For me, Macoun is perfect when it drops, but a few other varieties have a tendency to overripen on the tree here. I start sampling them a few weeks before the expected ripen date. When they seem ripe, I force them off the tree. They get mealy and tasteless if left on too long. Also, a lot of my apples have produced lousy first crops, sometimes even second crops. I try to give them at least 3 crops before judgement. Surprise turnarounds have forced me to change my opinion a few times.
The thing that frustrates me most is a healthy Empire that drops most of the fruit by june. The remaining fruit is excellent, but I never get more than a bushel. I’m not sure what to do with a tree like that.
