Appropriate site selection and cultural practices also help accomplish these same objectives. In general, plantings should be situated in reasonably well-drained soil in a sunny location. Avoid heavy soils or sites where water stands after heavy rains in winter. Don't plant deeper than the tree grew in the nursery, especially in heavy soils. Raising the planting area or improving the drainage may be necessary.
Avoid shady areas and areas with poor air circulation which increase disease problems and will reduce fruit color, quality, and yield.
Avoid excess fertilization. Many fruit trees require no supplemental fertilizer in an average garden soil. Base fertility needs on tree vigor and production. Excess fertilizer can delay onset of flower development and can lower fruit quality by encouraging excessive vegetative growth.
Use proper pruning practices. Severely heading back branches causes excessive branching, which increases shading in the tree and promoting diseases and reduces light penetration to the interior and north side, thus reducing fruit ripening an flower development. Encourage good spacing between branches so all get sunlight. Weighting, spreading or tying down branches can help direct their growth and increase flower set.
Consider the choices of rootsocks for tree fruits carefully. They can control several factors including size, bearing capacity, ease of management, planting site suitability, and some diseases. Many fruits require another variety in the vicinity to provide pollen for fruit set. Two or more varieties are even better, as there will likely be more overlap in flowering. This could be another variety grafted in the same tree, a tree of a different variety in your own orchard, or one in a neighboring area. In a pinch, a flowering branch from another variety could be obtained from an acquaintance. Then the pollen must be transferred by pollinators such as Honey Bees, Orchard Mason Bees, Bumble Bees, March Flies, or by hand for fruit to form.
APPLESScab and Powdery Mildew are two diseases prevalent in western Washington. The following apple varieties are resistant to both diseases: Akane, Britegold, Dayton, Enterprise, Freedom, Jonafree, Liberty, Prima, Priscilla, Sir Prize, Trent, and Williams Pride.
The following popular varieties are susceptible or highly susceptible to scab: Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Ida Red, Johnathan, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Rome, and Beauty Winesap.
EUROPEAN PEARS have similar problems as apples, i.e. scab & powdery mildew. Bartlett, Clapp Favorite, Conference, Harrow Delight, Orcas, Rescue, and Spalding are resistant.
ASIAN PEARS are generally resistant to scab and mildew, but are often susceptible to Pseudomonas blight. Chojuro, Ichiban, Konsui, Shinseiki, Yoinashi, Yongi generally produce well in western Washington.
EUROPEAN PLUMS The most frequent disease is brown rot and few varieties show resistance. Early Italian, Seneca, Stanley are productive varieties that reliably bear good crops. JAPANESE PLUMS are also susceptible to brown rot and usually require another Japanese variety for pollination. Methley, Beauty, Hollywood, Shiro are popular varieties.
SWEET CHERRIES can be susceptible brown rot, bacterial canker, botrytis, and cracking. Sweet Cherries that are less prone to some of these problems are Van, Angela, Hardy Giant, Early Burlat, Emperor Francis and Stella.
SOUR (PIE) CHERRIES that will do well are Meteor, Montmorency, English Morello North Star, and Surefire.
PEACHES Are prone to several common diseases including brown rot, coryneum blight, and, most limiting, peach leaf curl. The following varieties are resistant to the latter: Frost, Harken, and Q1-8.
NECTARINES have basically fuzzless peaches, but a little less disease prone. Try the following varieties: Hardired, Harken, June Glo, New Haven, and Saturn.
APRICOTS have all the problems as peaches, plus they typically bloom several weeks earlier, so are more prone to frost damage. Puget Beauty and Harglow are late blooming varieties.
APRIUMS & PLUOTS Hybrids between Apricots & Plums appear less susceptible to disease than Apricots.
QUINCE have few serious problems. Pineapple and Smyrna are large non-astringent varieties.
FIGS, although generally disease resistant, many varieties of fig need more heat than provided in western Washington. Desert King, Brown Turkey, Lattarula, Neveralla, Peter's Honey (or Italian Honey) are early some varieties that will ripen reliably.
SMALL FRUITS
Strawberries can be prone to root rots and viruses. Provide good drainage and control aphids that spread viruses. Benton, Capron Musk, Shucksan, Seascape, Sucksan, Rainier, White Alpine are successful June bearing types. Tillicum, Tristar, and Selva are popular day neutral or "everbearing" varieties.
