Autumn is the hottest time for harvesting for storage. As for apples, autumn and winter varieties are sent to the bins. For gardeners, it is important to correctly determine the maturity of the fruit, because this will determine how long apples will be stored in winter. It is possible only approximately to establish a suitable moment for this. Not all apples are suitable for storage. If the fruit is overripe, it will not be stored for a long time, and the unripe will not pick up the required amount of sugar and necessary vitamins.
How to determine the maturity of an apple
Every gardener has his own proven recipe for determining the ripeness of apples. Some are determined by taste, others by appearance. But there is one simplest classic way to learn about the readiness of the fruit for harvest. If, in calm weather, large fruits suddenly begin to fall without visible traces of diseases and wormholes, then this is a signal that the apples are ripe.
You can check ripeness by other signs:
- If the dent disappears when pressing on the fruit, then it is too early to collect such an apple for storage.
- The skin has burst - the fruit is overripe, it is necessary to send it for processing.
- There is a trace of pressure on the surface - the apple is ripe.
- Ripe fruits acquire a color corresponding to a certain variety and are easily separated from the branches.
- Ripe apple should be juicy, sweet and sour taste. Its flesh is white or creamy, the seeds are brown.
There is a more accurate chemical method for determining ripeness than for color and taste. To do this, dissolve 1 gram of iodine and 4 grams of potassium iodide in 1 liter of water. An apple cut in half is dipped into the solution. If after 2 minutes the cut turns blue, then there is a lot of starch and it is early to harvest. Yellow in the center and blue at the edges means that almost all the starch has turned into sugar, that is, it is time to take off the fruit. A yellowing of the entire cut indicates that the apple is overripe.
Timing of picking different types of apples
There are two types of fruit ripeness - removable and consumer. The first means that the apples are ready to be harvested. The second comes later, already during storage, when the fruit finally acquires its characteristic taste and aroma.
Apples suitable for storage are divided into two groups:
Autumn varieties begin to be harvested slightly immature from late August to early September. The shelf life of such apples is until the New Year holidays. Then they start to deteriorate. The most famous varieties are Zhigulevskoe, Glory to the Winners, the original Cinnamon striped.
Winter varieties are the most mature. The crop is harvested from late September to mid-October. Such apples are not quite ready for consumption, consumer maturity occurs in two months, then they have an interesting taste and a pronounced aroma. If late-ripening apples are removed in time and stored correctly, they can lie until next summer.
The popular Antonovka and Aport belong to the early winter ones. Jonathan, Bogatyr, Delishes, Simirenko have later ripening periods.
Fruit collection rules
Despite the development of modern technology, the best method of harvesting fruits remains the usual manual method of removing them from the tree.
- The basic rule is that harvesting is possible only in dry and clear weather. It is best to pick apples in the afternoon when the air is warm enough. The fruits should not get wet; such apples are most susceptible to various diseases.
- It is correct to start removing fruits from the lower branches, gradually moving towards the top of the tree. Take your time and harvest in one day. Pick apples from the south side first, they ripen faster there. And after a couple of days, you can continue collecting from the north side.
- Wear fabric gloves to avoid damaging the skin. When collecting, do not shake the tree and collect from the ground. The removed fruits must be carefully placed in a container. Remove each apple with a stalk.
- Take good care of not only the fruits, but also the apple branches. Broken branches lead to a drop in the next year's harvest. Do not throw falling apples under the tree, collect them in a separate container for processing.
What needs to be done for successful storage
The harvest has been harvested, now it is worth paying attention to its storage, so that your efforts and efforts in growing apples are not in vain.
First, we prepare the container. For this, it is best to use ordinary wooden boxes. A few days before harvesting, they are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and dried in the sun. Such a procedure will protect the fruit from possible fungus that sometimes appears on wooden surfaces. Then it will be correct to cover the bottom with newspapers or thick paper.
The harvested crop cannot be kept in the sun. Apples must be sorted out immediately, then sorted by variety and size. In this case, the fruits should in no case be wiped from natural plaque. This is a kind of protective layer from external factors.
When stacking, do not let the apples hit each other. They should not be cramped in the box. You can wrap each fruit with paper.
Now we need to decide on the storage location. If the air in the storage is humid, then containers with fluffy lime can be placed around the boxes. It helps to absorb excess moisture. If the air is dry, place containers of sand, periodically watering it. The air will be humidified as the sand dries.
An important storage condition is temperature. Do not let the fruit freeze, the temperature should be from +2 to +5 degrees.
Sort out apples often and discard those that develop rot so that it does not go over to healthy fruits.
Delicious harvest is harvested and sent for storage. Thus, you have provided yourself and your household with healthy products for the whole winter.
