Tara Austen Weaver became smitten on growing fruit in Seattle after planting raspberries during an extended summer visit. Later, she moved here permanently to a house with nine mature fruit trees and proceeded to add 14 more plus many berry plants. Her new book, “Growing Berries and Fruit Trees in the Pacific Northwest,” is based on that experience and is an excellent choice for the beginning fruit grower in Washington, Oregon, or British Columbia, especially west of the Cascades.
I found the book is especially helpful for cultivating berries by giving recommended varieties and culture methods specific to this region. The emphasis is on the most popular, including strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, but the author is adventuresome. She maintains a small but controlled (she claims) patch of Himalayan blackberries and recommends trying wild fruit such as our native huckleberries, or even salal. Her definition of “berry” is broad and she also recommends kiwi, lingonberry, currents, and even elderberries.
Excerpted from the Fall 2020 issue of the Arboretum Bulletin
I would like to grow some fruit trees on my property; we have room for maybe 2-3 small trees. Do you have any recommendations for the Seattle area? I’m partial to stone fruits — although I had heard that apricots (Prunus armeniaca) don’t do well in Seattle.
I don’t think you need to give up on the idea of apricots, as there are a few varieties that will do well here, such as ‘Puget Gold’ and ‘Harglow.’ The book, Fruits & Berries of the Pacific Northwest, by David Flaherty and Sue Elen Harvey, also mentions ‘Jannes’ and ‘Tilton’ for Western Washington. The book, Pacific Northwest Guide to Home Gardening, by Ray McNeilan and Micheline Ronningen, lists ‘Jannes’ and ‘Tilton,’ as well as ‘Moorpack,’ ‘Perfection,’ ‘Riland,’ and ‘Royal.’ I would also recommend that you look at the catalogs of several Washington State nurseries that specialize in fruit: Raintree Nursery, Cloud Mountain Farm, and Burnt Ridge Nursery. Since you mentioned small trees, you would probably be looking for dwarf forms, depending on the space you have available. These should also be available from the nurseries listed above.
I am interested in planting fruit trees on our treeless property. Can you recommend any sources of bare-root heirloom fruit varieties grafted onto modern rootstocks? Or do people who grow heirloom fruits usually use the old rootstocks, too?
I am also interested in finding a descriptive list of how different heirlooms taste, how difficult their pests are to control, and how they do in our region (Puget Sound).
Below are some suggestions:
1. WSU’s fruit research station in Mt. Vernon is the best place to learn about history, grafting rootstocks, varieties, etc. Here is an article from the spring 2013 issue of WSU’s Washington State Magazine on heirloom apples.
2. There is an event in early October at Cloud Mountain Farm in Everson, Washington. They have a fruit festival where you can taste the fruits and talk with experts.
3. An outstanding book you will probably want to buy (or come to the library to review it first) is Fruit, Berry and Nut Inventory, 4th edition, An Inventory of Nursery Catalogs Listing All Fruit, Berry and Nut Varieties Available by Mail Order in the United States. Edited by Ken Whealy, 2009.
We also have many other excellent reference sources about growing tree fruit.
4. You might consider joining the Western Cascade Fruit Society or the Seattle Tree Fruit Society. They offer courses and events, and are very knowledgeable.
5. The staff at Raintree Nursery near Morton, WA offer a wealth of information about what grows well in the Pacific Northwest, best rootstocks, etc.
This society extends beyond California’s borders to provide information on fruit culture whatever your climate zone. It also has excellent bibliographic information and links to other relevant fruit sites.