Backyard Fruit Trees
Central Washington’s dry climate with hot sunny days and cool autumn nights are ideal for growing tree fruit crops. Just as apples, pears, sweet cherries and other stone fruits (e.g., peach, nectarine, apricot, etc.) are successfully grown in Washington for commercial markets, they can also be grown in one’s backyard at home. This can provide the homeowner with edible fruit, valuable ornamental qualities, and possibly access to a favorite variety that may not be available in the local market. What many homeowners may be unaware of is the fact that they are legally responsible for controlling insect pest and diseases in fruit trees on their property. See: Washington State RCW 15.09.060 Owner’s Duty To Control Pests and Diseases.
The resources under ‘Backyard Fruit Trees’ should help you decide if a fruit tree is the right choice for you. Start by reading these short fact sheets.
- Why backyard fruit trees are not for everyone, M. Bush and M. Ophardt, WSU Fact Sheet FS124E, 2014.
- Backyard Fruit Trees: More trouble than they are worth?, P. Dinius, Q & A fact sheet, Chelan-Douglas Counties Pest and Disease Boards, 2010.
Then if you still want the fruit tree, we offer resources to improve pest control and horticulture.
Backyard Fruit Tree Resources
Pest and Disease ManagementHome gardeners can protect their own fruit from pests and diseases as well as keep commercial orchards safe from pest infestations and spread of disease by regular spray programs (several times a year). Codling moth and Western Cherry fruit fly are pests that are not allowed in commercial crops, and fruit infested with these insects are rejected in both domestic and international markets. These insect pests will find backyard fruit trees as host plants, and infect nearby commercial orchards if not properly controlled. In terms of diseases, apple and pear trees are susceptible to bacterial diseases like fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) and fungal diseases such as powdery mildew (Podosphaera sp.), the latter which also affects cherries and other stone fruit crops.
Information on controlling tree fruit insect pests and diseases is listed below. There are also pest management options available for growers not wanting to spray, like individually bagging fruit to exclude codling moth, for example.
Pest Management Resources
Apple, Pear
- Pest Management Guide for Apples in Washington Home Orchards, C. Brun and M. Bush, WSU Extension, WSU Extension Publication EM101E, 2016 (has organic and non-organic options for apples)
- Organic pest and disease management in home fruit trees and berry bushes, C. Brun and M. Bush, WSU Extension Publication EM066E, 2013.
- Protecting Backyard Apple Trees from Apple Maggot, WSU EB1928, M. Bush et al., 2002.
- Codling moth and your backyard fruit tree, WSU FS120E, M. Bush and M. Ophardt, 2013.
- San Jose Scale, WSU Extension Hortsense page, 2014.
- Pear Psylla, WSU Extension Hortsense page, 2015.
- Apple-and-thorn skeletonizer, WSU Extension EB1384E, 2008.
Cherry
- Home garden organic cherries, P. Dinius, Chelan County extension, 2013.
- Western Cherry Fruit fly and your backyard cherry tree, M. Bush and M. Ophardt, WSU FS125E, 2014.
- Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) Monitoring, Identifying, and Fruit Sampling, B. S. Gerdeman, et al., WSU Extension Fact Sheet FS049E, 2011.
Peach, Nectarine, Plum
- Home garden organic plums and prunes, P. Dinius, Chelan County extension, 2013.
- Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) Monitoring, Identifying, and Fruit Sampling, B. S. Gerdeman, et al., WSU Extension Fact Sheet FS049E, 2011.
Vertebrate Pests
- Mole management in Washington backyards (Home garden series), D. Pehling, WSU FS146E, 2014.
- Vole management in home backyards and gardens (Home garden series), D. Pehling, WSU FS094E, 2013.
Pesticide Information Resources
- Pesticides: Learning about labels, C. Black and C. Foss, WSU FSIPM001E, 2014.
- Pesticides: Safe handling, C. Black and C. Foss, WSU FSIPM002E, 2014.
- National pesticide information center page, Oregon State University and the U.S. EPA cooperative agreement.
