WWFRF Winter 2002 Newsletter
JOIN OR RENEW NOW Above your name on the address label is the month and year your WWFRF membership expires. WWFRF Memberships last for one year from the month dues are paid. If there is no date shown, your membership has already expired. Previous members are urged to renew now. We count on you to support the vital fruit research.
( ) $25 Annual Individual Membership ( ) $40 Annual Family Membership ( ) $60 Annual Sustaining Membership: General, Cider or Wine Grape ( ) $200 Full Commercial Membership ( ) $125 Commercial Membership (List Only) ( ) Gift membership for ______( ) Enclosed is an additional donation
You may join or renew at the Field Days or Harvest Days, but to avoid lines, please send your membership check to WWFRF Membership Co-Chairman Charlie Bergeron, 7920 88th. Street Court SW, Lakewood, WA 98498-5906. Phone (253) 584-5216. E-mail [email protected]
Please Send Your E-Mail Address To WWFRF If you have not already, would you please send your e-mail address to Membership Co-Chairman Charlie Bergeron at [email protected]? If yours has changed, please send in your new one. We are constantly updating membership information, and will be able to keep in touch more frequently in the future if we have enough members with e-mail. NOTE: Average cost of newsletter mailing is $450 per issue. If you would like to receive your newsletter by e-mail, please contact Charlie Bergeron. Thank you.
Upcoming WWFRF Board Meeting The next meeting of the WWFRF Board of Directors will be in Seattle at the Plymouth Congregational Church (1217 6th Ave.) at 10:00 A.M. Friday, February 8, 2002. Suggested items for the agenda should be sent to Charlie Bergeron (see e-mail above) or call 253-584-5216 no later than February 1, 2001. Members are welcome.
WWFRF P.O. Box 9716 NON-PROFIT ORG Seattle, WA 98109-0716 U.S. POSTAGE PAID TACOMA WA PERMIT #356 President’s Message
New Year Greetings and Best Wishes to you! As the New Year begins, Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation (WWFRF) has already been very busy. On January 5, 2002, nineteen WWFRF Board members, Officers, and Advisory Board members met for our first ever Board Retreat. We developed and approved the following vision statement for the Foundation, as it begins its second decade. The goals to accomplish the Vision Statement were also drafted. They will be finalized at the February 8th Board Meeting.
WWFRF Vision Statement (approved by the board 1/5/02) The Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation exists to advance fruit horticultural programs for our unique Western Washington maritime climate through advocacy, research, education, demonstration and public awareness.
Your Officers, Board of Directors and Advisory Board members enthusiastically embrace this Vision Statement, and hope that you will too. The next decade will be one of new and exciting challenges. It is with such vision that WWFRF will thrive and attain success. Have a good winter and look forward to seeing you at the March Field Day! Chuck Holland President
If you have any questions, please contact me at 360-297-0011, or by e-mail [email protected] Thank you.
Your WWFRF Officers & Board Members Want to Hear From YOU! WWFRF would not be able to fund fruit research each year without continuing membership dues. Your officers and Board members must be accountable to you. Your comments, questions, and concern are requested, and they will be answered. That’s a promise! Please contact Charlie Bergeron at 7920 88th St. Ct SW, Lakewood, WA 98498-5906, tel. 253-584-5216 or [email protected]. Board of Directors' Minutes: November 3, 2001 A Board of Directors meeting was held at the Puyallup Research & Extension Center on Saturday, November 3, 2001. President Chuck Holland called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.. Board Members attending were De Arbogast, Sam Benowitz, Charlie Bergeron, Bill Davis, Claude Dilly, Kristan Johnson, Fred Langton, Larry Mowrer and Kim Siebert. Also in attendance were Board Advisors/Reps Dr. Andy Anderson, Nancy Liggett, Gary Moulton, and Bob Peterson, and guest Nina Gill.. SUMMARY OF BUSINESS: 1. Harvest Festival/10th Anniversary (Review) Chuck Holland went over the events of the successful Harvest Festival. Ciscoe Morris’ talk was well received and there were many guests, including State Senators and staff from Senator Patty Murray and Rep. Rick Larsen’s offices. WSU’s Dr. Ralph Cavaliere and Dr Dean Glawe, and Dr. Robert Norton spoke for WSU. Special thanks to Claude Dilly for filling in as volunteer organizer in place of Linda Markholt. 2. Disussion of WSU Budget Cuts – Fred Langton volunteered to chair a new WWFRF Legislature Committee to maintain contact with legislators who are directing the budget policy for WSU. Dr. Andy Anderson and Chuck Holland will work together to establish communications between WWFRF and the Northwest Ag. Research Foundation. 3. Foundation Priorities & 5-Year Plan – Chuck Holland suggested holding a retreat at his house in January, 2002, to develop a 5-year plan and mission statement for our Foundation. Agreed on the meeting January 5, 2002. from 10-4, with each attendee bringing a dish for potluck lunch. 4. Hiring a Grant Writer - Kim Siebert raised the topic and suggested Micki Ryan, who has written successful grants for Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland. Her fee is $35/hour. She feels that WWFRF is a good candidate for receiving a grant. Kim said that we must define our request for funding and have a mission statement and long term plan. 5. Cooperation with East Malling Research – Sam Benowitz reported on his visit to East Malling Research Station, and the fruit growing situation in England. Similarity of climate could mean the ability to share patent rights for new, well adapted varieties. WWFRF would want to retain the rights in North America for any patents arising from this project. 6. Fruit Cultivar Royalties – Chuck Holland asked if any board members would wish to chair a new Variety Testing Committee, which would handle the area of royalties from new varieties tested through WWFRF and WSU cooperation. No one volunteered, and it was decided to put the request and job description in the next newsletter. Sam will work with Kim Siebert to draft an article for the next newsletter asking for members to volunteer. It was moved that Sam Benowitz and Chuck Holland will draft a letter to Mrs. Margaret Proud and Van Well Nursery on the collection of royalties for Avalon Pride peach. 7. Board Members’ Responsibilities – It was moved that WWFRF Board Members must attend at least 50% of the board meetings each year and must be active on one or more board committees. 8. Display Garden – Phase 2 Proposal – Kristan Johnson handed out and discussed a proposal for Phase 2 of the Display Garden. Kim Siebert moved to spend up to $1000 to set up the espalier section on the eastern side of the NE section of the garden. 9. Demonstration Garden Land Allocation - It was moved that WWFRF is open to working with the local FFA in 2002, in Display Garden projects approved by the Board. 10. Date for Spring 2002 Open House – Date was set for March 9, 2002. 11. Deadline for Spring Newsletter – Friday, January 11, 2002 will be the cutoff day for submitting articles and information to technical editor Jacky King. It was moved to allow Full Commercial Members to advertise in WWFRF newsletters. 12. Items for Quick Approval - It was moved to spend up to $250 for printing 5000 Membership Forms, and to spend $67 to continue participation in the Tulip Festival Brochure. Also moved that the Board of Directors hold 4 meetings per year up to 4 hours in length, and matters brought to the Board requiring 15 minutes or more of discussion must be in writing and sent to Board members prior to the meeting. All the above motions approved. De Arbogast and Kim Siebert were authorized to look into the acquisition of a digital camera and report to the Board. 13. Fruit/Jam Sales at WCFS Fruit Show – Larry Mowrer reported that WWFRF earned $1,200 selling apples at the 2001 Fall Fruit Show, October 27 & 28, 2001. Special thanks to Larry and to Bill Davis for all their time and help. 14. Skagit Veg. Trials 2002 – Dr. Andy Anderson handed out brochures and discussed a proposal for cooperation between Skagit Veg Trials and WWFRF. Sam Benowitz volunteered to represent WWFRF in discussions with Dr. Anderson. The proposal will be taken up at the retreat on January 5, 2002. 15. Next Board Meeting – The next regular Board meeting will be held in Seattle at the Plymouth Congregational Church on Friday, February 8, 2002 at 10:00 a.m., during the Northwest Flower & Garden Show. The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 p.m. For details contact Charlie Bergeron (253-584-5216 or e-mail [email protected])
