not for print

Fruit tree season is upon us. Choose wisely

Unlike growing veggies, fruit trees are a long-term investment, so make sure you start out on the right foot.

In this last full week of January, when I can truthfully declare that our vacation from gardening is just about over, all around us nature is once again waking up and it is time to prepare for another gardening season. In my world, what always announces that event is the arrival of bare root fruit trees in the garden center.

Believe it or not, by the end of this month garden centers will be fully stocked with all the new and tried and true varieties of fruit trees that are well suited for our unique maritime climate. For the most part, these trees will be bare root, which simply means that the roots have no soil on them. You will take your new tree home in a plastic bag and plant it immediately, that day. With proper care and feeding, you will start harvesting the fruits of your labor the following year. Let me emphasize “proper care and feeding.”

Growing backyard fruit can be loads of fun and very gratifying. But in practical terms, it is not a “plant and forget” event. Beyond the obvious requirement of planting your tree in fertile soil with good drainage and full sun exposure, there are ongoing needs of feeding, pruning, controlling insects and diseases, and finally the realistic expectations of not necessarily producing a blemish-free fruit. What you can be sure of, however, is that you will have the freshest and tastiest fruit possible, and that alone can make it all worthwhile.

Growing fruit trees should never be an “impulse” decision, and by that, I mean that you should avoid the temptation, while at the box store purchasing your 30 rolls of toilet paper, to throw in a couple of colorfully bagged trees. Without the help of a sales associate, there are just too many things that can go wrong, which unfortunately you won’t discover until a couple of years down the road. Thankfully, garden centers excel in this area.

First off, your local garden center will have researched and purchased the absolute best varieties for our unique climate. What might thrive on the east side of our state, where it is warm and dry, is completely different from what will tolerate our cooler and damper weather here on the west side. Also, varieties that we see in the grocery store have been developed for commercial production and may not be suitable for backyard conditions. Only local garden centers have the in-depth knowledge of what varieties are best suited for our yards.

Root stocks matter. All fruit trees are grafted onto specific root stocks for specific reasons. Some root stocks are used because they have a high tolerance for wet soils. Others have been developed because they exhibit a dwarfing effect and help control the ultimate size and growth rate of the tree. Apples for example come in semi-dwarf, dwarf, and mini-dwarf root stocks. Cherries, which can become quite large trees where only the birds can reach the fruit, are available in a true dwarf root stock that will keep them in the 10 to 12-foot range. At this point, pretty much every variety of fruit tree we sell has been grafted onto some kind of dwarfing root stock.

Pollination is critical. Without the proper combination of varieties, you may never see any actual fruit. While pears only pollinate pears, and apples only pollinate apples, not all apples will pollinate all apples and the same with pears, plums, or cherries for that matter. Yeah, it gets complicated, and again, without a trained sales associate, a lot can go wrong.

Bottom line, growing backyard fruit trees can be loads of fun. Just be smart about it and arm yourself with the proper knowledge and products that you need to be successful. Unlike growing veggies, fruit trees are a long-term investment, so make sure you start out on the right foot. And remember, enjoy the journey along the way and garden center professionals are always there to help!

Steve Smith represents Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached at sunnysidenursery@msn.com

Free classes

Sunnyside Nursery’s next free classes will be “PNW Fruit Trees,” 10 a.m. Jan. 28 and Jan. 29. For more, go to www.sunnysidenursery.net/classes.

Talk to us

More in Life

A glorious example of Gothic architecture, Reims Cathedral's construction began in 1211. Around the back of the church, flying buttresses are hard at work, supporting the massive structure.
Rick Steves’ Europe: Bubbly, historic Reims: The toast of France’s Champagne country

Imagine that happy day around 1700 when the monk Dom Pérignon, after much fiddling with the double fermentation of his grape juice, stumbled onto a bubbly delight.

When to get professional help for your child

Here are some of the signs that a consultation with a mental health expert is in order.

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives are slated to perfom June 13 at Edmonds Center for the Arts. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Country star Marty Stuart and his band, the Fabulous Superlatives, are performing in Edmonds on June 13.

Fishy experience at a bar in Istanbul ends up in a $7,853 charge

Nicholas Butler is robbed by criminals who prey on tourists. Will Wells Fargo step up and help him undo the charges?

Dolly Hunnicutt holds onto a metal raccoon cutout while looking through metal wildflowers at the Freeborn Metal Art booth during the first day of Sorticulture on Friday, June 9, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sorticulture brings gardening galore, fun by the bushel at 130 booths

“Every year there’s something different to see,” one attendee said at the opening of the three-day festival in downtown Everett.

Photo by Patricia Guthrie   This old medicine bottle from Lee’s Pharmacy in Seattle was found in the dirt outside the log cabin.
A long-hidden cabin emerges from the mists of time on Whidbey

Demolition of a dilapidated farmhouse in Langley reveals an entombed log cabin that might be 150 years old.

Multiple signs at Boxcar Park alert park users to a ban on kites at the park “effective immediately” on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett’s Boxcar Park cuts strings with kite flyers due to power lines

Safety is the reason for the ban at the park with the perfect breeze for kite flying.

People begin parading down First Street with a giant balloon “PRIDE” during Snohomish’s inaugural Pride celebration on Saturday, June 3, 2023, in downtown Snohomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Your guide to Pride in Snohomish County

Mark your calendars; Pride Month is upon us.

Twin sisters Lyndsay Lamb (left) and Leslie Davis (right), co-hosts of HGTV's Unsellable Houses. (Photo provided)
Meet and greet HGTV’s ‘Unsellable Houses’ twin sister stars in Snohomish on Friday

Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis have made Lamb & Co. a #twinwin home-selling, home-goods brand.

Most Read