Besides being obligated by state regulations to control pests and diseases in backyard fruit trees, counties in the primary commercial tree fruit growing regions (e.g., Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Okanogan, and Yakima) have active Horticultural Pest and Disease Boards (“Pest Board”) to enforce regulations. See Washington State RCW 15.09 “Horticultural Pest and Disease Board.”
The “Pest Boards” have broad powers and duties:
(1) To receive complaints concerning the infection of horticultural pests and diseases on any parcel of land within the county;
(2) To inspect or cause to be inspected any parcel of land within the county for the purpose of ascertaining the presence of horticultural pests and diseases as provided by RCW 15.09.070;
(3) To order any landowner to control and prevent the spread of horticultural pests and diseases from his or her property, as provided by RCW 15.09.080;
(4) To control and prevent the spread of horticultural pests and diseases on any property within the county as provided by RCW 15.09.080, and to charge the owner for the expense of such work in accordance with RCW15.09.080 and 15.09.090;
(5) To employ such persons and purchase such goods and machinery as the board of county commissioners may provide;
(6) To adopt, following a hearing, such rules and regulations as may be necessary for the administration of this chapter.
See: Pest Boards Play Critical Roles, 2008, M. Hansen, Good Fruit Grower
Especially in residential areas that are adjacent to or near commercial tree fruit orchards, the homeowner should think twice about planting and/or growing fruit trees in their backyard. It is actually quite difficult, expensive and time consuming to successfully manage pests and diseases at home. In regions of the state with high quality fruit available at local roadside and farmer’s markets, the homeowner can avoid both the management challenges and regulatory concerns of growing fruit at home by simply not doing it and, rather, patronizing local farms to satisfy their desire for fresh fruit. In some counties, the Pest Board will offer to remove unwanted fruit trees for free and/or provide a gift certificates that can be used for purchasing a replacement ornamental plant.
Fruit trees require adequate sunlight, well-drained soil, regular irrigation (not too much or too little), pruning, fertilizing, weed management, and protection from environmental stresses like sunburn. Three main considerations that home orchardists should take into account when deciding to plant fruit trees are: variety selection, rootstock selection, and pollination requirements. Choose trees that are winter hardy and suitable for your location and resistant to pests in your area. Dwarfing rootstocks result in smaller trees that are easier to manage than trees on a seedling rootstock. Where available, self-fruitful varieties that require no pollinizers can be grown as single trees.
Varieties
- Varieties listed on this website
- Fruit Handbook for Western Washington, G. Moulton and J. King, 2008 WSU EB0937
- Hard Cider Production & Orchard Management in the Pacific Northwest, G.A. Moulton , Carol Miles , J. King , A. Zimmerman, 2010, PNW621
Soil and Fertility
- Soils, compost and mulch, WSU Gardening in Washington State page.
- Organic soil amendments in yards and gardens: How much is enough? C. Cogger and G. Stahnke, WSU FS123E, 2013.
- A home gardener’s guide to soils and fertilizers (Home garden series), C. Cogger, WSU EM063E, 2014.
- A guide to collecting soil samples for farms and gardens, M. Fery and E. Murphy, Oregon State University EC 628, 2013.
- Backyard composting, C. Cogger and D. Sullivan, WSU EB1784E, 2009.
- Fruit Handbook for Western Washington, G. Moulton and J. King, 2008 WSU EB0937
- Home orchard fertilizer applications, Western WA Tree Fruit & Alternative Fruits page.
Pruning
- Pruning Tree fruit – The basics, WSU extension page, G. Moulton and J. King.
- Training and Pruning your home orchard, J. Olsen, Pacific Northwest Extension Publication 400, 2011.
Irrigation
- Drip irrigation for the yard and garden, T. Peters, WSU FS030E, 2011.
- Tree fruit harvest & storage tips, G. Moulton and J. King, WSU Extension page.
- Picking and storing apples and pears, R. Stebbins, et. al., Oregon State University FS 147, 1998.
- WSU Consumer Food Safety website has a wealth of information on proper washing, storing, and processing fruit products.