Exact timing
Summer varieties of apples and pears begin to be removed from trees in mid-August, and all the fruits go directly to food and processing, since their storage does not exceed a month.
Autumn varieties are harvested from late August – early September, they do not deteriorate for up to three months, but the pulp becomes loose, wadded.
Winter varieties are harvested from late September to mid-October, at which time they are firm and dry. Such fruits ripen as they are stored, they can lie almost until spring.
Press down on the fruit with your thumb to find out when to start harvesting. If it is impossible to make a dent or it disappeared instantly, then it is too early to take the baskets. The peel of the apple has gone – you are late, the harvest is good only for processing. If the dent is shallow but doesn’t even out, it’s time to harvest.
According to the rules
Stock up on a collection device in advance – it looks like a small net with a hook for bending branches. Wait for dry and sunny weather. This is especially important when collecting winter varieties. Always start from the lower branches, going up.
It is not necessary to do all the work in one day: from the north side of the tree, the fruits ripen a couple of days later. Remove the fruit carefully, with a stalk, try not to damage the branches of the tree and touch the apples less. It is convenient to sort the crop right away: what is for storage and what is for processing.
Favorable conditions
The best containers for harvesting are vine baskets or wooden boxes, which should be covered with clean paper and dry straw. In a container, the fruits are laid directly from the tree and immediately removed to a cool, dry place. If the basement is too damp, place several containers of fluffy lime (sold in the garden department), it will collect excess moisture. During storage, some fruits will inevitably deteriorate. Do not leave them with healthy apples, remove at the first sign of rot.