When to harvest apples for better storage and better varieties. When to pick apples for storage? And how to do it right

A rich harvest of apples will please any gardener. But at the same time with joy, the question arises: how can all this wealth be kept fresh until spring? Which varieties are best stored, how to determine their degree of maturity, what are the ways of laying apples - read about all this in our article.

Every gardener knows that growing a crop is only half the battle, you still need to be able to and save it. Experienced gardeners have mastered the wisdom of "apple longevity" for a long time, they have been empirically developed to the maximum effective ways stacking apples for storage, allowing them to preserve their benefits, aroma and freshness.

Choice the right varieties, harvesting according to all the rules, correct sorting, stacking, optimum temperature and humidity are the main components of long-term storage.

Choosing the right varieties

Will apples be stored for a long time without deterioration palatability depends on their variety. Varieties have such a thing as keeping quality, that is, the ability to maintain nutritional and nutritional properties for a certain, fairly long time.

It is the late (winter) varieties of apples that are harvested from mid-October that are characterized by excellent keeping quality. Today, the most famous and popular are the following winter varieties:

1. Aurora- a variety resistant to low temperatures and fungal diseases. The fruits are large, round in shape with a blurred wide blush, they are distinguished by a pronounced aroma and juiciness. Harvest begins in early October. This variety is perfectly stored until spring, even in the refrigerator.
2. Jonathan- one of the most famous winter varieties. The fruits are small, have a pleasant aroma and wine-sweet taste, subject to optimal conditions storage do not lose nutritional qualities until mid-May.
3. Golden Delicious- American variety, medium-sized fruits, golden color, juicy, appreciated for their excellent taste and aroma. Apples of this variety ripen by the end of September, well stored until mid-April.
4. snowy calvil- Ukrainian variety of folk selection. The fruits are medium in size, greenish-white. Perfectly stored in the basement, without losing taste and aroma until mid-April.
5. Renet Simirenko- the most common late variety of Russian breeding. The fruits are large, rounded, have a pronounced aroma and sweet and sour taste. Apples of this variety favorable conditions can be stored until the summer.
6. King David- American late variety, characterized by high yield. Medium-sized fruits have a flat-rounded shape, a dark red blush covers almost their entire surface. This variety of apples has a spicy aroma, juiciness and excellent taste.

It is very difficult to describe all the variety of varieties within the framework of one article. You can find out more information by consulting with experts involved in growing apples in your area.

How to properly harvest

You should carefully prepare for picking apples: pick up a tool, clean the container and storage, plan the order of work. In this case, it is very important to determine whether the apples are ripe - unripe and overripe ones will not lie.

Determining maturity

You can determine that it is time to remove apples from a branch visually, by scavenging. If delicious fruits have already appeared among the fallen fruits large apples with characteristic varietal characteristics, which means that the rest are ready for collection.

You can also determine ideal maturity by the following features:

• press on the apple, if the dent has disappeared - the crop is not yet ripe;
• if the peel burst when pressed, the apples are considered overripe, they are not suitable for storage;
• an unflattening, sagging skin speaks of ideal full maturity.

You can define maturity “scientifically”, in a special way. by chemical means. To do this, 4 grams of potassium iodide and 1 gram of iodine are dissolved in a liter of distilled water. The apple is cut in half and dipped into the solution. Maturity in this case is defined as follows:

• if after two minutes the edges and the middle of the apple turned blue, it means there is a lot of starch in it, which indicates immaturity;
• if it is blue at the edges, and yellow in the middle - perfect maturity;
• the presence of only yellow color- the apple is overripe.

Experienced gardeners believe that it is better for apples to be unripe than to overripe and begin to rot.

Correctly picking apples from trees

A warm, clear, dry day should be chosen for harvesting winter apples. It is better to do this after dinner, when the air warms up enough, and the fruits are perfectly dry.

The fruits are picked very carefully so as not to damage. The apple is taken with all fingers, with the index finger pressing on the stalk where it is attached to the fruit branch, and the fruit is slightly lifted up. Do not unscrew, break off or pull the apple down. In fruits destined for long-term storage, in no case do you need to tear off the stalk, this significantly reduces the keeping quality of the crop.

