• WSU Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
• WSU Mount Vernon NWREC

Harvest Report 2005 – Tree Fruit

Note on Plot Consolidations

In 2005 we consolidated several blocks and removed others to make spraying, pruning and other maintenance more efficient. In some cases trees were transplanted to other blocks. Recommended varieties that have proven their quality were moved to the WWFRF Demonstration Fruit Garden to become part of the permanent inventory. In future years we will continue to bring in new fruit varieties to the research trial plots for evaluation and sampling. Those that perform well over time will be made available to transfer into the Demo Garden as needed.
 

Cherry

Due to warm early spring weather in 2005, the cherries ripened about 10-14 days earlier than average. Fruit set was good in most varieties, but rainy weather occurred in early and mid June just as the crop was ripening. Because fruit is more susceptible to brown rot as it approaches ripeness, a special early harvest for WWFRF members was held on July 7. Waiting until the scheduled date on the following weekend would have lost most of the crop.

Lapins is still the most reliable self fruitful sweet cherry but the recent introductions Tehranivee and Vandalay look good also, particularly for their high productivity. Surefire still stands out as a top rated productive pie cherry, well suited to home gardens for its compact growth habit.

New: Several new selections from Geneva look promising and we hope to have samples from them in 2006: NY 205, NY 242, NY 5288 and NY 7855.
 

Apricot

The 2005 season was another good apricot year similar to 2004. Trees of Puget Gold produced a good crop, Patterson was moderately productive and Westley looked particularly good. The trees are healthy, it is productive and also ripens about 10 days to 2 weeks after Puget Gold. Several new varieties and selections from both Geneva and Rutgers breeding programs are on trial: Jerseycot, NJA 43, NJA 97, NJA 105, NY 525, NY 592, NY 605 and NY 609. A few of these produced sample fruit in 2005 but yields on most were poor. They will receive final evaluation in 2006. No apricot variety we have tested has shown any commercial potential because of inconsistent productivity. We continue to look for new apricot varieties that might have better potential.

New: Hunza, Chinese Montgamet (sweet pit variety)
 

Peach

It would be hard to match the record peach crop of 2004. The 2005 season was not as productive overall and a few varieties did not fruit, but on most varieties the fruit set was still very good and we had a chance to see which of the ones that did so well in the ideal conditions of 2004 were consistently good again this year. Our special harvest volunteers again were significant in helping us to collect data on all of the varieties that produced fruit.

Classic varieties like Redhaven and Harken did well again in 2005. Some of the newer standout varieties definitely should be considered among the best ones to try, such as Starfire, Juneprince, Risingstar and Blazingstar, and Early Loring, an older variety not previously tested here. HW 272, a high quality peach selection from Harrow, Ontario is consistently productive in our climate; and local nurseries are seeking permission to produce and sell trees. Also promising is Township, a new leaf curl resistant seedling of local origin. We look forward to seeing how it does in 2006.

Positive characteristics that rate high are consistent productivity, high quality and low rate of split pits.

Established varieties (several years on trial)

Promising Vartieties & Selections (new high rated introductions & selections)

Nectarine

Bloom conditions for the nectarines were the same as for the peaches, and most varieties also had a fairly productive year. Hardired, a yellow fleshed nectarine ripe about 10 days after Redhaven, is still the most reliable producer we have tested..

Promising Vartieties & Selections

Plum

Plum production was good in 2005, most varieties yielded a full crop and the quality was excellent. Obilnaja, from eastern Europe, produced a good yield of flavorful fruit, small to medium in size. Also in the early-mid season, Shiro had a large crop of fruit, yellow and very juicy. This is one of the most reliable Japanese type plums in our area.

Several very good European type plums have also been introduced recently. Vision is a late Italian prune type from the Vineland, Ontario breeding program, with attractive dark purple-blue fruit and dense sweet flesh. Ripe in late September, it is a very good choice to extend the fresh plum season. The longtime favorite Mirabelle 858 is now called Geneva Mirabelle --many have sampled this small, sweet yellow plum, well suited to home gardens, excellent for fresh eating and for culinary use. Blues Jam, tested as NY 58.904.1, is a late ripening blue plum, small and round like a Damson but much sweeter, and very productive. We are continuing to evaluate stone fruit and to acquire a few of the most promising new introductions.