WWFRF Board Members’ Retreat At 10:30 a.m, on January 5, 2002, a group composed of WWFRF Officers, Board Members and Advisory Board met at the home of Chuck and Debra Holland for our first ever Retreat. Nineteen people in all attended including 15 out of 17 Board members. The purpose of this Retreat was to get together in an informal atmosphere to work out a vision statement for the organization. Having just celebrated our 10th Anniversary and looking forward to future plans and goals, this seemed like a good time for an overall assessment of what we have done as an organization and what we want to accomplish in future --the next five years and beyond. Our Vision Statement, which appears in the President’s Message above, is defined as a concise mental picture of what the organization wants to accomplish. At the retreat, the members also worked on a list of goals to aim for. This list will be finalized at the Board Meeting on February 8, 2002, and will appear in our next newsletter. Our thanks to all those who attended for contributing their ideas to help define our organization’s purpose and future aims. Particular appreciation goes to Chuck and Debra Holland for hosting this event at their home, ‘LAGOM,’ located on the wooded shores of Port Gamble Bay near Kingston.
Great Winter Soup Recipe Following the Retreat, there were numerous requests for the hearty and delicious Garden Vegetable Soup recipe served by Debra Holland. For all those who love a rich and healthful winter warm-up, here it is: Fat Free, Flavorful Veggie Soup by Dr. Gabe Mirkin 1 large onion, chopped 4 carrots, sliced 4 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup lentils 8 cups bouillon (Swanson’s Vegetable Broth) 1 bay leaf ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½" dice 1 can (28 oz.) Italian plum tomatoes, chopped 1 can chickpeas, undrained 2 cans artichoke hearts (in water, not marinade), drained and quartered 1/3 cup Italian parsley, chopped Freshly ground black pepper
Bring the first 8 ingredients to a boil in a large pot, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook 20 minutes more or until potatoes are tender. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, artichoke hearts and parsley, and simmer 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with freshly ground pepper to taste. (Grated Parmesan cheese can be sprinkled on top.)
WWFRF Annual General Meeting The Annual Meeting of the WWFRF will be held during the lunch hour intermission (12 noon to 1:00 PM) at the Field Day & Open House on March 9, 2002, in the auditorium area. All members are urged to attend and vote. Main items of business are (1.Election of Board Members, (2. Treasurer’s Report, (3. allocation of funds for research projects (4. topics raised by members.
Volunteers and More Volunteers Please volunteer to work half a day at the March 9 Field Day. The volunteers make the day possible. Help is also needed on Friday afternoon the day before the Field Day to help set up. If you can donate some of your time, please call Volunteer Coordinator Linda Markholt at 360-794-4513 or by mail at 15728 166th Street SE, Snohomish, WA 98290.
Display Garden Planting Needs Your Help! We are going to be installing about 100 feet of espalier in the Display Garden this spring and we need volunteers to help with the installation. • February 16, 2002, at 12 noon we will be meeting in the Display Garden to dig the holes and set the posts. • February 23, 2002, at 12 noon we will be meeting in the Display Garden to string the wires, place the guides and plant the trees. If you would like to help please contact Kim Siebert at: [email protected], call 360-474-8449 or write to 16829 71st Drive NE, Arlington, WA 98223. Don’t forget to check out the design plan for the entire Skagit Display Fruit Garden.
Special Fruit Harvest Days for the 2002 Season In 2001, in addition to the scheduled harvest days, members were able to come to the Mount Vernon Research Station, on short notice, to pick fruit. Last year, 69 Foundation member volunteers came to the Station on ten different days to help out or pick fruit. Tasks accomplished include blossom counting, apple thinning and apple counting, and harvesting cherries, blueberries, currants, rasp-berries, and blackberries. The labor helps the experiment station with the harvest, and records of the harvest are kept to document the variety trials. The members enjoy the picking because they get to take home half of what they pick. If you would like to be on the “callout list” for picking in 2002, contact Larry Mowrer in person at the March 9 Field Day, by telephone: (360-766-8043), by mail: [email protected] or (5775 Capricorn Lane, Bow, WA 98232-8607)
Kim’s Apple Favorites by Kim Siebert We have recently moved to a new home, and since I don't spray I have decided to limit my new orchard to scab resistant apples. Here are my favorites from my old orchard. (We get less heat units than the Mount Vernon Station.) Fiesta: If I could have only one apple, this would probably be the one. Great taste. It is supposed to keep well, but I don't have any experience with that, since they get eaten before I have a chance to find out. Does get some scab, but not too much. Chehalis: If you like Golden Delicious, you should grow this apple. One of my sons and my husband really chow down on these very large, crisp (for 2-3 weeks) apples. They only last about three weeks in September, but as soon as they start going soft, the remaining apples make really great dried apples. High scab resistance, but not immune. Does get mildew. Alkmene: Another really great-flavored apple. Medium size The first time I tasted it at the Mount Vernon station, I could hardly believe that such a great-tasting apple existed. Ripens about the same time as Chehalis and then it goes soft in a few weeks. Makes absolutely the best dried apples I have ever tasted. This tree always seems to look very pretty in bloom, so it might be a good choice for espalier. Smallish tree. Bramley: Large, green cooking apple. Last year I left them on the tree until late October, and then stored them for about a month. They still tasted too sour for me to eat fresh. I combined them with an insipidly sweet apple and the result was the most wonderful applesauce ever, with no sugar! If you want to make applesauce or cook with apples, this one is a must. It is a heavy producer and a naturally small, sturdy tree. Williams’ Pride: I don't care much for the taste of this one, but my son really likes them, so it is all a matter of taste. Very large, scab immune apples. Early-season and very vigorous. Honeycrisp: This one fruited for the first time in my orchard last year, so I haven't grown it long enough to test resistance to scab. It hasn't had any scab on the leaves or fruit so far. Very good taste. Attractive red and yellow apples. Enterprise: Productive, healthy tree. I don't think the apples ripened all the way last year, but the taste was still pretty good. Immune to scab.