When harvesting winter apples, do not wipe off the matte film from them, the so-called natural wax coating. Picked apples should not be thrown, they must be carefully folded into a container prepared in advance.

Sorting apples

Immediately after harvesting, it should be kept in a cool room for 15-20 days, after which it should be sorted - during this time all signs will appear. possible defects. After that, it is necessary to sort out the apples, selecting for storage fruits with stalks without wormholes and mechanical damage.

Apples of different varieties are recommended to be stored in different containers, you should also sort them by size - small, medium and large. After that, the crop is stored for storage using one or more of the following methods.

Store apples

For apples, it is better to allocate a separate pantry or cellar. The fact is that during storage, these fruits emit a lot of ethylene - a gas that contributes to the speedy ripening of other vegetables. Increased content ethylene in the cellar leads to the fact that root crops (potatoes, carrots, beets, celery) germinate strongly and deteriorate faster. Therefore, it is strongly not recommended to store apples with these vegetables.

Before laying apples, the room should be well cleaned and disinfected. The walls are whitened with a solution of freshly slaked lime and blue vitriol in proportion: 10 liters of water, 150 g of vitriol, 1.5 kg of lime. Floors are sprayed with mortar iron sulphate(450-500 g) per 10 liters of water.

Late apples, depending on the variety and temperature and humidity indicators, can retain their nutritional value for 4-7 months. Ideal conditions for storage in this case are considered: air temperature from 0 to + 3 ... 4 degrees, relative humidity at the level of 85-90%. If the humidity is lower, the apples wilt quickly.

For winter storage any container is suitable, the main requirements for which are cleanliness and strength. It can be wicker baskets, wooden, cardboard or plastic crates which must be thoroughly cleaned before use.

You can store apples in the winter in various ways.

Easy styling

Apples are laid with their stalks up in one, two or three layers, while not shifting anything. In this way, many apples can be laid, however, this method is considered the most “short-lived”, bookmarks should be checked regularly to prevent possible pockets of decay from spreading.

Wrapping in paper

Each individual apple is wrapped in paper napkins or plain white paper and placed in a prepared container with the stalks up. If all the fruits are healthy, then in this way apples can be stored for a long time.

Overlaying (overlapping)

Most best way winter storage. best material in this case, there will be well-washed and dried sand with the addition of ash in a ratio of 1:10. Sand with ash is poured onto the bottom of the prepared container with a layer of 3-4 centimeters, then the apples are laid out so that they do not touch each other. Backfilled with sand. Thus, 3-4 layers can be laid.

Other materials can be used instead of sand with ash: sawdust, leaves or shavings of trees (not coniferous), onion peel, sunflower husks, peat or moss.

storage in the ground

If on personal plot there is no cellar, you can save the harvest of apples in the ground. To do this, they dig a trench 50-60 cm deep and 30-40 cm wide in advance. The bottom of the trench is covered with coniferous spruce branches or juniper branches - this will protect the bookmark from rodents. Apples are packed in plastic bags of 4-5 kg ​​each and placed on the bottom, then covered with earth from above. To protect against severe frosts, dry foliage can be poured on top.

Treatment with carbon dioxide or ultraviolet light

The harvest of apples is wonderfully stored in the cellar in plastic bags, into which, using a siphon for carbonation, water is injected through a small hole. carbon dioxide. The hole is then quickly sealed.

Some summer residents treat apples laid in one layer with a bactericidal ultraviolet lamp for 30-40 minutes. The lamp is suspended at a distance of 1.5 meters, the apples are turned over once for uniform processing. This method allows you to destroy most of the harmful fungi and bacteria that cause the development of rot.

By laying the harvest of apples in storage, you can enjoy the fragrant useful fruit and be sure that your body will not suffer from chemicals that are often present in fruits sold in winter in supermarkets.

The past season was especially difficult for our country in general and for the North-West region in particular. The hot summer contributed to a decrease in the harvest of vegetables and fruits, and the past in the north Leningrad region hurricanes have deprived many citizens of light and outbuildings on their summer cottages. Therefore, the topic of stocks for the winter and preparing the site for winter is more relevant than ever.