In 2005 the stone fruit plots were consolidated, the two oldest plots were removed, and some of the best performing varieties moved into the Demonstration Fruit Garden.
 

Pear

In 2005 most pear trees did not produce as well as usual, and yields for most of the varieties were only fair. The most likely reason for this low productivity, which was reported by many area home orchardists, was the very cold weather at bloom time, which limited bee activity and pollination.

One exception was the Stutgarter Gieshirltle, an interesting little pear ripening very early (mid August) that produced its usual full crop. Trees begin bearing young and are very productive. The small sweet pears can be eaten ripe right off the tree, making them an excellent choice for home gardens and ornamental-edible landscaping. Another variety that did well in 2005 was Blake's Pride, introduced from the USDA breeding program for fire blight resistance. It is a russet pear somewhat similar in appearance to Taylor's Gold Comice but ripening slightly earlier. It has a sweet flavor but is not as juicy and melting in texture as Taylor's Gold.

Trees of standard Comice were not as productive as in 2003, a peak year. Trees of the russet sport Taylor's Gold Comice yielded a good crop of very attractive, uniform fruit. In the late season, Abbe Fetel and Packham's Triumph both had a good set of uniform, well sized fruit.
 

Asian Pear (Nashi)

Mature trees of most varieties set well in 2005 and some were thinned to improve fruit size. Young trees of Hamese #1 (yellow skin) ripened earlier than usual in August. Mishirasu produced some very large fruit. Although the fruit is heavily russeted and unattractive, the excellent flavor and firm crisp texture make it a good choice for home gardens.

In 1999 a number of volunteer seedlings that had sprouted up in our old Asian Pear block were transplanted into a nursery row to grow out in hopes that some of them would be worth future propagating. Compared to normal grafted fruit trees, it takes much longer for seedling trees to mature and start producing fruit. So it was only in 2005 that we began seeing some fruit to evaluate from these seedling trees. At least one of the Asian pear seedlings produced some very flavorful and attractive fruit and it has been marked for further propagation on a grafted rootstock in 2006. If the grafted trees perform well, this could be a new variety we will be naming and introducing in future.
 

Unusual Fruit

In 1997 a planting of unusual fruit was established with additions in 2000-02. 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, seaberry (sea buckthorn), mountain ash, cornelian cherry and sorbus.

In 2005 there was a good crop on all the kiwis. Hardy kiwis have very good potential for commercial production, including organic culture as they are effectively disease resistant.

Two plants of aronia (A. melanocarpa) planted in 1998 have produced consistently heavy yields since 2001, sometimes over 25 pounds per bush. Netting is essential to keep birds away, as the berries do not reach full ripeness (20-22 brix) until mid October. Fruit will continue to ripen on the bushes turning to "raisins." Aronia in the home garden is mostly used for juice and jelly.

Trees of quince Aromataya (planted 1999) and Van Deman (planted 2000) both produced large crops of fruit in 2005. Quinces are primarily used in cooking, as they are very hard and rather inedible direct from the tree. There is a small, specialized commercial market supplying ethnic Mediterranean restaurants with culinary quinces. Varieties of mountain ash Ivan's Beauty, Ivan's Belle and Nevezhinskaya all produced a crop of fruit in 2005. Here again culinary preparation is needed as the fruits direct from the tree are not appealing in texture (rather mealy) and quite astringent in flavor. The trees are very ornamental with attractive deep green leaves, white clustered flowers, and colorful red or orange fruit.

Varieties of Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) Red Star, Pioneer and Elegant planted in 1998 produced well in 2005. The fruits are red, about 1'' long and narrowly oval in shape with a single large seed. They ripen in mid September and can be eaten off the bush but are somewhat strongly flavored so might more commonly be used in cooking for jelly or jam. The flowers, opening very early in spring (February-March) are a showy bright yellow and cover the bushes before the leaves emerge, making this a spectacular ornamental shrub.
 

