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Post by owdboggy on Oct 10, 2013 17:04:54 GMT
A very old form of cooking apple. I only picked the ones I could reach without a ladder and got these. They are for our friends in a Gardening group on Friday evening. Not as big individually this year, they can reach nearly a pound in weight. (The apples, silly!).  |
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Post by Rosefriend on Oct 10, 2013 19:11:12 GMT
Look great owdboggy - I have just googled them and they go back to the 1600's - how reliably do they crop and are they healthy trees?? RF |
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Post by owdboggy on Oct 10, 2013 20:22:49 GMT
This one is a very healthy tree, of about 30 feet tall. We deliberately got one on a full size rootstock instead of on a dwarfing one. It produces about 100 kilos of apples every year, since it began producing. Obviously some years it has more than others, depends like all of them on the season. The are beautiful tasting apples too. The only problem with them is that the fruit is hollow and almost every one has a resident earwig in it. They do not do the fruit any harm, but they do freak me out when they fall out as I pick them. I really do not like earwigs.
When I say hollow I don't mean the apple has little flesh, just that where there is the seed in a normal apple, in this one there is a space.
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Post by Rosefriend on Oct 11, 2013 6:26:31 GMT
This one is a very healthy tree, of about 30 feet tall. We deliberately got one on a full size rootstock instead of on a dwarfing one. It produces about 100 kilos of apples every year, since it began producing. Obviously some years it has more than others, depends like all of them on the season. The are beautiful tasting apples too. The only problem with them is that the fruit is hollow and almost every one has a resident earwig in it. They do not do the fruit any harm, but they do freak me out when they fall out as I pick them. I really do not like earwigs. When I say hollow I don't mean the apple has little flesh, just that where there is the seed in a normal apple, in this one there is a space. You are going to have to explain it again owdboggy as I honestly don't understand how the earwig gets into the hollow where the seeds usually are?? How do they get in and out then?? RF |
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Post by owdboggy on Oct 11, 2013 8:16:31 GMT
There is a tiny hole at the bottom of the apple, where the flower remains are. It is big enough for an earwig to crawl inside and take up residence. Bit hard to take a photo of what I mean.
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Post by Tig on Oct 11, 2013 14:18:33 GMT
They do look good OB. It's a case of opening the bags cautiously then, just in case any more earwigs are lurking, stewed Pigs Snout apple and earwig sounds like a medieval recipe  |
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Post by owdboggy on Oct 12, 2013 10:42:46 GMT
Well earwigs or no, the bags of apples went last night. Still probably well over 100 pounds on the tree which will need picking soon. Ladder job.
Today we picked over 100 pounds (50 kilos approx) of Crown Gold. They need sorting as some are definitely wormed. They will be either juiced or puréed (sans worm) and frozen. The good ones will keep until well after December end.
Still got the Ashmeads to pick and that tree is well laden. Hopefully this year they will not have Bitter pit in them which rendered the crop useless 2 years ago. I put Calcium carbonate all round the roots to get rid of this Calcium deficiency problem.
Then that just leaves the 12 or so Court Pendu Plat to pick. Sad crop on that.
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Post by Rosefriend on Oct 12, 2013 16:59:02 GMT
There is a tiny hole at the bottom of the apple, where the flower remains are. It is big enough for an earwig to crawl inside and take up residence. Bit hard to take a photo of what I mean. Now I know what you mean@owdboggy - couldn't work it out somehow... I am so pleased that at least you can give your surplus (loads and loads I think) to others - it would be such a waste if the birds got everything.. RF |
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