the orchard walk-when to pick
1,422 views · Published 14 September 2010 · 2:19 · Indexed 27 September 2026
Channel: Stephen Hayes · 2010 · Education
Apple varieties do not all ripen at once, something important to consider when you are planning which varieties to plant. It is better to spread the times of maturing so you donlt have to pick them all at once and you have a longer period of having apples ripe from store. The books give an idea when to pick, but soil, season and microclimate have an influence, you need to carefully check the trees almost daily. They are ripe when they start to drop and come off easily at a twist as we see with these Egremont Russsets. Pears are diferent, they do need to be actively picked just before they are ripe. In each case, you need to let the trees be your teachers, it is a good idea to keep a diary recording when you pick, colour changes, and when the apples were perfectly ripe. More than once before, we have left it a week too late and strong winds have blown off the best fruit. The longer the fruit stays on the trees the more ripe it will be, but leave it too long and it will drop, also wasp attacks are intensifying as the sugar levels rise.