Northwest Cider Society The Northwest Cider Society (NWCS) is an active group of individuals and companies that are interested in a variety of ciders. It was organized in 2000 as sub-group of the Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation. Officers include Ron Irvine, President (206-463-5538)
Your Internet FruitSource - WWFRF Site Update Keep checking your Foundation Web Page
Closeout! Tree & Plant Sale at Mount Vernon Due to staff reduction at the WSU-Mount Vernon station, certain fruit projects are being phased out, and some of the trees and plants will be for sale. Trees of different Jonagold strains (Standard Jonagold, Jonagored, DeCoster and King) and possibly Honeycrisp will be available, in quantities yet to be determined. Also the blueberry trial is being reduced and some blueberry plants, most 8 years old and full bearing, will also be included. The members’ price per tree/plant is $25 if the WSU crew does the digging, and $15 if members dig their own. (Non members prices: $35 pre-dug, $25 U-dig.) Anyone interested in obtaining some of these trees or plants should contact Jacky King by e-mail [email protected] or call 360-848-6132. Pre-dug plants will be held for pickup at the March 9 Field Day. Deadline for paid orders is March 1. For those digging their own trees, days and times will be arranged and those who want trees will be contacted. Digging days will also be posted on the Mount Vernon web site http://mtvernon.wsu.edu/fruit_horticuture.htm
Fertilizer Applications for the Home Orchard by Gary Moulton, WSU – Mount Vernon A good fertility program is just one component of quality fruit production. Good fertility practices may be ineffective, for example, if water management is neglected, particularly in the early season. Furthermore, poor management of pests can further compound the problem. However, maintaining soil fertility is essential to good quality fruit.
What do those numbers mean? The label on a bag of fertilizer contains 3 basic numbers. The first number represents nitrogen (N), the second phosphorus (P, measured in P2O5), and the third potassium (K, measured in K2O). For instance, 16-25- 33 would mean 16% nitrogen, 25% P2O5, and 33% K2O. This is true no matter what the source, whether animal manures or inorganic compounds. Soil testing is the ideal way to determine exactly what your soil needs, but it can be expensive and impractical for the home gardener. The following are general recommendations that we have found to be common in Western Washington. ! Nitrogen is not needed in most of Western Washington since we have such high levels of organic matter in our soil, and it is continually released during the summers. Nitrogen controls growth. With excess we get rank growth. Fruit maturity is delayed; and storage life of apples and pears is reduced. Peaches need more nitrogen so applications may be necessary. Sandy soils sometimes may need more nitrogen Monitor growth closely; if it is slow and general leaf color is yellow some nitrogen may be required, but remember fruit quality will be reduced by over- application. Nitrogen is very mobile in the soil and can be leached readily. Applications during the dormant period will be lost by leaching in Western Washington ! Phosphorus is usually recommended at planting. It is a very immobile element and should be incorporated into the soil. Surface applications of phosphorus are ineffective. ! Potassium should be applied each year. It is associated with better fruit color, more sugars, and better flavor. Its rate of use can be higher than nitrogen. In fact, a good crop of apples can pull 150 to 240 pounds of K2O per year from the soil, of which at least half is removed with the crop. Yearly applications of potassium are necessary to return what is taken. Since potassium does not move quickly in the soil, surface applications should be made in the fall or early winter so that it can be taken down into the soil profile by the winter rains. ! Micronutrients can be added to a fall fertilizer mix. Boron can be added to the potassium mix in the fall. It can also be added as a spray to the soil surface, mixed with a herbicide such as Roundup when killing weeds. Care must be taken not to over apply boron. In our soils we will need about 1 to 2 pounds of actual boron applied per acre every year. Boron can also be applied as a foliar spray during bloom to enhance set. Solubor, which is 20% boron, can be mixed with fungicides at this time. Zinc is applied most effectively as a delayed dormant spray. Other materials such as manganese can be applied in a foliar spray about a month after bloom. ! Liming is the addition of calcium (Ca) alone or calcium and magnesuim (Mg). For soils west of the Cascades, in most cases it is desirable to add calcium with magnesium. This type of lime is called dolomite. The best time to lime is at planting, when the lime can be incorporated throughout the soil profile. In established plantings that have not been limed for many years, it will take years for the lime to work down through the soil profile. Surface applications should probably be made for the first 3 years and then adjusted to every other year for the next 4 years. Taking a sample and measuring the soil pH about 8 inches deep in the soil profile will help you determine if you are adding too much or not enough. Liming should be done in the fall after harvest so that the winter rains will help wash it down. Just by adding lime, nutrients such as potassium become more available.
Other essential terms CEC (cation exchange capacity) defines negatively charged soil sites that hold onto cations. Clay soils have more exchange sites than sandier soils, in fact about twice as many. It is desirable that about 80% of those sites be occupied by bases. The ideal ratio is about 65% calcium (Ca), 12% magnesium (Mg) and about 3% potassium (K). The rest of the sites are occupied by other cations, such as sodium and hydrogen, and micronutrients such as zinc, aluminum, and iron. Base saturation is the amount of bases (i.e., calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium) that are positively charged and able to occupy the negatively charged sites in the soil. Without liming and with a lot of rain over the years these cations become depleted and are replaced with the positively charged hydrogen ion (H+). This makes the soil more acid. We can determine the level of base saturation by checking the pH level of the soil. Ideally the pH should be in the 6-7 range. When it falls below that level we need to add lime. Adding too much lime, however, causes the pH to rise too high and micronutrient availability becomes limited. Small soil testing kits can give you a reading of soil pH.