Let's start with the basics. With the tools we need to harvest. old, experienced gardeners, of course, no longer need such advice, their sheds are full necessary inventory. But I hope that we are read and less experienced gardeners. So, for starters, you, dear gardeners, need to have some tools on your backyard that make cleaning easier: knives, secateurs, pitchforks, shovels and accessories (about them below).

Knives and secateurs are used for harvesting green, bulbous, perennial and some other crops. They cut the greens of dill, parsley, cumin, celery, marjoram, asparagus, rhubarb. Cabbage is cut with knives. Forks are needed for digging up root crops: carrots, radishes, onions, etc. Shovels are used for harvesting potatoes. Most of the harvest, especially berries and fruits (currants, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, cherries, apples, pears), are harvested by hand.

ACCESSORIES

Harvesting accessories include ladders, pulling hooks, fruit pickers, and much more that can be found in gardening stores.

Ladders are needed in order to harvest trees: cherries, sweet cherries, apricots, apple trees and pears. For the same purpose, you can use hooks to pull branches.

In some cases, cotton gloves are used when harvesting. They are necessary in order not to accidentally damage the delicate skin of the fruit with nails. So, especially valuable varieties of pears are harvested with gloves.

Fruit pickers are bowls or nets mounted on long handles. However, it is not recommended to use them when picking berries and fruits intended for long-term storage, as the fruits, falling into the bowl, can be deformed.

It is necessary, in my opinion, to have these devices at hand in advance - after all, as you know, a summer day feeds a year, and especially if the day is fruitful. Don't waste time looking for inventory.

Having prepared the inventory, we proceed to the harvest. Especially if he is. Harvesting has its own rules. Here they are.

RULES FOR HARVESTING FRUIT

We start picking fruits only in dry weather. I would not recommend harvesting after rain or dew. Fruits are removed only in dry weather. If it so happens that you have to harvest your apples and pears late autumn and the air temperature has fallen below 0°C, it is necessary to wait until it warms up again and the fruits are thawed and completely dry. If the temperature does not fall below -2°C, apples and pears can be left for long-term storage. Remove them very carefully, being careful not to damage them. Shaking berries and fruits from trees is strictly not allowed. Such behavior with your fruit trees can only be explained by the fact that you want to “recycle” them immediately.

Sick, damaged, deformed or fallen fruits are collected separately, it is advisable to immediately bury them in a compost heap.

Remember that apples and pears are removed along with the stalk, which is carefully separated from the branch (without stalks, they will not be stored well).

If you decide to shoot with your hands, then the fetus must be clasped with the palm of your hand, pressing index finger on the stalk at the place of its attachment to the fruit branch, and, lifting it a little, separate it from the fruit. (Fruit - a fruit branch with traces of fruiting and a large number flower buds. Fruits are perennial, and if you pick them, you will lose your crop for several years). You should not stand on the branches with your feet, jerk them sharply, etc. To collect the fruits located on the tops of the trees, use ladders, benches or hooks to pull up the branches. Ladders are rearranged carefully, trying not to knock down fruits hanging on branches. Fruits that are very high are removed with fruit pickers, but not shaken off.

The keeping quality of apples is strongly influenced by the time of their collection. If you took them off too early, the fruits are stored poorly, wither, their taste deteriorates. Filmed late - although they have apples best taste, but are stored just as poorly, overripe faster, suffer from browning of the pulp. Therefore, they need to be removed when the main dark green color of the skin of the apples begins to lighten, and on the illuminated side there is already a cover color characteristic of the variety. Another sign: healthy fruits appear among the carrion. Do not wash the wax coating from the fruit. This is protection against water evaporation and damage by microorganisms.

Apples keep better if they are cooled to 4°C immediately after picking and placed on permanent place in storage.

Store apples usually in wooden boxes. They have long term services, but are heavy and prone to decay. Plastic ones are light, do not rot, they are easier to wash and disinfect, but they can crack if accidentally bumped.

