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Illia,
There are some almonds, grapes, and peaches that will grow in western Wa. Just bugged is correct that you need to be careful of variety and location.
I have never tried almonds, but had friends on Vashon that grew almonds. Their trees were young and looked good. When they said it would be 7-10 years before they got nuts. I was like OK, not for this impatient person. They had theirs out in the middle of their yard.
Have never tried grapes, but see them around. Another plant that takes a long time to produce, and are tricky to prune.
Peaches- Just read a couple weeks ago that their are 3 varieties of peaches now that will grow well in western Wa. I have a "Frost" peach. Can't remember the other varieties. I got the Frost because I had friends with one. Mine grows like a weed. I have it in a micro-climate between houses where it is sunny & heat is trapped. Produced the first year, and I get lots of large peaches. I've had it about 4-5 years now. I really don't need to do much with it. Drawbacks I've encountered are:
Can't figure out how to prune it. I tried a couple years ago to prune like an apple, didn't work so well, but it recovered well. I'm thinking it needs whole branches removed or just small tips, not partials. So now that's what I do. Although I'm just pruning to shape, not reduce size.
The peaches ripen a little unevenly, I find some ripe and soft on one side and hard on the other. LOL! I think that's because mine is between houses and crammed between a plum and apricot. so the light is uneven. They cook well and taste great. Also the fruit ripens at different times, so expect to be picking for 2-3 weeks. I get so much fruit from this tree that the branches get weighed down to the ground. I have to prop up the branches, so they won't break. I got mine from a local nursery so it was big when I got it. Raintree would be a great resource. I buy a lot from them. And if you have specific questions you can call Raintree and ask to speak to their horticulturists.
Good luck,
Russ
ETA- Here's a pix of my peach last year. Kinda hard to see because of the jungle. It is the large tree above the raspberries in the center of the pix. Taken on the 4th of July.
Illia,
There are some almonds, grapes, and peaches that will grow in western Wa. Just bugged is correct that you need to be careful of variety and location.
I have never tried almonds, but had friends on Vashon that grew almonds. Their trees were young and looked good. When they said it would be 7-10 years before they got nuts. I was like OK, not for this impatient person. They had theirs out in the middle of their yard.
Have never tried grapes, but see them around. Another plant that takes a long time to produce, and are tricky to prune.
Peaches- Just read a couple weeks ago that their are 3 varieties of peaches now that will grow well in western Wa. I have a "Frost" peach. Can't remember the other varieties. I got the Frost because I had friends with one. Mine grows like a weed. I have it in a micro-climate between houses where it is sunny & heat is trapped. Produced the first year, and I get lots of large peaches. I've had it about 4-5 years now. I really don't need to do much with it. Drawbacks I've encountered are:
Can't figure out how to prune it. I tried a couple years ago to prune like an apple, didn't work so well, but it recovered well. I'm thinking it needs whole branches removed or just small tips, not partials. So now that's what I do. Although I'm just pruning to shape, not reduce size.
The peaches ripen a little unevenly, I find some ripe and soft on one side and hard on the other. LOL! I think that's because mine is between houses and crammed between a plum and apricot. so the light is uneven. They cook well and taste great. Also the fruit ripens at different times, so expect to be picking for 2-3 weeks. I get so much fruit from this tree that the branches get weighed down to the ground. I have to prop up the branches, so they won't break. I got mine from a local nursery so it was big when I got it. Raintree would be a great resource. I buy a lot from them. And if you have specific questions you can call Raintree and ask to speak to their horticulturists.
Good luck,
Russ
ETA- Here's a pix of my peach last year. Kinda hard to see because of the jungle. It is the large tree above the raspberries in the center of the pix. Taken on the 4th of July.
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