Tree Fruit Varieties

Tree Fruit Varieties

This page shows tree fruit varieties that research has found to be adapted to the region west of the Cascade Mountains. The different climatic zones within western Washington may favor certain fruit types and varieties. These recommendations are largely based on observations made over the past 25 years at the WSU Mt. Vernon Research & Extension Center. Choosing varieties can become complicated and frustrating for the person who simply wants home-grown fruit to eat, cook, and store for the winter.

Here is a basic list of trees that grow well in most of the region below 1,000 feet altitude, except in high rainfall coastal areas. Since most apple, pear, cherry, and plum varieties require cross-pollination, plant at least two varieties of a fruit as pollinizers.

Basic Home Orchard Variety List:

Apple - Gravenstein, Akane, Chehalis, Liberty, Jonagold

Pear - Clapp Favorite, Bartlett, Orcas, Comice

Plum/Prune - Methley, Beauty, Shiro, Early Italian, Seneca

Cherry - Van, Angela, Hardy Giant, Emperor Francis

Peach - Early Redhaven, Harken, Frost

Apricot - Not generally successful; try Puget Gold

Nectarine - Not generally successful; try Juneglo

By selecting the right varieties and using reasonable care, people in western Washington can grow many excellent types of fruit with more satisfaction and less effort than almost anywhere else in the United States. The area has a long frost - free season and winter injury is rare; moderate summer temperatures promote good fruit growth and cool nights enhance color development. There is usually enough rain for mature trees, yet summers are relatively dry.

Major insect pests, such as codling moth, that are common in other fruit growing areas may not require routine control here. An occasional worm hole may be acceptable to the home orchardist, but diseases cannot be ignored. You can control some diseases by good cultural practices. Others may require the use of pesticides. Plant disease-resistant varieties, when available. Chemical control measures are discussed in separate publications available from WSU Extension offices.

Avoiding Problems

The cool, humid summers and mild winters of western Washington create hazards to growing fruit. Some of these hazards can be minimized by proper site selection, pruning, and soil management. Here are a few things to watch out for:

Avoid shallow hardpan soils or sites with standing water in winter. Provide drainage if needed.
Avoid shaded areas. Fruit trees like full sun. Shade reduces fruit color, quality, and yield and increases disease problems. Sunny south or east slopes are best.
Do not top or severely head back branches (leaving stubs more than 3/4-inchdiameter). Topping causes excessive branching, which increases shading in the tree and promotes disease. Keep trees open with good spacing between branches. Spreading or tying down branches is often better than pruning.
Avoid overfertilization. Don't use soluble fertilizers on young trees. Fertilize according to vigor of the tree, as indicated by amount of new growth the previous year. Excess fertilizer delays bearing and can lower fruit quality.
Avoid deep planting. Don't plant deeper than the tree grew in the nursery, especially in heavy soils.

Pollination

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anthers of a flower to the stigma of the same or other flowers to set fruit. Most apples, pears, sweet cherries, and plums either require or benefit from cross-pollination (transfer of pollen from flowers of one variety to flowers of another variety). Most peaches, apricots, and sour cherries can set fruit with their own pollen(self-fertile), but some require cross-pollination. For adequate cross-pollination, the varieties' bloom periods must overlap. With apples and cherries, there is an additional complication. Some apple varieties have sterile pollen. Examples are Gravenstein, Jonagold, and Mutsu. Certain cherry varieties will not fertilize others. They are called cross-incompatible. Examples are Bing, Lambert, and Royal Ann.

For more information, contact your local WSU Extension Office for a copy of "Fruit Handbook for Western Washington: Varieties and Culture"(EB0937) (formerly "Tree Fruit Varieties for Western Washington). Also available as a free PDF dowload or purchse on line at http://cru84.cahe.wsu.edu/cgi-bin/pubs/EB0937.html
It has more detail on selecting varieties and how to successfully grow tree fruit in our area. Excerpted from Tree Fruit Varieties for Western Washington (EB0937).