Apples keep well when placed clean. sawdust or small shavings of aspen and other trees hardwood(but not conifers - due to the perception of an unpleasant resinous odor by the fruits), healthy clean oak and maple leaves, dry moss, sifted peat chips, which has antimicrobial and antiseptic properties. The shavings should have a moisture content of 15-20%, be free from foreign odors and be clean. You should not overlay apples with straw, because when the first rotten fruits appear or vapors condense from a sharp change in temperature, the straw becomes moldy and gives the fruits an unpleasant aftertaste.

Sort the harvested apples by size and variety. How larger fruit, the earlier it ripens, breathes more strongly, releases more substances that affect neighboring fruits, accelerating their ripening. Before laying the fruits, the containers (boxes with too large gaps between the planks are unsuitable for storage and transportation) are specially prepared: they are pre-washed with a bleach solution containing 20 mg of active chlorine, clean paper is placed on the bottom so that its ends can subsequently be covered top row fruits. A layer of shavings is poured at the bottom, lined with paper, on which the bottom layer of fruits is laid, and then the next.

The top row of fruits is covered with the ends of the paper brought out, a layer of chips is poured, after which the box is clogged. To ensure even more reliable preservation of apples, they are individually wrapped in parchment or oiled paper.

There are several ways to arrange the fruit: diagonal, checkerboard, straight row.

Diagonal stacking involves gaps between stacked fruits equal to half their diameter. Laying is carried out according to the width of the box. In the second row, the fruits are deepened by one quarter into the gaps left between the fruits in the first row. The advantage of the diagonal method is that the fruits exert minimal pressure on each other.

Checkerboard laying involves in each subsequent row the displacement of the fruits by half the diameter relative to the fruits of the underlying row. The fruits of the top layer are placed in the recesses between the fruits of the bottom layer.

Straight-row laying involves the location of the fruits of the second row exactly above the fruits of the first. With this laying, the fruits form regular rows.

The more points of contact between the fruits, the less they suffer from pressure on each other, the higher the safety of the crop. With the diagonal method of laying, the fruit is in contact with neighboring fruits at 12 points; for chess - at 8; for straight row - in 6.

In order to separate the layers of fruits from each other, honeycomb spacers made of synthetic materials, as well as pressed cardboard, can be used. This method of packaging allows avoiding fruit contact with each other, which means minimizing the risk of product contamination with diseases. In addition, when using cellular pads, the risk of fruit damage during transportation and movement of boxes is completely eliminated. Among the disadvantages of this method is the fact that the use of spacers reduces the capacity of the container.

In country conditions, apples are stored in the cellar. It must be dry and the temperature in it must be between 0 and 4°C. Carefully selected apples can be placed in thin plastic bags with a capacity of up to 3 kg, the bags can be tied up and hung up. The composition of the gas environment in the package changes as a result of the respiration of the fruits themselves, and after 15-30 days a certain ratio of gases is created in the package, which protects the fruits from premature spoilage.

Do not store apples with strong-smelling foods - onions, garlic, potatoes.

In general, the apple tree is the pride of our gardens. Among fruit trees it ranks first in terms of planting area. Apple trees come in early (summer), middle (autumn) and late (winter) varieties. Accordingly, winter varieties are removed from the trees later than others - they ripen already in storage.

The pulp of apples contains a lot of sugars (fructose predominates), organic acids (malic, citric), tannins and pectin substances, trace elements (iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium and others), essential oil; there are vitamins A, C, B1, B2, P, PP.

Many of these components are preserved both in soaked and dried apples, and in their processed products.

The people of fresh apples and juice have long been considered a cure for many diseases. They were used for sclerosis, rheumatism, nephrolithiasis, anemia, beriberi, migraine, as an antitussive and diuretic; with their help, burns, frostbite, non-healing ulcers were treated - gruel from freshly grated apples was used as a healing agent for abrasions and other skin lesions, as well as for cracked nipples in nursing mothers.

Apples, in fact, have no contraindications, they are used for almost any disease. A large number of The fiber contained in the fruits helps to increase intestinal motility, therefore, in case of chronic constipation, raw or baked apples should be eaten on an empty stomach.

