Each day, I collect apples from our small orchard. In one corner of this area, is an old compost heap that will be used next year as a soil improver. Today, I spotted a sunflower growing out of the heap, with another one waiting to open. It looked so bright, in an otherwise dark area. It has survived the last few mornings of frost. I’m not sure why I’ve not noticed it growing there before, when I’ve been collecting the fallen apples.
I seem to be spending a lot of my time thinking about apples at the moment. If I’m not cutting and splicing, I’m thinking of ways to preserve their goodness for later. Mr T even suggested that this year I’d have too many apples to deal with. This has become a challenge. I am determined not to waste an apple – unless it is too beat up. Each day I go out to our little orchard and pick up the fallers. There are always too many to carry in one load. Each day, I process a few more and compost the ones that are beyond use.
Very soon, I am going to have to pick them straight from the tree. My apple storage area will be more than full. I’m not going to give up, though. Not until every apple has found its resting place for the winter. The strange part is that, I’m sure, that the apples on the tree don’t seem less in number. That can’t be right. Unless someone else is depositing their apples under our trees, which I think is unlikely.
This year is our best apple harvest. No chance of giving away any apples, as all our neighbours are enjoying bumper years as well. This is the kind of problem I like. Oh blessed with apples.
Yes, enjoy your blessing! We didn’t get a single apple off our young trees this year (I think it’s payback for not putting up all the apples last year. Should have appreciated them when I had them!). So glad you had a bumper crop, though!
We prune twice a year, which I am convinced works magic. Seems to stop the peaks and troughs of the apple harvest. Wish I could send you some apples.
When I lived in the UK we went to Apple days and stored our treasures in flat trays and boxes in our shed, We protected them from frost and they kept surprisingly well. When My mum was a child they stored the apples on straw in the farmhouse attics..but having no straw or attics..we found cardboard boxes and newspaper worked well to keep them from touching each other and bubble wrap and blankets gave frost protection.
Some varieties keep really well and by January,Howgate Wonder cookers became rather nice to eat raw .
Those laden trees look lovely. Round here the moose would find them irresistible! (and so would I …:0) )
I have set up a Heath Robinson apple tray stacking arrangement for some of the apples that I pick off the tree. They are more likely to be blemish and bruise free. My problem is finding somewhere to store the apples over the winter, that is cool and mouse free. My parents have a Howgate Wonder tree. I have never seen such big apples. Our Bramleys are bigger than ever this year, but they are still no match size wise on the Howgates. I may try my luck storing them in one of the sheds, this year, as I have so many. I don’t mind sharing a few. Although next door’s cats are formidable mouse catchers.