Apple

In 2005 the fruit set was good 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. Since individual tastes in apples vary widely, the format below includes a rating for sweetness, tartness or acidity, and complex flavor. Some apples, such as Karmijn de Sonnaville, combine high levels of acid with high levels of sugar, while others are primarily sweet or primarily tart. Complexity in flavor indicates the presence of subsidiary flavors beyond "basic apple," for example some varieties have a hint of anise, citrus or banana, others are spicy or aromatic. Ratings are subjective to some degree, though sugar and acid can be specifically measured.

In the table below, the rating scale follows this system:

• Sweetness (SW) 5=very sweet, 3=moderately sweet, 1=low sweetness
• Tartness/Acidity (TR) 5=very acid, 3=moderately acid, 1=low acid
• Complexity (CX) 5=highly complex subsidiary flavors, 3= some subsidiary flavors, 1=no subsidiary flavors

Established varieties (several years on trial)

Recent Introductions & Selections

Many strains of Gala have been evaluated over the years, but in our trials Regal (Fulford) Gala has been outstanding due to its larger size fruit and good overall red color. Ultrared has somewhat darker color than most. Brookfield Gala ripens 8-10 days later than other strains with good color and productivity. Gala and its strains are noted for sweet flavor. In general they do well here, if treated for prevention of apple scab.

Early ripening strains of Fuji, Beni Shogun and September Wonder (Jubilee) are very promising for our area. The latter seems to have a slight edge in appearance as it is not as prone to russeting.

Braeburn and Hillwell (red) strain produced well with little russet. Hillwell is definitely preferable to standard Braeburn, and we are still evaluating the new strains Joburn and Lochbuie.

Among the varieties of Japanese origin that we have tested over the years, the ones best suited to our conditions have proven to be Akane, Sansa and Tsugaru Homei in the early season, in the mid season Hatsuaki, and in the late season the strains of Fuji mentioned above, 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.

Most of the Japanese introductions are sweet apples. Other good choices in this category include Zestar, a Minnesota introduction ripe in the early season, and Sunrise and Silken from Summerland, B.C.. All three are reliable producers of good quality fruit.

Cox types, derived from the English Cox's Orange Pippin, are noted for complex flavor blending sweet and tart. Ellison's Orange and Rubinette are both high quality dessert apples. The latter is a medium to small apple with intense flavor that makes it a very popular gourmet item.

The McIntosh variety is very popular in the eastern United States, resulting in many Mac strains and crosses. In previous trials Jonamac, Spartan, and Empire have all proven to be well adapted to our area. Royal Empire, a red sport of Empire, has done very well here. 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. A McIntosh cross from Geneva, NY that has just been named is Millenium (NY 460). Ripe in the late season, it has good flavor and stores very well.

Disease Resistant Cultivars & Selections

With its clean, crisp tartness and bright yellow color, Pristine is an outstanding early variety. New introductions from eastern Europe, Releika, Resi and Rajka, all produced a good yield of fruit in 2005 and look very promising at this point. They are an attractive bright red, and though a bit on the small side are just the right size for eating out of hand. Releika, ripe in late September, hangs on the tree without softening until November. Belmac, a recent scab immune Mac type from eastern Canada, ripens in mid to late October. It looks like it could be very promising as a late keeper. Scarlett O'Hara (Coop 25) is very productive, and the fruit is an attractive red, firm and crisp in texture, with fair to good flavor. Goldstar, a green-yellow apple from eastern Europe of rather tart flavor, ripens in late October and may be the answer for those who like a Granny Smith type. We look forward to seeing how it will do in 2006.

A number of new selections that were added to the disease resistant test plot in 2003 had a few fruit in 2005, and will be given a full evaluation in 2006. Some are crabapple types with reddish or purple foliage and red or pink fleshed fruit. AK 49-191-95. AK 51-19-95, AKR 52-151-95, AKR 53-44-95, UEB 2420-3 , UEB 2439-1, UEB 2489-1, UEB 3148-1 , UEB 3241-3, UEB 3262-2, UEB 3264-2, UEB 3267-1, UEB 3277-1, UEB 3285-2, and UEB 3290-1.
 

