Anyone living in the Pacific Northwest knows that the weather can be quite dramatic. For much of the year, we experience persistent rain, but come summer, clear skies and dry conditions prevail.

These weather extremes—rain for the majority of the year and then bone-dry summers—make selecting fruit trees quite the challenge.

Most orchard trees prefer consistent conditions. Some trees are prone to rot during our persistently damp winters, while others require significant supplemental watering during the arid summer months or they’ll struggle to survive. This is even true for some drought-hardy varieties when they’re still getting established.

Sometimes it feels like a switch flips in the skies once temperatures reach 80 degrees in the summer and the rain just comes to a halt. It’s like one day, I’m wading through puddles in my garden boots; the next, I’m seeking shade in the woods.

This sudden shift emphasizes the need for resilient plants that could handle such extremes.

It takes a very special tree to thrive in the wet winters and dry summers of our unique climate. In this post, I’ll share what’s worked well for me in my own garden and also include insights from other local experts on this perplexing issue that has stumped many PNW gardeners.

My Experience Growing Fruit + Nut Trees in the PNW: Wet Winters + Dry Summers

When we first started out, we thought we had it all figured out by focusing on drought-tolerant plants. Turns out it wasn’t that easy.

The Learning Curve: Year One to Three

• Drought Tolerant ≠ Instant Success: We quickly learned that while drought-tolerant plants like sea berries sound perfect for our dry summers, they still need significant water to get established in their first few years. Some of our sea berries didn’t make it, and others had serious dieback. We're now in year three, trying to nurse them back to health with diligent summer watering.
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• The Wet Weather Woes: Not all drought-tolerant plants handle the wet winters well. Our figs, for instance, struggled with soggy roots and cold nights. Some didn’t survive - even the Chicago Hardy variety - and others barely clung to life. We ended up building protective covers to shield them from the relentless rain and cold, which helped a great deal.
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• The Late Frost Dilemma: Then there are those plants that are supposedly perfect for our growing zones but are vulnerable to late frosts. More than once, we’ve seen promising blooms from a pear tree get completely wiped out. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s part of the learning process.

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Testing and Tinkering: The Path to Success

It took us a few years of experimenting, testing, and yes, losing a few trees along the way, to figure out what works in our unique climate. We learned to:

• Plan for Establishment: Give new trees plenty of water their first few years, even if they’re drought-tolerant.
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• Grow Rot-resistant Varieties: Many drought-tolerant trees don’t like wet feet. Look for rot-resistant root stock.
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• Provide Winter Protection: Use covers or find other ways to protect sensitive plants from excessive rain and cold.
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• Anticipate Late Frosts: Choose varieties that bloom later in the spring to avoid frost damage.

Growing fruit trees in the PNW is a joy once the plants get established. But it’s getting the trees to make it through their first few years that is difficult. With each mistake, we’ve become better gardeners more in tune with our unique climate. The right combination of plants and care can turn those PNW weather quirks into a bountiful garden.

Challenges for PNW Fruit Trees

The PNW's weather presents significant challenges for growing a home orchard. Here are some of the main obstacles:

Rot and Fungus:

• The lengthy wet seasons can lead to issues with root rot and fungal diseases.
• Trees like apple and pear can suffer if their roots remain waterlogged for too long.
• Proper drainage is key, especially if you have clay soil.
• Be especially keen when purchasing cherry, apple or peach trees, as they are most prone to root rot.

Drought:

• The dry summer months mean we need trees that can withstand drought conditions.
• Even drought-hardy species can struggle in their first few growing seasons.
• Deep watering and mulching can help retain soil moisture, it’s still important to get trees with proven drought tolerance.
• "You should only plant fruit trees where you have a water source for irrigation during the dry summer," says Steve Renquist, retired OSU Extension Service horticulture agent with over 20 years of experience. "Fruit trees, especially during the first four to five years, require watering to make good growth"
• As Washington State University notes, this is especially true when you consider that drought-stressed trees are less able to fend off pests and disease. We’re currently seeing the effects of this with our local Douglas firs, Western Red Cedar, and even apples or  hazelnuts.

Temperature Fluctuations:

• Rapid temperature changes, particularly during spring and fall, can stress trees.
• Late frosts in spring can damage young buds, while sudden autumn chills can affect fruit ripening and harvest.
• As outlined in this article, in 2023 PNW farmers had soil temperatures suddenly shoot up 7 degrees over the course of a week. This kind of weather can cause fire blight to ruin crops from apple and pear trees.

It’s important to understand the range of our climate and the spectrum of our challenges. Luckily for us, there are select fruit and nut trees that can not only survive but thrive in our gardens.

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Fruit Tree Selection Checklist for the Pacific Northwest: Criteria for Our Selections

Fruit + Nut Tree Cultivars to Avoid in the PNW:

• Bartlett - not disease resistant
• Seckel pair - not scab resistant
• Newton Pippin apple: Scab susceptible

(Burnt Ridge)

Less Disease Helps with a Spray-Free Organic Garden

As a regenerative organic gardener, it's important to me to maintain a spray-free orchard. In my backyard, that also includes organic-approved copper spray.

Organic orchard practices are especially important in the PNW, where the rains can wash pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and fungicides into our water ways.

This is why it's important to not only choose disease-resistant varieties, but to also follow these guidelines for healthy fruit trees.

Promote healthy growth:

• try to avoid drought stress in first 3 years
• add mulch around base of tree (do not make a volcano, though!)

Careful Monitoring and Maintenance:

• a stitch in time saves nine - or, pruning off a diseased branch can help prevent tree failure
• follow a regular pruning schedule
• be extra vigilant after heavy rain seasons or during extra dry summers

You can grow fruit trees here!

Growing fruit trees in the Pacific Northwest has been a rewarding journey, regardless of the challenges. After my experiences with fruit trees, now know that just because a tree is marked as "drought-tolerant" doesn't mean that it can handle extended drought in its early years. We figured out that saving the fig trees from wet feet was worth the effort of building a custom rain shelter for them. And now we know that any future trees we plant will have a late bloom time so that our harvest won't be crushed by a surprise April frost.

Through these experiences, we've learned that the key to success lies in understanding our unique climate and adapting our gardening practices accordingly.

However, the trees that thrive provide a sense of pride. There's nothing quite like seeing a tree you’ve nurtured overcome the odds and bear fruit.

I hope my experiences can offer some guidance and encouragement to fellow PNW gardeners.

Further Resources

Anne of All Trades Tree Planting Guide

Grafting Fruit Trees with Michal Dolan

Liberty:A Disease-Resistant Apple from WIlson's Orchard + Farm

Fire Blight in AppleTrees from Wilson's Orchard & Farm

Desert King Fig by Burnt Ridge