The phytoncides contained in the fruits act detrimentally on the pathogens of intestinal infections. With gastritis with hyperacidity, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, sweet varieties of apples are recommended, and for gastritis with low acidity, spastic colitis - acid.

Apples are an excellent dietary aid in the treatment of atherosclerosis, and the low calorie content and the ability of apples to reduce fat absorption make it possible to include them in the diet of obese people.

Pectin substances of apples adsorb and remove various toxic compounds from the body. Apples are especially useful for those who have oxalate kidney stones (formed due to impaired calcium and oxalic acid metabolism), as they have the ability to remove oxalates from the body.

Here, dear readers, what are apples. Therefore, be careful and respectful with them when collecting.

P. Panov , ecologist

(Gardener No. 40, 2010)

There is no culture more popular among gardeners than apples. Rarely in which garden these bright and juicy fruits rich in vitamins and microelements are not grown. It would seem that harvesting apples is a simple matter. But in order for the fruits to be stored longer, you need to properly harvest apples and take into account a number of features. I will tell you about them.

When to Harvest

It is customary to divide varieties of apples into three groups:

• summer varieties;
• autumn varieties;
• winter varieties.

When it comes time to harvest apples depends on the variety of apples grown in your area. In addition, and on your goals. So, the harvest of summer varieties is eaten immediately. Apple picking begins in mid-August, and their keeping quality is low, no more than a month. Autumn varieties are harvested from late August - early September, the crop can be stored for up to 4 months. True, by the end of the shelf life, the pulp of apples becomes loose. Winter varieties are the most lying. Gathered from the end of September - mid-October, they are unsuitable for food immediately from the branch. The harvest of winter varieties ripens as it is stored, it can be stored until spring.

How to determine the ripeness of apples

The specified terms are rather conditional. The ripeness of apples is affected by temperature and humidity, tree care, and the dryness of summer. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to correctly determine the ripeness of apples. I will teach you how to do it. If harvested early, the taste of apples will deteriorate. If apples are overexposed on the branches, they will become mealy in taste and the flesh will turn brown. There are several ways to determine the maturity of apples:

• Carrion. If there are large ones among the fallen apples, the harvest is ripe.
• Push on the apple thumb. If the dent is gone, the apples are not ripe. If the skin has parted under your finger, you are late with the harvest. If the dent does not level out, start collecting fruits.
• Tasting. The ripened fruit is bright and even in color, without darkening on the skin. The pulp is light, sweet and sour. Bones are dark brown.
• Chemical method. Prepare a solution of water, potassium iodide and iodine. Drop the solution on a slice of an apple, watch the reaction for a couple of minutes. Iodine reacts with starch, which is abundant in unripe apples, the amount of starch decreases as it ripens. If the cut turns blue, the fruits are not ripe. A yellow cut indicates that the crop is overexposed. Blue cut edge with a yellow core - start harvesting.

On sale there are specially prepared chemical kits for testing based on the latter option.

How to harvest

Any gardener knows how to properly harvest apples. The second half of the day is suitable for this work. Wait for warm sunny weather, without precipitation. It is important to follow this rule when collecting winter varieties. Start collecting apples from the lower branches, gradually rising to the top. Reach out to apples growing on the upper branches, help special devices, for example, a hook for bending branches or a special design for collecting apples, similar to a net. On the south side of the tree, apples ripen two to three days faster. Pluck the apples carefully together with the stalk, try not to damage the branches of the tree. Remember that only healthy fruits are suitable for storage, without dents, damage and wormholes.

How to store the harvest

To save the apple harvest, prepare wooden boxes with ventilation holes. Treat them with a solution of potassium permanganate and dry thoroughly in the sun. Then lay out blank sheets of paper on the bottom. Put the apples in boxes immediately after picking, without leaving them in the sun. The fruits should not be washed in order to leave the matte film intact, protecting them from decay. Leave the boxes in a cool ventilated area. Maintain the temperature to 5 degrees, do not allow freezing. Sort apples systematically and remove rotten and spoiled specimens.

