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Fruit trees

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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 | Extension Catalog publication 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

OSU Extension leads the fight against X-disease in Oregon’s cherry orchards

Educational events and resources, such as hands-on field days and bilingual identification guides, help farmers and farm workers better manage X-disease.

Ashley Thompson | Mar 2025 | Impact story

OSU research to combat invasive pest benefits Oregon's fruit industry

OSU Extension provides valuable resources and training for growers, helping them implement effective SWD management practices.

Vaughn Walton | Feb 2025 | Impact story

OSU research enhances efforts to make olive farming viable in Oregon

The goal is to grow as many olive cultivars as possible in a field evaluation and to select cultivars best adapted to the region.

Heather Stoven, Neil Bell | Jan 2025 | Impact 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

2021Cemetery Block Cherry Variety Evaluation

2021 fruit characteristics of sweet cherry cultivars and selections under evaluation in The Dalles at the Cemetery Block. All data was evaluated from 25 samples of each cultivar.

Lynn Long, Ashley Thompson, David Crawford, Pamela Manning | May 2022 | Educational document

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 | Sep 2021 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

How to Spot Signs of X-Disease in Cherries

Field workers picking cherries can use this card to identify signs of X-Disease in a cherry orchard. One side of the card is in English and the other side is in Spanish. PDF download or sold in packages of 50.

Ashley Thompson | Apr 2024 | Extension Catalog publication 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 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Know when it’s time to harvest apples and pears

Apples and pears have different characteristics when it comes to harvest.

Kym Pokorny | Sep 18, 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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Latest Resources

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 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

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 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Growing tree fruits and nuts at home

Find out if a home orchard is right for you. Learn how to plan your home orchard, plant and care for trees, and harvest and store fruit.

Jeff L. Olsen | Jan 2025 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

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Upcoming Events

Mar 22

Tree School Clackamas

8:15 am - 5:45 pm Oregon City, OR - Registration closed.
Apr 7

QPR Training - Saving Lives in Agriculture (in English)

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm PDT Online
May 8

Capacitación Preguntar, Persuadir, Referir (QPR por sus siglas en ingles) - Salvando Vidas en la Agricultura (en español)

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm PDT Online
May 13

QPR Training - Saving Lives in Agriculture (in English)

10:00 am - 11:30 am 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
Cody Copp
Assistant Professor of Practice

Contact me for questions related to commercial and home horticulture in Umatilla County and Eastern Oregon.

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Have a question? Ask Extension!

Ask Extension is a way for you to get answers from the Oregon State University Extension Service. We have experts in family and health, community development, food and agriculture, coastal issues, forestry, programs for young people, and gardening.

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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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