We’ve been sampling some of the apples I picked last week from our favorite orchard at Reed Valley. They were selling for a dollar a pound to pick your own. I ended up with about 42lb of various varieties. Most of them were Goldrush (abt 15lb?), with Suncrisp, Pink Lady, Winesap, Stayman Winesap, and Jonagold, in that order of poundage.
I don’t think I’ve had any GR yet, but will say the best flavored ones were, in order, Winesap, Stayman, Suncrisp, PL and JG. Overall, the flavors seemed a bit diluted, prob because we’ve had so much rain in the last couple months. But, still pretty good, though, and very crisp textures. The fruit has beautiful coloring, especially the two Winesap varieties, almost a purple coloration. The Jonagold’s are a very dark red, never seen them look like that before.
We bagged them some of them for the frig, and put the rest in the cellar for the winter. We will prob make some apple butter and can some later.
Is it just the apples you are storing in the cellar? If not, be aware that the ethylene gas apples give off will cause quite a few other vegies and fruits to ripen/sprout (like potatoes, etc). Best to keep them separate if possible.
Yeah, it was, my wife was kinda shocked I got so much. But, it was our only visit this year, and I figured we should stock up for the winter.
I was just down in the cellar, and noticed they weren’t in any sealed bins, just the bags on shelves or open boxes. So, we’ll have to get those put in bins to keep them away from possible mice browsing. My wife mentioned they shouldn’t be stored in plastic totes as that might contribute to them rotting faster? Is that true?
There’s no other fruits or veggies in there, but I did put my three potted apple bench grafts in there. Would they be at risk from the off gassing? I know the gas might affect scions, but what about these little potted trees?
Good q’s on the storage. I’ve never tried it, but I would think plastic totes would be OK as long as the top was open a bit to allow air exchange (although that would likely allow mice in). We have tried wrapping apples individually in newspaper for storage (and other stuff too). It seems to help (wife who keeps closer track of these things thinks it helps a lot). If nothing else it slows the spread of rot from one apple to another if it get a hold somewhere.
Not sure about the effects of ethylene on already grafted trees, but I’d be a bit concerned. The general effect of the gas is to ripen fruits and cause dormant plants to sprout and start growing (like potatoes in the cellar). I would think it could well have an effect to start your apple trees down there growing much sooner than they should.
When most plants have shut down for the winter, some fall blooming Camellias are there to remind me of greener, lusher times. This open flower will freeze with the coldfront moving through, so I took a picture to enjoy it longer.
I have three meyer lemons getting big about full size but still green. Then there is three small ones the size of a quarter. I wish my fruit was at this stage in the heat of summer. It takes extra long to ripen inside the house. My little ones if they stay on will be ready for summer ripening.
We had 1.5 inches of rain last night. Before that few days of dry weather. I mulched up few bags of leaves for my veggie beds yesterday before the rain. Added all the kitchen scraps from thanksgiving cooking to the beds too. the soil should be nice and rich by next year to grow plants to become groundhog food. Also added chopped leaves to my newly transplanted peach and pear trees.
Would it be possible for you to save some seeds from those apples for me?
I’m experimenting with growing seedling fruit trees and one of my big needs right now is for seeds from a wider genetic background than I have right now.
If any of you would care to set aside seeds from the fruit you eat with a view to sharing them with me, I would much appreciate it.
I’m experimenting with growing seedling fruit trees and one of my big needs right now is for seeds from a wider genetic background than I have right now. BTW, I’m located in zone 7 in Northern Virginia.