I hope this article has answered all your questions about autumn collection apple harvest. bountiful harvest to you!

The time of apple ripening is the most crucial time when you cannot miss a day. This is especially true for cleaning. early ripe varieties: the slightest delay threatens with serious losses.

Rejoicing in the abundant fruiting, prepare in advance for the moment of collection:

• check the safety of inventory (baskets and devices for separating apples from branches);
• repair and test the stability of the stepladder;
• treat against pathogens and thoroughly ventilate the storage area.

Having done all this, you can calmly wait for the necessary ripeness of vitamin fruits.

Some general cleaning principles

For long-term storage, apples should be harvested following a few basic rules.

• Always pick apples only in dry weather, after waiting for the morning dew to dry.
• Planning to transport harvested crop, pre-cool it to a temperature of 8-10 ° C. So the fruits will transfer the transportation much easier.
• Harvest apples as soon as harvestable ripeness is reached. Unlike consumer ripeness, the fruit has already stopped growing at this time, but is still quite hard and contains more acids than sugar. It is during this period that the fruits are best processed, transported and cleaned for storage.
• The ripe fruit is fragrant and sweet, but if you pick it at this stage, the apple will become dry and crumbly very soon. The main difficulty in collecting early varieties is to be in time with harvesting before the onset of consumer ripeness, since it is achieved very quickly after harvesting, after about a week.
• Please note that weather a particular season significantly affect the timing of ripening. The hotter and drier the weather is, the earlier the fruit ripens. But the cool summer postpones this event for more late time, so that winter varieties may not ripen at all.
• Harvest is stored for storage immediately after harvesting. It is important that the temperature in the room is in the range from 0 to + 4 ° C and is sufficient high humidity (85–90 %).

All varieties of apples are divided into three large groups: summer, autumn and winter. Each of them has its own characteristics and terms of harvest.

When to harvest summer varieties

Summer apples very quickly in comparison with their later relatives, by the end of July - beginning of August, acquire removable ripeness. Harvested at this stage, they can be stored for about a month if placed in a refrigerator at a temperature of 0 to +3 ° C. After a couple of weeks early varieties already suitable only for immediate consumption in fresh or for processing.

Time to pick autumn apples

Autumn varieties begin to ripen in early or mid-September. It is by this time that they become truly sweet, fragrant and beautiful. If you want to harvest for storage, then the fruits should be harvested without waiting for consumer ripeness - unripe, and then let them gain the necessary sweetness in storage. After 2-3 weeks, the crop will be quite usable. In addition, autumn apples picked at the stage of removable ripeness can be stored without problems in for three months.

Winter apples - for patient gardeners

Winter varieties differ in that they almost never reach consumer maturity on a tree. In order for them to become tasty and juicy, the fruits must lie in storage for more than one month. The terms of their collection on average fall on the end of September, and real ripeness occurs only after 2-3 months.

However, such apples have one undoubted advantage - a very long shelf life. Subject to all the rules, they are able to delight with sweet and sour taste and bright aroma all winter.

How to pick apples

Their safety directly depends on how correctly you shoot, for example, melba or antonovka. This is especially important for winter apples, which will lie in storage for many months.

• If you want the harvested apples to keep well, do not water the apple tree during the fruit ripening period. For the same purposes, you should not get carried away with top dressing.
• Always choose only fine days for cleaning. Fruits harvested wet are much more likely to get sick.
• Start from the lower branches, gradually moving up. So you can harvest without injuring the fruit.
• Pick the apples on the south side of the tree first, as they always ripen earlier there. The northern branches will require your attention a couple of days later.
• Pluck the fruit very carefully, trying not to damage the delicate skin. Just carefully place them in the prepared container, in no case do not throw them away.
• Be sure to leave the stalk, as apples keep better with it.
• Never wipe apples, because this removes their protective wax coating.
• Do not store carefully picked and fallen fruits together for storage. It is generally better not to store carrion, even winter varieties, but to process it immediately.

What is needed to save the harvest

It is not difficult to enjoy the taste and aroma of summer for a long time, as well as regularly supply the body with vitamins, if you take the issue of storage responsibly and take into account a few useful rules.

