The Orchard Project

Bringing orchards into the heart of urban communities

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Professional Orchard Training (London)

April-September 2022

London N4

CICO students pruning trained forms

professional orchard training – summer pruning espaliers

If you are a horticultural professional and want to improve or consolidate your orchard management knowledge and skills, then CICO Pro is the professional qualifcation for you. Come and learn from the experts!

Professional Orchard Training

We have tailored our hugely successful Certificate in Community Orcharding especially for you. As the UK’s only orchard-focused, regulated training provider, we are proud of our high-quality teaching and of the supportive learning environment we create. Our staff and tutors have years of practical experience in orchards and in the classroom.

CICO Pro takes place over 7 face-to-face training days, more than 100 superb online resources and ongoing tutor support:

  • Learn about all aspects of orchard management, including: pruning, grafting, soil health, veteran tree care, apple identification, biodiversity, and pests and diseases, supporting community groups.
  • Meet other professionals and join The Orchard Project’s network of orchardists.
  • Gain practical experience from expert practitioners on 7 face to face training days.
  • Have access to 20 subtitled videos, 26 PowerPoint presentations with voiceovers, 26 quizzes and over 40 illustrated handouts.

Choose between two options:

  • CICO Pro, with the Certificate. Become a certified orchardist with a level 3 Certificate in Community Orcharding (CICO), regulated by Crossfields Institute. You would need to attend all 7 training days and pass all 24 assessments to achieve this. Assessments may be in-class demonstrations, written homework or interactive quizzes – these will all allow you to get professional feedback on your progress.
  • CICO Pro, without the Certificate. Attend all the training days, have access to all the online resources but don’t hand in any homework or be assessed in class.

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Course Details

All face to face training will take place between 10am and 4pm except for the Zoom sessions.

Wed 6th Apr – 6-7pm, Course overview – Zoom OR Thu 7th Apr – 7-8pm, Course overview – Zoom
Sat 9th Apr – Tree planting, grafting, formative pruning, young tree care – Finsbury Park Nursery, N4
Sat 30th Apr – Orchard history, plant processes, tree ID and fruit formation – Castle Climbing Centre, N4
Sat 28th May – Supporting community groups to establish and function well – Castle Climbing Centre, N4
Sat 25th Jun – Biodiversity, pests & diseases, seasonal care plans – Castle Climbing Centre, N4
Sat 23rd Jul – Summer pruning of trained forms and Prunus, tree ID – Castle Climbing Centre, N4
Sat 6th Aug – Soil texture, structure, soil food web and fertility – Castle Climbing Centre, N4
Sat 10th Sep – Assessing and managing veteran fruit trees, orchard care plans – TBC

Apple identification, rootstocks and plant taxonomy are also covered, via online resources.

CICO Pro Course Costs

£1050 (£950 early bird) – with Certificate
£850 (£770 early bird) – without Certificate
£750 – concessionary with Certificate

BOOK HERE

Additional Notes

Early bird tickets: Available until the 1st March.
Concessionary: Limited to 3 spaces per course for people who are students, on a low income, or in receipt of social benefits.
Paying by instalments available: Please email sarah@theorchardproject.org.uk for more information.
Covid-19 precautions: We will work within the government guidelines, and will confirm any additional precautions within the group at the start of the course.
Cancellations: Full refund if you cancel by 9th March, a 50% refund if you cancel by 23rd March and a 20% refund if you cancel before the 30th March.

Testimonials from CICO alumni

“I am able to cascade what I am learning to my colleagues and volunteers at work. CICO is very useful for my job, and it opens many doors onto fantastic worlds.” Ranger

“There are many promises and pitfalls when maintaining orchards in cities, however the holistic approach The Orchard Project use, is a comprehensive system which a community can use to bring this historical tradition into our modernised lives.” Market gardener

“The CICO videos were brilliant – especially those narrated by Bob Lever, Jo Homan, Lewis McNeill and Stephanie Irvine. I thought the Tom Adams organic nursery video was inspiring. The quizzes were fun and meant assessment wasn’t just written work.”  Arborist

For more environmental jobs and courses please see environmentjob.co.uk.

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