Determining the amount of fertilizer to apply All fertilizers, whether organic or inorganic, have a certain formulation of the essential elements. If the percentage of the targeted element is low, then more of that fertilizer will have to be applied in order reach your goal. This can be extrapolated down from a per acre recommendation using simple arithmetic. After calculating for the target element, check the amount of the other elements in the fertilizer to be sure that other elements or salt in the fertilizer are not reaching toxic levels at the application level you have set for the target element. For instance, let’s say we have a formulation with 17% potassium as K2O. That means that a 100- pound sack contains 17 pounds of K2O. If we want to apply 130-140 pounds of K2O per acre, that means we’d need 800 pounds of this fertilizer formulation per acre to obtain the amount of K2O we want (17% K2O per sack times 8 sacks =136 pounds per acre of K2O). To get this down to an application level that is the size of my yard, I need to know how much to apply per square foot. Dividing 800 pounds by 43,560 (the number of square feet per acre) I’ll get how much needs to be applied per square foot, which equals .018 of a pound. We could convert this to grams by multiplying the pounds .018 times 454 (grams per pound) to equal about 8 grams per square foot. Now let’s say we will be fertilizing a 10' X 10' area around a fruit tree, which equals a 100 square foot area. 8 grams times 100 equals 800 grams or about 2 pounds. When liming we can use a rule of thumb that 1 ton of lime raises the pH by 1 point. In heavier soils that would probably be less, while in sandy soils it would be more. A ton of lime equals 2000 pounds per acre or .045 pounds per square foot (2000 divided by 43,560). On a 10' by 10' area, which equals 100 square feet, we would apply about 4.5 pounds of lime. Incorporating these materials throughout the soil profile at planting is ideal. Surface applications that can be scratched in enhance filtration of the applied materials through the soil profile. However, care must be taken so as to minimize root damage. Make applications as uniform as possible over the treated area.
Skagit Veg Trials/ All America Garden By Dr. “Andy” Anderson, WSU – Mount Vernon Skagit Veg Trials, with the assistance of its fine group of volunteers, completed its first season of evaluating vegetable varieties in 2001. Planning is underway for the 2002 season. The All America Selection winners display garden emphasizes the winners in the past five years as well as some of the older winners. The Seedsmen Showcase display garden contains some of the best new introductions chosen by seed companies as vegetable varieties that they believe will be outstanding in the marine environment of the Skagit Valley Check out our new garden web site at http://mtvernon.wsu.edu/SkagitVegTrials/index.htm and look for updates and announcements of garden events for the 2002 growing season. HARVEST REPORT 2001 TREE FRUIT
Cherry Conditions for pollination were good in spring 2001 and resulted in a full cherry crop on most varieties. Conditions at harvest were relatively dry, so there was little fruit damage from either cracking or rot. This increased the amount of good fruit that could be sampled and harvested. Cherry plots were covered by a netting framework for protection from bird damage. Gisela Rootstock Plot: The Gisela rootstock trial was begun in 1995-6 and the oldest trees are now in their 7th leaf. Rootstocks included are Gisela 5 (148-2), which is about 50% dwarfed compared with Mazzard, productive and precocious (i.e. trees begin bearing at a young age), Gisela 6 (148-1), 50-70% dwarfed and also precocious, Gisela 7 (148-8), which is similar to Gisela 5 in size and appears susceptible to some virus, and a few trees on Gisela 8 (148-9) with characteristics that are not well known at this time. Lapins on Gisela 5 rootstock has consistently produced good yields of fruit. This year yields were down but fruit size was larger. Lapins is potentially a heavy producer so for good fruit size, it needs to be pruned to reduce its yield somewhat. Sweetheart on Gisela 7 and Hudson on Gisela 6 were less productive than in 2000. Sweetheart trees are actually stunted in growth and will be tried on a more vigorous Gisela rootstock for higher productivity. Due to the small size of the trees, most of the fruit on Gisela 5 and 7 could be picked without ladders. Early Burlat on Gisela 5 has been productive; it ripens much earlier than the other varieties in this plot. Certain varieties such as Rainier have not been productive on Mazzard and similar common rootstocks. However, Rainier trees on Gisela 5, 7 and 8 have been quite productive and the amount of fruit drop is noticeably reduced. Sweet cherries (dark flesh): Early Burlat is the earliest ripening variety on trial (approximately 3 weeks ahead of any other variety), and though a bit soft in texture, is productive, sweet and flavorful. Kristin, Hardy Giant and Angela are reliably productive most years, and have proven to be good choices in our climate conditions. Bing, the standard for high quality, is susceptible to cracking due to its crisp firm flesh, but when conditions are favorable as this year, trees are very productive on Gisela rootstocks. Black Gold (NY 13791), a large, blackish-red sweet cherry with excellent flavor, has looked promising. It is a Geneva selection named and introduced in 2001. Hartland, an attractive dark sweet cherry with somewhat softer flesh, ripens at about the same time, and yields very heavily on Gisela 5. In the late season Lapins and Sweetheart are both self-fruitful. Lapins has been more productive. It has excellent potential both for commercial niche markets and for backyards with space for only one tree. Sweetheart ripens about a week later. Regina, a dark cherry with firm flesh, is late ripening, after Sweetheart but ripening can be variable. Two selections from New York were in their 3rd fruiting year. RN02-7-304, ripe with Viscount, sets well with very large, firm fruit but also shows more cracking. RN02-4-242 is late ripening, after Lapins, and shows low cracking, but also is less productive, and might do better on a Gisela rootstock. Both will be evaluated in 2002 for provisional discard. Sweet cherries (white flesh): Several white-fleshed sweet cherries have been tested here over the years. Rainier is considered the prime variety for its large size and high quality, and its good cropping record on Gisela 5 rootstock (see above) makes this a promising combination. White Gold (NY 13688) is a new introduction from Geneva that has been very productive on Gisela 5. It is sweet and attractive with a bright red blush over 90% of the fruit. Emperor Francis is an old standard of the “Napoleon” type, still setting reliable heavy crops, but is more tannic (astringent) in flavor than the varieties mentioned above. Bada and Sweet Anne have acceptable fruit but their quality does not compare with Rainier, and they are scheduled for discard. NY 9295 is a very productive selection that ripens late, after Lapins, and has large bright red blushed fruit with sweet-tart flavor. NY 518 is an all-yellow cherry that ripens late, quite productive on Mahaleb rootstock, and looks promising in our conditions. Sour (pie) cherries: Sour cherries generally bloom and fruit later than sweet cherries, are softer and more resistant to cracking, and to diseases like bacterial canker. Montmorency is the standard for pie cherries, moderately productive, with tart bright red fruit and clear juice. Young trees of Surefire, a new tart pie cherry with red juice, produced a heavy set of fruit in the second year and look very promising. New trees that produced fruit for evaluation this year were Galaxy, with red fruit and clear juice, and Danube, with very small dark red fruit and red juice. New: Trees from the Summerland, B.C. breeding program fruiting for the first time were Skeena (BC 13S-43- 48), a dark red sweet cherry ripe just before Lapins, and BC 13N-7-39, a large sweet Rainier type ripe with Lapins. Another white flesh sweet cherry fruiting this year is NY 7855 from Geneva. We look forward to seeing how they will perform in future years. Varieties added in 2000 that are not yet fruiting include Almaden Duke, Balaton, Coe’s Transparent, Governor Wood, Sonata, Tehranivee and Vandalay.
