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Fruit trees

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OSU Extension offers research-based guidance to help Oregonians grow and manage healthy fruit trees at home or on the farm. We provide resources on variety selection, pruning, pest management and irrigation to support productive orchards and successful harvests.

Featured Resources

Pest management guide for tree fruits: Hood River, The Dalles, White Salmon, Rogue Valley, Umatilla County

This annual guide provides tree fruit growers with the latest information on pesticides and herbicides for fruit trees. People who grow apples, pears and cherries can learn application rates and recommendations for each stage of tree growth.

Ashley Thompson, Rick Hilton, Achala KC, Marcelo Moretti, Jay W. Pscheidt, Nik Wiman, Christopher Adams, Andony Melathopoulos, Cody Copp, Niall Millar | Jan 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Best practices for produce safety after a wildfire

When assessing the safety of exposed produce, the difficulty is knowing what has been burning. If it is just vegetation smoke then it’s probably safe to eat produce after rinsing off the ash, although it might still taste/smell smoky. If the air pollution has particulate matter from treated timber, tires, non-food grade oils, or anything plastic or chlorinated that burned it may include a mixture of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, and metals. Exposure to fire retardant may have also occurred.

Sep 2020 | Online resource

Latest News

MCAREC Field Day spotlights tree fruit research and innovation in the Gorge

Growers gather in Hood River to explore new tools influencing the future of orchards.

Chris Branam | Oct 3, 2025 | News story

OSU helps develop high-tech solutions for Pacific Northwest fruit orchards

Innovative research into robotics and AI offers practical, scalable solutions that can ensure the long-term sustainability of Oregon’s specialty crop industry.

Ashley Thompson | Jun 2025 | Impact story

Unconfirmed spotted lanternfly sighting prompts reminder for vigilance

Until a physical specimen is collected and confirmed, spotted lanternfly is not considered present in Oregon.

Kym Pokorny, Chris Branam | May 22, 2025 | News story

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Sweet Cherry Cultivars for the Fresh Market

Ashley Thompson, Matthew Whiting and Lynn E. Long

This publication describes dark red and blush sweet cherry cultivars, including harvest timing, color when ripe, suggested pollinizers and rootstocks, size, firmness, yield potential, and other traits. Includes color photo of each cultivar.

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Cherry Resources

Sweet cherry rootstocks for the Pacific Northwest

Cherry growers have many options when it comes to choosing rootstocks. The combination of new dwarfing rootstocks with high-density training systems leads to earlier production. But growers need to consider soil ...

Lynn Long, Clive Kaiser, Ashley Thompson | Feb 2026 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Integrated Pest Management Strategic Plan for Pears in Oregon and Washington

Katie Murray, Paul C. Jepson and Chris Hedstrom

This publication outlines major pests, current management practices, critical needs, activity timetables and efficacy ratings of various management tools for pear growers in Oregon and Washington.

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Apple and pear resources

2023 Pest Management Guide for Apples: Willamette Valley

Learn the latest recommendations for insect, mite and disease control in Willamette Valley apple orchards.

Nik Wiman, Jay W. Pscheidt, Marcelo Moretti | Jun 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

How to know when apples and pears are ready to harvest

Picking too early or too late can spoil fruit flavor — timing matters.

Kym Pokorny | Sep 17, 2024 | News story

2023 Pest Management Guide for Peaches

By Nik Wiman, Jay W. Pscheidt and Marcelo Moretti

Get the latest recommendations for insect, mite and disease control in peach orchards of the Willamette Valley.

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Credit: Dionisvera, Adobe Stock (Cropped from original)

Latest Resources

The cost of regulatory compliance in the Oregon tree fruit industry

Government regulations are often an overlooked cost of doing business for farmers. Here's a detailed look at how much state and federal regulations cost per acre for four Oregon fruit growers.

Tim Delbridge, Ashley Thompson, Mike McCullough | Nov 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Pest management schedules for fruit trees in Eastern Oregon

What do you need to do when to protect against diseases and insect pests for your apple, cherry and stone fruit trees? We have the answers for people who live in Eastern Oregon.

Cody Copp | Mar 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Training and pruning your home orchard

A visual guide to training and pruning apple, pear, sweet cherry, sour cherry, peach, plum, apricot, fig, persimmon, walnut, hazelnut and chestnut trees.

Jeff L. Olsen, Neil Bell | Feb 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

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Upcoming Events

Feb 18

Pruning Young Fruit Orchards Workshop

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Mar 18

QPR Training - Saving Lives in Agriculture (in English)

3:00 pm - 4:15 pm PDT Online
Apr 16

QPR Training - Saving Lives in Agriculture (in English)

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm PDT Online
May 15

QPR Training - Saving Lives in Agriculture (in English)

3:00 pm - 4:15 pm PDT Online
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Meet Our Experts

Heather Andrews
Orchard Crops Faculty Research Assistant
Logan Bennett
Small Farms and Master Gardener Program Coordinator

Contact for Farming and Gardening Questions in Douglas County

Erica Chernoh
Horticulture Assistant Professor of Practice, Commercial and Community Horticulture, Master gardener
Marcelo Moretti
Associate Professor

Contact me with questions about weed management in commercial agriculture.

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White spots from watering with hard water?

Q: I’ve been suspecting for the last few years that a large problem for our garden and orchard is our hard water. Once I start introducing water from our irrigation, after the spring rains have dried up, the leaves curl, ...

A: View answer | View all featured questions

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