• Use simple wooden boxes as containers, pre-treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and thoroughly dried in the sun.
• It is better to lay thick paper at the bottom, but you can get by with ordinary newspapers. Sometimes dry, pre-washed sand is used for this purpose.
• Harvested fruit should not be stored outdoors, even for a short time. It is necessary to remove them in storage immediately after collection.
• At high humidity air in the storage, place containers with fluffy lime in it. It will absorb all excess water from the air. In a room that is too dry, you can put buckets or boxes with wet sand. It must be periodically watered during the entire storage period as it dries.
• Very important for the right microclimate temperature regime. The air should not warm up above + 5 ° C, however, even small negative temperatures are also unacceptable.
• Late varieties can be laid out in boxes in several layers, but not too tightly, sprinkled with sawdust, onion peel, peat or other dry and bulk material. Summer and autumn apples are best placed in a low container in one layer, wrapping each fruit with a napkin or sheet of paper.
• It is necessary to regularly sort out the crop, removing diseased specimens that are a source of infection for their neighbors. The first time this should be done a couple of weeks after collection. It is during this period that all defects that you did not find during cleaning will appear. In the future, an audit can be carried out less frequently, approximately once every 3-4 weeks.
• It will be correct to store separately different varieties and instances different sizes, as their keeping quality is always different.

Each type of apple different term ripening: some are harvested in autumn, others can be already at the end of summer. It is important not to allow the crop to overripe, otherwise it will not be stored for a long time.

You can not remove unripe fruits, because they did not have time to accumulate enough sugar and they sour. In order not to be mistaken, you need to know not only at what time a particular variety ripens, but also be able to determine visually when the harvest is ready.

How to know when apples are ripe

First of all, you should pay attention to the padanka. If there are many large and beautiful fruits among the fruits lying on the ground, then the time has come for harvesting.

You can determine the maturity of apples by the following signs:

1. If a dent does not form when pressing on the fruit, then it is not yet ripe, the skin has burst - it is overripe and is not suitable for long-term storage. These apples will make delicious preparations: jam or jam.
2. If, when you press the fruit, a dent forms and does not level out, it means that it is fully ripe and you can safely start harvesting.
3. At ripe apples whitish or creamy flesh.
4. They talk about maturity external signs: fetus reached the right sizes(it is different for each variety), there are no wormholes on the surface, red color or with the presence yellow shade. The taste of an apple is sweet and sour or sweet (depending on the variety). Seeds of ripe fruits are brown.

There is a very interesting method determining the degree of maturity of apples. This will require 1 liter of distilled water, 4 g of potassium iodide and 1 g of iodine are placed in it. When the composition is ready, half the fruit is lowered into it. Unripe fruits contain a lot of starch, which will begin to turn blue in the solution. After 2 minutes, the pulp will change color. According to the acquired color, the following conclusions can be drawn:

• the apple in the core area and turned blue at the edges - it is too early to harvest;
• the blue color did not appear - the fruits have already overripe;
• a blue color formed around the edges, and the middle turned yellow - the apples are ripe, you can start picking.

Selling in garden stores special sets, consisting of chemical ingredients, from which a solution is made and dripped onto a slice of fruit. According to the table that is attached to each product, determine the degree of maturity.

When to start harvesting?

You need to start harvesting apples in a timely manner, because the degree of readiness for winter storage depends on this. According to the ripening time, varieties are divided into 3 types:

1. Summer. They are not suitable for winter storage, fruits can be harvested as early as the 2nd half of August, but they will lie for no more than a month, so they are either eaten immediately or harvested.
2. Collection time autumn varieties starts at the end of August and ends at the beginning of autumn. Apples will lie for 3-4 months.
3. Winter varieties. They are best suited for long term storage. Fruits keep well until March. The harvest season starts at the end of September and ends in mid-October.

Winter varieties of apples are best not eaten immediately after picking, as the fruits will still be a little sour. After lying down for a while, they will become tastier and sugar will accumulate in them (the longer they are, the sweeter they will be).