Apricot The 2001 season was again a poor one for apricots at Mount Vernon. Conditions at bloom time were cold and wet. Even the most reliable apricots such as Puget Gold and Harglow failed to produce a crop, and most trees had no fruit at all. In the newer varieties, Deatrich, Patterson and Westley produced the most fruits. We will be looking favorably at those in the coming year. Certain numbered apricot selections from the New York and Harrow, Ontario breeding programs that were planted in 1996 have not produced fruit in 6 seasons. Most of these are scheduled for discard. We continue to look for new apricot varieties that might have better potential.
Peach In 2001 the conditions for pollination of peaches were fair to poor. Bloom period was the first two weeks of April, similar to 2000 and later than in 1998 and1999. Set was variable, but poorer overall than in 2000, with even some of the usually productive varieties falling below previous yields. Again, we are looking for consistent productivity as well as quality, and are removing varieties and selections that have not measured up. New material from various breeding programs is in the nursery and will be transferred to the orchard this year. In the early season Harrow Dawn, ripe in early August, like many early peaches has a tendency to split pits. A new introduction in the Flamin Fury series (developed by a private breeding program in Michigan), PF 5B, looks promising, productive with excellent color and good flavor. Saturn, a flat “peen-tao” type peach with white, very sweet flesh is of high quality but may not be productive enough for commercial orchards. In early-midseason, mature trees of Harbelle, Harken, and Redhaven provided a moderate amount of fruit for harvest days. Starfire, about two weeks after Redhaven, was very productive, and fruit was colorful and good quality. It looks like a promising variety for late midseason. Harrow Fair also looks good at this time. Late in the season, at the end of August, another Flaming Fury series, PF 17, seems promising after two seasons and is quite productive. Harrow Beauty also sets well on young trees. Of the Harrow peach selections currently on trial, HW 272 and HW 264, both with yellow flesh, have performed the best. HW 272 in particular is very productive and the colorful fruit is high quality. A white- fleshed selection, HW 271, has excellent flavor but lacks productivity. New: Varieties with sample fruit for the first time in 2001 included Carolina Belle, a white fleshed variety, and yellow fleshed varieties Beekman, Blazingstar, Ernie’s Choice, Glohaven, Jim Dandee, Summer Serenade and a new Harrow selection, HW 273. We look forward to seeing their performance in 2002.
Nectarine Bloom conditions for the nectarines were the same as for the peaches, and overall fruit set was below normal. The exception was Hardired, a yellow fleshed nectarine ripe about 10-15 days after Redhaven, which set heavily and produced a full crop of quality fruit, although there was some cracking. At present it is the only variety that is a reliable producer from year to year. The white fleshed varieties Crystal Red and Crystal Rose have not matched their best (1998) and their future is doubtful if yields do not improve. New: Harrow selections HW 111 and HW 112 fruited for the first time in 2001. Both are yellow fleshed nectarines ripe in the late season. We look forward to seeing their performance in 2002.
Plum Poor weather conditions for the early blooming varieties resulted in the failure of most early blooming plums to set a crop in 2001. Usually reliable varieties like Beauty and Methley had no fruit at all, and Cocheco and Hollywood had only a few. This was the first year since 1980 that Methley trees failed to produce. Early Laxton produced half the crop compared to last year. Obilnaja, from eastern Europe, had its first significant crop this year, with flavorful fruit of small to medium size. Later blooming varieties were less affected in terms of overall yield but still below that in 2000. Imperial Epineuse, Valor and Seneca produced crops of high quality fruit, though yields were lower than usual. Victory, a recent Canadian introduction, and Queen Victoria, a classic English variety ripe in mid season, both produced normal good crops of flavorful fruit. Numbered selections from Geneva, New York are in process of evaluation. Two of them have been designated as advanced selections that may be named in future. NY 101 (NY 77.610.1) is a pink blushed gage type with dense, richly flavored flesh, but several picks are needed for complete harvest The second advanced selection is NY 111 (NY 58.911.1), a small round damson-type plum that ripens in mid to late September and may be too late to develop best quality here. Two other selections that have done well here are NY 71.387.1 and NY 71.385.1. Both are smaller Italian type plums, firm and sweet, ripe in early September.
