So do you have a question about what is to humid for you tree's? i can probably tell you a little bit of what you are looking for if it has to do with temperature and humidity. Humidity is relative to the temperature. i will try and find the site, but its something like at 100 degrees F a cubic foot of air can hold 54 liters of water, and 99 degrees can hole something like 48 and lower the temp, less water the air can hold. Thats why at night when the temperature drops, it condensates on all things, grass, windows, etc. Huh, i cant find it, but i know at some point the when the temperature goes down one degree the amount of water vapor the air can hold is cut in half.

bob:

You will be facing a cool humid climate that is ideal for some fruits but not others. The growing season is fairly long, from April thru October. But if I read the data corectly there are only ~200 hrs of sun per month in May and that is the most of the yr...cool, humid, cloudy, and rainy.

Those conditions are great for some of the berries but bad for things like cherries. Apples and pears should do good with the caveat that some diseases could be a challenge.

The only place in the US with a similar climate that has done a lot of fruit work is Mount Vernon WA. Also, I know there is an active fruit community on some of the islands around the Puget Sound. Try to find out all you can from those areas.

You will be able to grow a lot of fruit. You just need to find some help to head in the right direction.

They are even growing apples in a few places in Alaska. They may have more sun than you will but a much shorter growing season. With a greenhouse many fruits would be possible. But I think you will be able to grow all you need outdoors.

The Fruitnut

Hey! Thanks for the response!

Well as you can see from the link I included Masset is a very stable 80% humidity, regardless of Temp. It is classic coastal weather. Which makes sense, since it is an Island!! We haven't move up yet, and I just don't want to make lots of plans based on the fruit trees (read spend lots of money) if it is just to humid to pollinate or grow happily. I know someone who gets fruit from a sour cherry and crab apples are crazy productive up there...

The yearly low for Masset is in January where it is 41 for a high and 32 for a low (monthly, and F) while the hot season is a high of 65 and a low of 43 (not "hot" excatly but...)

So I guess if anyone has an idea of what can tolerate this sort of temp range, and 80-86% humidity (higher in winter oddly)...I'd love peoples thoughts...I just don't know when the catalogues say "This species doesn't like "high" humidity...is this really humid for fruit trees? Is it too cold for some? Etc...

Thanks a lot guys!!

bob:

Yes that is really humid for some fruit trees. It won't cause pollination issues but will cause disease problems with some fruit and splitting of sweet cherries. It is not too cold as in freeze injury but it is too cool in summer for things that need heat to sweeten up. Not enough heat for peaches, nectarines, grapes, and asian plums. But apples, european plums, and some apricots will do OK. It is a good place for most of the berries. They will be your bread and butter fruit. Apples won't ripen until at least August. You should have some berries by June.

Your climate will be very similar to places in northern Europe. You could learn a lot from what they grow.

It will not be constant 80% humidity. That is a daily ave of about 60% at midday and 100% at dawn. Are you sure you are ready for nearly constant rain and clouds for 6 months straight in winter? That's what would get to me.

The Fruitnut

I live near Everett, Washington, and your heat units are considerably less in the summer so you probably don't want to plant anything that ripens later than mid September in our area. Forget the late apples, pears and plums. Chehalis and Alkmene (Alkemene) apples would be good for you, and they are also scab resistant. The early season scab immune apples are good, too. You are best off with the scab resistant varieties, I imagine you would have even more trouble with scab than we do, and we have plenty. Go ahead and put in a cherry tree or two, and see how they do. Some years you won't get any fruit and others you will. Get self fertile crack resistant varieties like Vandalay, which is from the Ontario research station so I know you can get it in Canada. The self fertile ones have better set in poor spring weather. Don't get any late pears unless you find someone in the area who has them and says they do OK. There are some good pears that ripen in the summer here, like Ubileen And Bella Di Guigno.

Look in the Raintree catalog and anything that they say ripens by early September in pears and plums for them should be worth trying where you are. I don't know if you can order from Raintree, but it will give you some ideas to go on. I think Beauty asian plum would be worth trying for you even though it might not have as good of flavor as if it had more heat units. It does well here.

I agree that berries are a good idea.

I don't think humidity is your main problem, I think lack of heat units is a bigger concern. Humidity is more of a problem in very hot weather. You might have problems with some fungus though, like scab. Try to find out what other people in the area grow.

organic bob:

I think this is as good as it gets. Good luck my friend!!

The Fruitnut

My guess is that kiwis (or hardy kiwis) may make it there. I am thinking also in terms of having a full root cellar for the cold season (kiwis can go in the cellar, but not hardy kiwis). Lots of kale and favas in the winter garden, of course, and pumpkins, garlic and onions should do well.

Spinach should be available 8 months a year in that climate, and chard will perennialize. Carrots, herbs, parsnips, brassica, lettuce, herbs, beets and radicchio will also overwinter easily.

It is actually a good situation, better than my own, so long as the OP gives up on melons and tomatoes, and understands that given the climate a larger fraction of his vitamins will come from green vegetables. It is basically the same climate as the west coast of Scotland (get a few sheep!). But IMHO having a 12-month garden always beats having great production only 6 months a year.

Bob, I would try to contact nurseries in your climate. Two I can think of are Inner Coast Nursery (Cortes Island, close to you I think; not sure if they are still in business tho), and Cloud Mountain Farm (in WA by Canada border). There are some other ones up there which I can't recall now. A good nursery in the area can supply you with trees as well as local knowledge.

Scott