Apple tree advice please

[mistajay]

I have 3 apple trees , the one in the picture and 2 smaller ones.

 

All 3 of them produce loads of apples but since I've been at the property which is 5 yrs we have never harvested them as there are always bugs/maggot of some sort in them

 

It looks like to me they go in through the bottom of the apple via the core bit.

 

Any advice would be great as I'd like to harvest them for something.

 

 

 

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[mistajay]

Not a lot else matters once the cider has fermented... except where your next pot of cider is coming from!

 

I (along with several friends) help a family from the village who have a good sized orchard, with their 'apple day' that they host each year.

 

Basically a load of families all get together, harvest the apples, play games, drink, eat, play more games, then chop, mush and press a lot of the apples for juice and cider that gets consumed over the year - until we all do it again the next year. All very much good fun.

 

The apples that go in the cider are a mixture of everything - cookers, eaters etc. and it doesn't really matter just as long as they are not the apples already fallen to the ground and turned bad. I am certain there are the occasional invertebrates in the mix, but as you press you extract the juice into a barrel (you could pass through muslin if you want, but I don't think there is any point - we don't), and the pulp containing the invertebrates bodies is left behind and disposed of.

 

So, I wouldn't be concerned about the potential for contamination from a few moth/grub bodies as in reality I think very little would get into the end product, and if you think about it, you are more than likely consuming the same amount of contaminants whenever you buy similar products from the supermarket...

 

 

Cheers

Cannot wait for next year now

 

 

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[Gary Prentice]

Not a lot else matters once the cider has fermented... except where your next pot of cider is coming from!

 

I (along with several friends) help a family from the village who have a good sized orchard, with their 'apple day' that they host each year.

 

Basically a load of families all get together, harvest the apples, play games, drink, eat, play more games, then chop, mush and press a lot of the apples for juice and cider that gets consumed over the year - until we all do it again the next year. All very much good fun.

 

The apples that go in the cider are a mixture of everything - cookers, eaters etc. and it doesn't really matter just as long as they are not the apples already fallen to the ground and turned bad. I am certain there are the occasional invertebrates in the mix, but as you press you extract the juice into a barrel (you could pass through muslin if you want, but I don't think there is any point - we don't), and the pulp containing the invertebrates bodies is left behind and disposed of.

 

So, I wouldn't be concerned about the potential for contamination from a few moth/grub bodies as in reality I think very little would get into the end product, and if you think about it, you are more than likely consuming the same amount of contaminants whenever you buy similar products from the supermarket...

 

And after a couple of glasses, who cares?

[Steven P]

There is nothing worse than finding a maggot in the apple you are eating... except finding half a maggot in the apple.

 

 

 

And for what its worth - nice apple tree I would like that in my garden, the boys would love playing round that

[agg221]

So should I take out all vertical growing branches Alec?

 

Sort of.

 

You want to end up with no vertical branches but if you just cut them all out this winter the tree will grow very vigorously (upwards!) and stop producing fruit, so you have to spread it over a few years - 3 to 5 depending on how strongly the tree responds.

 

You also may be able to make use of some of them if there are any gaps in the canopy where a branch would bend down usefully to fill it. You can tie them in to get the right shape - if done over winter they will need untying around next June.

 

Alec