Raspberries are prone to root rot and require good drainage. Some varieties are also prone to rust. Good spacing, sanitation, pruning, and training help reduce it's incidence. Centennial, Chilliwak, Meeker, Tulameen, and Willamette are productive summer varieties. Sumner is more tolerant of wet soils. Autumn Bliss, Fall Gold, Heritage, and Summit are successful fall varieties.
Blackberries are more tolerant of wet soils, but do best with reasonable drainage. Boysenberry, Loganberry, and Marrionberry, Cherokee, are popular productive varieties. Chester Thornless, while thornless is late ripening and somewhat winter tender.
Blueberries are tolerant of wet soils and shade, unlike most fruit plants and although almost all commonly available varieties of Blueberry will produce in western Washington, most are susceptible to Godronia canker and mumyberry. Good sanitation is important for disease control. Plant two or more varieties for best production. Earlyblue, Bluecrop, Jersey, North Sky, Olympic, Patriot, and Spartan are reliable varieties. Chandler and Darrow have very large fruit.
Cranberries, while not highly productive in a backyard setting, make useful groundcovers and hanging plants. Shaw's Success and Stevens are fairly productive. Hamilton forms an attractive slow-growing mound. Lingonberries Korrale, Red Pearl, Regal, and Sanna are standard types. The dwarf lingonberry makes an excellent groundcover.
Bilberries, Huckleberries, and Wortleberries, are other species of edible Vaccinium.
Elderberries are generally pest free. Any variety of American or European black or blue elderberries bear acceptably. Adams, and Johns are two productive selections. There are also several varieties with distinctive foliage that are useful as ornamental plants including gold-leafed, purple-leafed, variegated-leafed, cut-leafed, and, perhaps the most unusual a strapped-leaf form.
Currents can get rust, but it is not common in most of western Washington. Blister mites can also be problematic. Recommended red currant cultivars are Red Lake, Perfection, and Wilder. A good white variety is White Imperial. Productive black currants include Ben Nevis, Ben Sarak, Crandall Consort, Crusader, Invigo, Silver Geiter, and Swedish Black. The Clove Currant ( Ribes odorata) is a native american species with attractive yellow clove-scented flowers and shiny blue-black fruit that are delicious off the bush.
Gooseberries can develop powdery mildew. Provide good air circulation and sanitation to combat it. Try Captivator (pink), Oregon Champion (thornless with green fruit), Poorman (red fruit), and Pixwell (pink fruit).
Grapes Some varieties are prone to Botrytis and powdery mildew. Provide good spacing, sanitation, training and pruning to reduce it. Many cultivars need more heat then is common in western Washington. Buffalo, Canadise, Einset, Glenora Seedless, Interlaken, Himrod, Mars, Muscat Alexandria, New York Muscat, NY 30454, Ontario, Price, Schuyler, Swenson's Red, Vanessa, and Venus are some varieties that do well here.
Kiwis are generally pest free. Late spring frosts can cause damage to new growth and swollen stems. Most varieties need another cultivar as a pollinator. Hayward, Blake and Saanichton 12 are popular fuzzy types. "Hardy Kiwi" varieties include Ananasnaja and Issai, (which is self-fruitful).
Aronia is a native American fruit high in vitamin C. The fruit look similar to blueberry and taste reminiscent of a combination of grape and cranberry. The plant is attractive in flower and in fruit and has good fall color. Few named varieties are available, but most any seedling should do fine. Viking is reputedly "disease resistant".
Paw Paws are native American fruits often referred to as the Michigan or Nebraska Banana. The pulp has a soft custard-like texture. Davis, Mary Foos Johnson, Oversleese, Rebecca's Gold, Sunflower, and Sweet Alice are some popular varieties.
Mulberries bear juicy fruit similar in appearance to raspberries and blackberries. They are relatively pest free, other than birds, which relish them so much that mulberries are sometimes planted to lure birds away from other fruits. There are white, red, and black varieties. Named cultivars include Illinois Everbearing, Oscar, Pakistan, Sterns and Wellington. The weeping and contorted forms are grown as interesting ornamentals.
Sea Buckthorn, a European native bears fruit on attractive silver-leafed bushes. The juice is a popular drink in some areas and has a very high vitamin C content. Few named selections are available but Leikora and Star of Altai are reportedly highly productive.