Cider Apples

Trees in a replicated plot of cider apples -selected for hard (fermented) cider production- were harvested for cider in 2005, with the cooperation of Drew Zimmerman. All mature trees in the cider block produced fruit for cider this year. Younger trees planted in 2002 produced good crops in most cases and some were included in blends although there was not enough fruit from any one variety for a single-varietal evaluation.

One tree each of a number of cider apple varieties, some European and some old American cider apples was added to the trial in 2004. They will not have fruit for evaluation until 2006 or later. A new collection of pears especially selected for making perry (pear cider) was added in 2004 and may produce sample fruit next year.

Varietal ciders were made for evaluation as well as blends from cider and standard varieties. The 2004 ciders were evaluated in 2005. Ciders made in 2005 will be evaluated in 2006. For anyone who is interested in hard cider making, see the 2005 Cider Report .
 

Crabapples and Ornamental Tree Fruit

In 2005 data were taken on trees in the crabapple trial, including bloom dates in spring (April-May) and a rating in late fall (November) of scab, mildew, and general tree health. Overall ornamental quality at that time was rated also. Photographs documented the appearance and qualities of promising varieties for use in publications. In 2004 a new ornamental tree fruit trial was initiated with funding from WSDA, which includes the existing ornamental crabapples and adds stone fruit (ornamental cherry, plum, peach and other Prunus spp.) and ornamental pear cultivars and selections.

Best rated ornamental crabapples include 'Evereste,' 'Golden Raindrops' and 'Red Jewel' which show excellent overall ornamental quality and high disease resistance. Both 'Evereste' and 'Red Jewel' have abundant bright red fruit that persists well into the winter. Fruit of 'Golden Raindrops' is also persistent but yellow, small and less conspicuous. Other white-flowering crabapples with good appearance and disease resistance are 'Adirondack,' 'Christmas Holly,' 'Lancelot,' 'Silver Moon' and 'White Angel.' Most of these will fit well to the backyard and urban landscape. 'Silver Moon' is large and vigorous, a fine candidate for public open spaces such as parks.

The best rated pink-flowering crabapple varieties remain 'American Spirit,' 'Louisa,' 'Candymint Sargent,' 'PinkPrincess,' 'Prairifire' and 'Prairie Maid.' 'Louisa' is an excellent specimen tree, with a strongly weeping habit and pale rose-pink flowers. Field resistance to scab and mildew is also very good.

Some "micro-minis" have been on trial, with very dwarf tree habit, almost bonsai-sized. 'Guinevere' is a tree of horizontal spreading habit, with greenish bronze leaves and medium pink buds opening to pinkish white flowers. 'Lollipop' and 'Cinderella' have abundant white flowers and clean, small leaves of an attractive light green. The fruit is tiny and pearl-like; 'Cinderella' is yellow and 'Lollipop' is red. Any of these will fit well into a patio pot.

A 2002 introduction originating in the Puget Sound, 'Marilee' is patented by Marvin Jarmin of Mount Vernon. It has pink and white semi-double flowers and a narrowly upright growth habit which would be suitable for street side ornamental planting, especially as it sets no fruit to drop and make a mess. A WSU cross of Alkmene X Prima with white single flowers is immune to scab and produces attractive yellow fruit that hangs on the tree well into winter if not harvested. The fruit is 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. 'Pink Cloud' seedling has highly ornamental pink double flowers, bronze leaves, and large, tart red fruit.

In 2004 a number of crabapples came to us through the National Crabapple Evaluation Project, which has issued a new round of promising introductions. They are: Canary, Firebird, Holiday Gold, May's Delight, Orange Crush, Prairie Rose, Pumpkin Pie, Scarlet Brandywine and Spring Sensation, also a tree of the new red-leaf sport Royal Raindrops. We look forward to seeing how they perform in our climate conditions.
 

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, and those at the Northwest Agricultural Research Foundation, the 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.