Pear Bloom and fruit set were abundant on pears in 2001. Opening the season in mid July was a very early variety, Bella de Guigno, with attractive mild-flavored fruit good right off the tree. Three weeks later Ubileen and Harrow Delight followed, both with good quality fruit. In the pear test plot, mature trees of Starkrimson, Bosc, Concorde and Conference again had heavy yields of excellent quality fruit, 400 - 500 pounds per 6-tree plot. Trees of Comice in the test plot were less productive than in 2000, but other Comice trees were moderately productive. Young trees of the russet sport Taylor’s Gold Comice produced very attractive, uniform fruit. This variety appears to have good potential for commercial production in cool maritime climates like ours. Fruit from standard Bosc and from Bronze Beauty, Golden Russet, and Wenatchi Gold strains all were fully russeted and yields were good. The trial of disease resistant pear selections from the Appalachian research station of the University of West Virginia is concluding this year. One selection has been named and . introduced: Blake’s Pride (USDA 66131-021) is a medium size pear with good flavor and attractive allover russet. Another that seems to do well in our area is USDA 71655-014, a rather small, red-blushed sweet pear resembling Comice in shape. USDA 78304-057, ripe in late September, is similar to Bartlett in appearance, with Bartlett’s aromatic flavor, and is being considered for introduction.New: An unusual pear variety from Europe, Stutgarter Gieshirltle, had fruit for evaluation this year. Very small and sweet, they can be eaten right off the tree in late August to early September. Pear selections from New York were also evaluated in 2001. NY 10346, NY 10348 and NY 10365 are similar in appearance to Bartlett and ripen later than Bartlett in mid September. All of these selections will be evaluated further in 2002.
Asian Pear (Nashi) Most varieties of Asian pear set well in 2001. Earliest ripening in late August was yellow skinned Hamese #1, and Ichiban Nashi (with tan skin) ripened only slightly later. Shinseiki, Chojuro and Yongi all produced well in 2001 and the latter in particular had good flavor. Kosui was excellent this year in production, size and quality of fruit. Mishirasu fruit is very large, heavily russeted and not especially attractive but good flavor and productivity recommend it for home orchards and specialty markets. Atago continues to be a very promising late season variety, productive and flavorful with attractive pale tan skin.
Apple In 2001 the fruit set was good in general and hand thinning where needed resulted in acceptable fruit size for most varieties. In determining optimum harvest for a specific variety, we relied extensively on indices of starch conversion, fruit firmness, and soluble solids (sugars) as well as external color. Yields of most varieties were good and fruit quality was high. Standard /Commercial (sweets and tarts) Gravenstein, in both red and common strains, is the classic culinary apple, unsurpassed in taste tests for applesauce. Several red strains of Gala are currently on trial. Regal Gala (Fulford) remains the overall leader due to its relatively large size and even color. Ultrared and Brookfield were notable for deep red, even color. Brookfield also appears to be about 10 days later than the other Gala strains evaluated. Trees of the Galaxy strain have good color, but appear to be smaller and less vigorous. Strains of Jonagold being evaluated for their potential in both commercial and home orchards include Jonagored, Rubinstar, DeCoster, Jomured , King (Jored), and Jonica as well as young trees of Crimson Jonagold. This season was very good for all the strains, with good color developing in time for harvest, and selective color picking for top quality fruit. The new Honeycrisp block produced a heavy crop of large and colorful fruit in 2001. Some of the fruits were large to very large on these young trees, and provided good picking on the October harvest day. Melrose and Red Boskoop are reliable, late keeping varieties that produced very well this year. Braeburn and Hillwell (red) strain produced well with little russet. The first pick was in late October, and later picks were delayed into November. Boxes of Braeburn were not put in cold storage immediately after harvest, but held in a covered, unheated shelter for 10 to 14 days in an effort to eliminate fruit browning in storage. Young trees of the red sports Braestar and Joburn produced fruit for the first time. Japanese (mostly sweets) Young trees of Sansa produced very flavorful fruit with excellent finish and color; in the early season this is one of the best quality apples. New trees of Mikki Life produced first fruits for evaluation this year; we look forward to seeing it in 2002. Yellow apples worth noting for good flavor and keeping quality are Shizuka and Mutsu. Shizuka is very productive, flavorful, and more attractive than Mutsu, which ripens 7-10 days later in most years. Mutsu is of excellent quality but may not ripen fully in cooler areas. Young trees of Mutsu were not as productive this year as in 1999. Orin is best suited to warmer climate conditions where it develops good flavor. Beni Shogun, a Fuji type ripe in late September to October, looks very promising for both home orchardists who want to grow Fuji and for potential commercial markets. It ripens well ahead of the standard Fuji strains, with very attractive color and full flavor, although russeting is sometimes a problem. It also keeps well for a midseason apple. Jubile Fuji is another early strain, ripe with Beni Shogun, that produced a few fruit in 2001, and we look forward to seeing it next year. Late strains of Fuji (Standard, Yataka, and Akifu) did poorly in 2001, and were not harvested until early November. With the equal quality and earlier ripening Beni Shogun performing so much better in our conditions, there is no reason to retain the late Fuji. Sweet Ripe in the early season, Sunrise again proved to be a reliable, heavy producer of good quality fruit. Aroma is less productive, although individual fruits tend to be large. Repeated pickings are needed for both of these varieties. Sweet apples are popular in Japan and many Japanese apples such as Sansa, Homei Tsugaru, Sayaka, Senshu and Fuji (above)would fall into this category. Gala and its strains are noted for sweet flavor. Recent B.C. introductions Silken and Creston also fit this category. Both are yellow apples but Creston, ripe about 2 weeks later, often has a bicolor appearance with variable red blush and stripe. Cox Types (sweet-tart to tart) Alkmene is a productive tree with medium-small, sweet- tart fruit. Fiesta is productive but lacks the spicy flavor of most Cox types, being rather sweet and mild; it also tends to biennial bearing. Elista (Daliest), a red strain of Elstar from Europe, retains the lively tart flavor of Elstar and adds higher percent red color. Rubinette has very good sweet-tart flavor, but its small size and russeted finish limit its use to home orchards. Karmijn de Sonnaville is only moderately productive but its high acid (tartness) and high sugar content make it very popular as a gourmet apple. From the New Jersey breeding program, SunCrisp ([Cortland x Cox Orange Pippin] X Golden Delicious) has milder flavor, hangs well on the tree, and stores well. Corail (Pinova) is a new introduction from Germany, ([Cox Orange Pippin x Duchess of Oldenburg] X Golden Delicious). This apple continues to impress us in 2001. Ripe in early to mid October, it is an attractive yellow with reddish pink blush that may go up to 70-80% in sun-exposed fruit. An excellent keeper, it has very firm, crisp, sweet-tart flesh. McIntosh Types (mostly sweet-tart) The McIntosh variety is very popular in the eastern States. Mac strains and crosses also adapt well to conditions here. Jonamac, Spartan, and Empire are all good choices. Thome Empire is eye-catching with its unusual blackish-red color, however, trees on M9 appear somewhat lacking in vigor. Royal Empire, another red sport of Empire, is also very attractive, with good red color, smooth finish, and lively flavor. Initial evaluation compares it favorably with Thome Empire, and the trees appear more vigorous than Thome. Redcort, a red sport of Cortland, has a unique tart flavor at first picking and retains its firmness for later pickings. Empire and Redcort store better than the other Mac types. Compact Mac is a tree of upright-columnar habit with good quality fruit, useful where space is limited. Young trees of Morspur Mac and Improved McIntosh appear to be earlier ripening than most of our Mac types, and may have a place in the early mid-season. Royal Court, a sport of Cortland, looked good again this year, with high color and very firm, rather tart flesh. Fruits hang a long time without getting soft. From the Geneva program, NY 428 is a selection of McIntosh type, that is productive and stores well, with very good quality. We will report on whether it is likely to be named in future.
