Fall 2019
Moving an orchard
How do you move an iconic orchard? The century-old Tukey Horticultural Orchard at Washington State University had to find a new home, again. » More ...
Cherries
Fall 2019
Gallery: Tukey Orchard through the years
The Tukey Orchard at Washington State University has provided fruit and research opportunities for a century.
Take a visual stroll among the orchard over the years.
Read more about the moving of Tukey Orchard.
Fall 2012
Cherries in two dimensions
Two-year-old trees in the WSU Roza Experimental Orchards near Prosser are the first step in transforming a 100-year-old production system for sweet cherries. The trees’ unique branches, called upright fruiting offshoots (UFOs), form the core of a novel architecture suited for mechanized harvesters in sweet cherry orchards of the future.
Planted at an angle, young trees are trained to grow on a two-dimensional plane, putting more of their effort into developing a fruiting wall instead of the nonproductive wood in a traditional, three-dimensional canopy.
The UFO tree architecture is taking off around the world, says Matthew Whiting ’01 PhD, associate professor of horticulture at the … » More …
Summer 2006
Cherries—The sweet fruit of worry
In March, Don Olmstead Jr. (’70 Hort.) watches over his cherry trees night and day, ready to activate a heating system or switch on the wind machines to protect the tender buds from a killing frost. It’s a task he shares with his son and business partner, Don Olmstead III (’98 Hort.).
In April, the Olmsteads worry about pollination, which only works if pollen is on the blossoms and the weather is right for insect activity. Since most cherries can’t self-pollinate, there must be another variety close by and in bloom. To facilitate cross-pollination, the Olmsteads hire one beehive per acre, inviting a few million … » More …