It remains quite a bit of time until we all - gardeners, start to harvest apples. I have this year was a good bloom, tying a lot of fruit, so I can not wait, when proceed to the collection.
It's one thing to collect, and quite another to keep the crop in "a commodity". Today I will tell the secret of the three long-term storage, which help me to feast on apples even in spring.
1. The correct choice of varieties
A lot depends on the correct choice of varieties. There are varieties that under no circumstances can not be stored for a long time. Our task is to select the variety that is the easiest way to save. For example, these include:
- Antonovka;
- Hercules;
- Knight;
- Orel;
- Welsy;
- Chosen;
- Some other species.
It is these varieties are able to maintain their appearance and nutrients over a long storage time. (Of course, if you store them correctly)
2. Proper harvesting
Not many know, but how long to store apples is largely dependent on proper harvest. If you look, it is not as important as the right choice of apples. For their horticultural practices I identified myself to a few basic rules of data collection, which now tell.
- First, the apples should be removed only in dry weather. Many gardeners neglect this rule and very vain!
- Secondly, in any case it is impossible to tear off the stalk, or as it is called - the stem;
- Third, do not wash the small plenochku, which is formed on an apple tree in a natural way. It protects the fruit from pests and adverse external environment;
- Fourth, the apples can not be beat, throw, move in large bags, where they can be damaged. Any damage will soon start to rot and decay;
- Fifth, you need to shoot apples only at the moment when they are really ripe.
Try to put apples in no more than 4-5 layers on top of each other, otherwise they can be crumpled under its own weight.
3. correct sorting
If you want the apples were stored 1-2 months, they can be collected in a basket and send it directly to the storage in the pantry or cellar. But if you want to save the crop by 8-9 months, be sure to sort the fruit.
3.1 Selection of the damaged fruit
The first rule of the sort - to select the damaged fruits before they begin to deteriorate. The selection takes place in two stages.
- Sorting immediately after collection;
- Lay off all selected and healthy-looking apples for 15-20 days, after which we choose those with defects began to appear. They are unsuitable for further storage.
Our task is to select at this stage only the most persistent, healthy and strong apples. That they should be preserved until the spring.
3.2 Sorting
After all damaged fruits were separated, you must sort the healthy apples correctly.
- Apples are one class must be separated from other varieties. I would recommend just when gathering to share the fruits of varieties, or later can be confusing;
- Apples of varieties is better to divide into different boxes or on their size baskets. Personally, I share in the small, medium and large. There are those who simply divides into small and large;
- If all the apples were harvested at the same time, they are equally ripe. But if it so happened that the fruits have different stages of ripeness, it is better to separate them, and on this basis.
4. Puts apples for storage
There are several ways to store apples:
- Standard when all the fruits and are in contact with each other;
- Isolated, when each apple wrapped in a sheet of paper;
- Semi-isolated, when the apples do not touch each other, but not wrapped in paper.
I like most about the second way, but it's very labor costs, so I keep so only part of the crop. I almost forgot the most important thing! All apples should be based on peduncles up.
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