Russet Types Russet in apples can range from a light netting of tan skin to thick, lumpy and brown. Often russet apples have denser flesh than non-russet types, and many have good storage quality. Roxbury Russet is one of the earliest known American apples, dating to 1639. It has good reported disease resistance, sweet-tart flavor, and is moderately productive. Ashmead’s Kernel is a classic late keeping russet variety of very good quality, with sweet-tart flavor. Canada Grise (Reinette Gris du Canada) is a late ripening apple, very tart with dense, hard flesh, primarily for culinary uses. A Geneva selection, NY 486 has lightly russeted golden skin and complex sweet-tart flavor; it is still being evaluated. Cider Apples Trees in a replicated plot of cider apples -selected for hard (fermented) cider production- were harvested for pressing by a group of local cider makers. The plot established in 1994 contains five trees each of the varieties Brown Snout, Foxwhelp, Muscadet de Dieppe, Taylor’s, Vilberie and Yarlington Mill. Young trees were added to the replicated plot in late 1999 and included Brown’s Apple, Chisel Jersey, Dabinett, Harry Masters’ Jersey, Kingston Black and Michelin. For anyone who is interested in hard cider making, contact Chuck Holland (P.O. Box 66, Port Gamble, WA 98364 or e-mail at [email protected]) of the Northwest Cider Society. New In the Colonnade series, Emerald Spire had a full crop of orange-blushed green fruit with sweet-tart flavor and rather tender flesh texture. Crimson Spire was less productive than in its first season, but the dark red fruit is attractive and flavorful. Golden Sentinel is small in size but with good flavor and aromatic, dense flesh. Young trees of Scarlet Sentinel and Northpole had a few fruit but not enough for evaluation. The Colonnade apples with their narrow upright growth habit are well suited for small yards and container growing. Numbered selections that produced fruit in 2001 included NYB 298 (early-mid), an attractive bicolor with bright red-orange stripes over yellow, GRE 11-97 (mid), also bicolor with very good, sprightly flavor and TWI 300, a sweet flavored Gala type with excellent allover red color. Disease Resistant Cultivars and Selections In December 1999 a new disease resistant apple plot established, including varieties and selections that performed well in the 1990-99 trial as well as new trees that have just begun to be evaluated. In the 2000 season no fruit evaluation was made, because due to the stress of transplant, in most cases the fruit was untypical and of lower quality. Evaluations were resumed in the 2001 season. Pristine remains the outstanding early variety, attractive yellow, crisp and tart. Flavor is good on Wynooche but its tendency to drop and uneven ripening requires careful watching and multiple picks. Enterprise is a good choice in the late season, attractive with good flavor and stores well. Florina is better adapted to a climate with higher heat levels; when there is not enough sun to develop its natural sweet flavor, fruit is bland and mediocre. New: This year Vanderhoek produced fruit for evaluation, similar in appearance to Gravenstein, large, rather tart, with red stripe over a yellow background. Among the selections that showed promise, NY 79529-70 is an attractive dark wine red, crisp and sweet-tart in flavor. Coop 33 also looked good, bright red, firm and crisp. CLR 20T-60 is a bicolor with very nice finish that hangs well on the tree, but in its first year the flavor was not outstanding. HER 4T-16 sized well, with tart lively flavor, but may be too late ripening for this area. CMR 2T-13 and Coop 44 did not produce enough fruit for evaluation this year. Young trees that did not produce fruit in 2001 were Belmac, Coop 43, CQR 10T-17, and NY 81204-42. We look forward to seeing what they will do in future.
Unusual Fruit In 1997 a planting of unusual fruit was initiated, and has been added to in 2000-01. We are testing a number of uncommon kinds of tree and bush fruit to see if they are well adapted to western Washington conditions, and note any specific cultural needs that may apply to growing them in our area. Among the fruit kinds that have been planted are figs, kiwi varieties (both Actinidia deliciosa and A. arguta clones), black, red and white currants, persimmons, paw paws, and seedless grape varieties. Some of the uncommon bush fruits include aronia, mulberry, elderberry, honeyberry, sea buckthorn, mountain ash, cornelian cherry, azerole, and sorbus. This year, with the cooperation of Georgene Lee, WWFRF Treasurer and preserve maker, we harvested fruit from the black, red and white currants, and the aronia, which Georgene processed into jams, juice and conserves. She also processed blueberries and tart pie cherries from our plots. These samples were made available for taste testing at the fall Harvest Festival (October 13) and rated much appreciation. Fruit in the currant plot was harvested and data collected on the sweetness and other characteristics of the juice. In general, the black currant varieties had the highest sugars, ranging from 13 to 21 brix, and the red and white currants were the easiest for extracting juice. Brix for the red and the white currants was in the range of 11 to 13. A rating of mildew susceptibility was also made of the plants in the replicated plot, with the cultivars Rovada, Minn 69, Viking (red), Primus, Blanka, Mason’s (white), Ben Alder and Titania (black) recording no sign of mildew damage. Two plants of aronia (A. melanocarpa) planted in 1998, yielded nearly 27 pounds of clean berries per bush this year. Bushes must be netted to keep birds away but yields otherwise can be very high. There also appears to be potential for blending aronia juice with apple juice, and in hard cider and wine to improve the color, tannin level and sugar of grape wines (aronia has measured up to 24 brix when fully ripe.) Aronia has potential in our area for an alternative fruit crop in commercial production. The sea buckthorn was very productive; fruits are yellow-orange, small (about 3/8"-1/2" in length) and oval-cylindrical and the juice is yellow-orange, subacid to tart and very similar in flavor to citrus. Effective harvest of fruit from the very spiny branches is the challenge. Young plants of the variety Leikora began producing fruit in 2001. Varieties of cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) that were evaluated in 2001 included (in approximate ripening order) Elegant, Redstar, and Pioneer. The plants were moderately productive but fruits ripen over a considerable period so multiple picks are necessary. Seeds are large compared to fruit size, and some evaluators found the flavor strong and unpalatable when eaten fresh. Recommended use is in preserves or jellies. We have also been managing trial plots of raspberry, and blueberry varieties and selections, which are part of the research program of Dr. Pat Moore at the Puyallup research station. Anyone interested in the results of these projects can obtain specific reports from him.
