The Grounded Orchardist

In horticulture there are a lot of rules and I feel like we should take much more of an agricultural approach sometimes in terms of working with the weather and other conditions.

I see a lot of people ridiculed online for picking their early apples in particular, too soon. Now, here’s my two penny’s worth…

I am now mostly growing fruit in an Oxfordshire orchard. I also help in an orchard in Northamptonshire. Both orchards grow Discovery’s. Now being further south (bare in mind this is just an hours drive away) the Oxfordshire Discos were ready five days before the Northamptonshire ones. I know people in Scotland who are weeks behind, George from Beechgrove garden is telling his fans to start picking the exposed Discovery’s now and in Kent orchards were picking a week before the Northants ones.

• You can buy a book or read the label on a bought tree and it tells you when to harvest your fruit.
• You go by what the tree did last year, however, that very much varies from year to year nowadays.
• An expert in garden centre can tell you but it’s only really relevant if they know where you are growing etc

Theres nothing wrong with the above. However, it’s very true to state that actually even in our tiny country, dates for picking, pruning etc can vary wildly! Then when you add in microclimates etc it can become quite a different story.

Yes, there are rules such as pips need to be brown…what if they’re pink? Iodine and Brix testing are a fantastic way of course but the sugar content in each variety can be wildly different…again, no one rule suits all.

So, how can you tell if your apples are ready to pick?

I would say it’s a mixture of…

• Colour – This can vary. Some years they don’t really colour up at all.
• Size – Dependant on rainfall, feed (including sun) etc.
• Taste – One of the best indicators.
• Pip colour – Ideally you want Brown or Pink pips, not white.
• Do they pick easily or are they clinging on? – gently cup the apple and gently lift it up. If it easily comes off the tree it’s another indicator it may be ready…or about to drop.
• Are they dropping? – Pick up the fallers and use these tips to assess the ones still on the tree.
• Books and labels, it may sound like I’m against other peoples advice. Not at all, it’s partly how I learn and continue to learn. Just use these tips to make an informed decision on your own trees. Some of the best fruit growing books are quite old and the climate is very different now to then.
• Iodine – A way of measuring ripeness. It shows a clear indication of the sugar and starch content.
• Brix monitoring..A device to measure sugar content. Not essential for the home grower but often used commercially.
• Or, perhaps the biggest indicator for early varieties…are the pesky wasps on them?

Using the info above make an informed decision based on your own trees, not on someone else’s…unless they’re very close to you.

You know if the wasp damage on your trees is so severe you might lose a lot of the crop if you wait for perfectly ripe apples.

You know if your region has had so little rain that they’re dropping before fully ripening.

You know if the sun disappeared a few days before perfectly ripe fruit and now instead of sweetening up they’re in danger of losing their crispness.

Bottom line, what I’m saying is. If I tell you, you shouldn’t be picking your Discovery, because I haven’t. If I haven’t asked you questions about your trees and your climate. If I have grabbed a book which could have been written by anyone…anywhere. Don’t listen to me!!! 😂