Learning Objectives

Notes

25.1
To identify the climate zones within Saskatchewan.

Have students draw the provincial map with the zone areas labeled on it.

25.2
To identify the small fruit varieties that are suitable for commercial production in Saskatchewan. (COM)

Arrange a tour to a u-pick farm or a market garden to investigate this type of commercial horticulture.

Students can research the variety of ways that provincially grown fruit is marketed in Saskatchewan.

25.3
To list the fruit bearing trees and shrubs suitable for Saskatchewan. (COM)

The students can list different tree varieties of apple, crabapple, plum, cherry, pear, and apricot that are able to survive the prairie winter climate.

The fruit bearing shrubs that are common in Saskatchewan may include: saskatoon, currant, high bush cranberry and gooseberry.

Arrange a trip to a nursery to examine the varieties of fruit trees suitable for this province.

25.4
To identify the varieties of fruit bearing trees and perennials that are native to Saskatchewan.

Take a field trip to the surrounding country or a near-by provincial park to locate native fruit bearing plants. If the trip is taken in the spring, the flowers will help to identify the plant; during an early fall trip the fruit will help identify the variety.

Plants in this category include: chokecherry, blueberry, pincherry, cranberry, saskatoon, wild raspberry and strawberry.

25.5
To demonstrate the practical skills required to maintain a fruit orchard. (CCT)

The skills can include grafting, pruning, watering and fertilizing, harvesting and pest control.

To improve winter hardiness, desirable characteristics from imported varieties are grafted to domestic root stock. Students could do grafting, using cutting or budding procedures, as an assignment to learn propagation methods used for fruit trees.