Treasurer has recently been virtually attending Ali's health and fitness classes and suggested that we share this resource with our members. As Lorna describes her experience, 
​
“I have been stretching / strengthening regularly with Ali since late April when her Zoom classes were recommended to me by a Vancouver friend. Her hour stretch classes are wonderful--she has a light, friendly manner with good explanations and lots of accommodation for various levels of stretchability and balance.”

Here's a short breathing and stretching video that Ali made just for us. If you are interested in taking virtual classes with Ali, go to her website at:
https://www.fitnessali.com/
​To read her blog, visit ​https://fitnessali.wordpress.com/