Crabapple The evaluation of ornamental crabapples for disease resistance begun in 1984 continues with new additions. Since that time, several outstanding disease resistant varieties have been identified, making them prominent candidates for the home landscape as well as for parks and public areas (see EB 1809, Crabapples for Western Washington Landscapes.) A rootstock trial initiated in 1997 was concluded this year and the data analysis is in process, leading to a report of the results in early 2002. New trees planted in 1999-2000, evaluated for the first time in 2001, included ‘Tea Crab’ (M. hupehensis from NCEP), ‘Red Jewel’(J. Frank Schmidt Co.), ‘Cinderella’ (Lake County Nursery), ‘Lollipop,’ ‘Guinevere’ and ‘American Spirit’ (Hilltop Nursery) and ‘Pink Princess’ (J. Frank Schmidt Co.). On first impression the most interesting is ‘American Spirit’, which has large, maroon flower buds, opening to bright magenta red single flowers. The early leaves are bronze-green to olive, and growth habit is rather upright. Little sign of scab infection was found and the fruit is small, dark red and persistent. ‘Red Jewel’ is a crabapple favorably reported in trials in other areas, suggested for adding to our test plot. It has white flowers, and attractive bright red berries that hang on well into the winter. Observations so far have rated it with very good disease resistance. ‘Tea Crab’, while not a new introduction, has proven to have fair disease resistance and a most attractive pale pink bloom in spring, with small red-orange fruit in fall. ‘Pink Princess’ is very late blooming, with flowers small, maroon, very profuse but rather inconspicuous. Tree habit is spreading and the early leaves bronze-purple, darkening to bronze-green. On initial evaluation its scab resistance appears only fair and its dark, dull leaves are not attractive in the fall season. Three of the new introductions have a very distinctive dwarf tree habit, that may handicap them in the field where taller trees shade them out but would be ideal for small yards, patios and container culture. ‘Guinevere’ bloomed this year with bright pink buds, opening to rose pink flowers. It is a small plant of low, spreading habit with greenish bronze leaves, some attractively lobed. ‘Lollipop’ and ‘Cinderella’ both looked especially good in the fall evaluation, with clean, small leaves an attractive light green, and a very dwarf, rounded tree habit. The fruit is tiny and pearl-like; ‘Cinderella’ is yellow and ‘Lollipop’ is red. Seedlings of local origin may have potential for future development. A seedling cross is in process of patent and introduction by Marvin Jarmin. It is a semi-double, white flowered tree with narrowly upright habit which would be suitable for street side ornamental planting, especially as it sets little or no fruit to drop and make a mess. Other seedlings include Pink Cloud (pink double flowers, bronze leaves, red fruit) which has some resistance to apple scab, and a cross of Alkmene X Prima made here at the station in 1990. This is an upright-spreading crabapple, scab immune, with white flowers and large, persistent bright yellow fruit, tart but edible, useful for jelly, pickled fruit, and hard cider blending. Pollination trials in 1998 showed that this seedling will pollinate both Jonagold and Fuji.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The assistance and support in our tree fruit projects provided by the members and board of the Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation, Western Cascade Fruit Society, Seattle Tree Fruit Society, Home Orchard Society, Northwest Agricultural Research Foundation, Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association and local fruit growers are most gratefully acknowledged. The contribution of nurseries that have donated trees and materials, and the many individual volunteers who have given their time and help are also very much appreciated, and recognized with our thanks.
For a full copy of this report, including tables and harvest data, please send $10 to: Fruit Horticulture Dept., WSU - Mount Vernon 16650 S.R. 536 Mount Vernon, WA 98273
FRUIT OPEN HOUSE & FIELD DAY Saturday, March 9, 2002 Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation in cooperation with Washington State University, Mount Vernon Research Unit 16650 State Route 536 Mount Vernon, WA 98273
8:30 - 9:00 AM Registration
9:00 - 10:00 AM Bldg A - Auditorium: Soil Testing and Preparation - Dr.Andy Anderson, WSU Bldg B - Vehicle Barn: Pest Control in the Home Orchard - Chuck Holland, WWFRF
10:00 - 11:00 AM Bldg A - Auditorium: Grafting Techniques & Aftercare - Les Price, WSU Bldg B - Vehicle Barn: Practical Orchard Pruning - Tom Thornton, Cloud Mountain Farm
11:00 - 12:00 noon In Field: Hands-On Tree Fruit Pruning Demonstration In Field: Grafting, Hands-on Demonstration In Field: Grape Pruning Demonstration In Field: Blueberry Pruning Demonstration
ALL DAY Vehicle Barn and Lab: Look over display booths, buy scionwood, rootstock, grafting supplies etc.
12:00 - 1:00 PM LUNCH (on your own) WWFRF Annual Members' Meeting
1:00 - 2:00 PM Bldg A - Auditorium: Unusual & Exotic Fruits for Northwest Gardens - Jim Gilbert, Northwoods Nursery/One Green World Bldg B - Vehicle Barn: Pest Control in the Home Orchard Chuck Holland, WWFRF
2:00 - 3:00 PM Bldg A - Auditorium: Grafting Techniques & Aftercare - Les Price, WSU Bldg B - Vehicle Barn: Practical Orchard Pruning - Tom Thornton, Cloud Mountain Farm
3:00 - 4:00 PM In Field: Hands-On Tree Fruit Pruning Demonstration In Field: Grafting, Hands-on Demonstration In Field: Grape Pruning Demonstration In Field: Blueberry Pruning Demonstration
IN ADDITION Scionwood Sales - Rootstock Sales Master Gardeners - Information & Publications from Cooperative Extension Western Cascade Fruit Society - Information & Membership Commercial Displays - Garden & Orchard Supplies, Catalogs, etc. For Information: [email protected] or 253-584-52