After the apple harvest in the garden plot is harvested, the question becomes - how to store apples in winter? How to actually preserve the gifts of nature longer, a few simple tips will help.
First of all, you need to know which varieties can be stored for a long time, and which ones are better to use faster. There is such a thing as keeping quality of fruits, this is the ability to withstand long-term storage.
The storage temperature directly affects the color of the fruit. If it is too high, then this can lead to the fact that the fruits turn yellow, this will be facilitated by the breakdown of chlorophyll in the cells. Some apple varieties may darken if the storage temperature is around 0 degrees.
If fertilizers were used when growing the fruits, this can also directly affect the keeping quality of the fruits.
With excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers, the density of the fruits is lost rather quickly and, accordingly, their shelf life decreases.
If potash fertilizers were used, but always in the correct proportions, this will have a positive effect on the color of the fruit.
With an excess of phosphorus fertilizers, the fruits become rough.
With a lack of calcium, the pulp darkens and its vitreousness
If during the ripening period of the fruits there was a high temperature and excessive moisture, then this will largely reduce their keeping quality. In no case should you water the apple trees during the ripening period.
It is important that the smaller the fruits, the better they are stored. Very large apple fruits of the same variety are worse preserved.
When storing, it is also worth considering the age of the tree from which the fruits were collected for storage. It was noted that the fruits harvested from a young tree are preserved worse, which is due to the most frequent diseases of young trees.
Fruits that have been harvested from the outside of the tree's crown will last longer because they have received more sunlight.
The way you remove apples from the tree also affects their storage in winter. Cleaning begins with the lower tiers of the crown of the tree, while it is better to put your hands in fabric gloves. You should not remove the fetus with sudden movements, but clasping it with your hand, lift and scroll.
Thus, it is realistic to store apples in winter, if all the requirements are met - a suitable variety is selected, a storage room is carefully prepared and fruits are removed from the trees according to the rules.
