We have a half a dozen trees (new - only about six years old) a couple are laden. I cut one open tonight and while it had lovely flavour it wasn't ripe. The pips were still pale.
My question is will they ripen if I pick them now as I'm concerned about the birds getting them and also that the trees will be stripped.
TIA
bluefrog2,
Feb 2, 3:16am
I think it depends how early you pick the apples. They'll continue to ripen a little, but may not get the full flavour of a tree ripened apple. Birds don't damage as many apples as they do soft stone fruit or berries. Usually they will concentrate on one or two apples at a time, and that's the signal to grab the rest.
wheelz,
Feb 2, 3:39am
I think with the hot dry weather, the birds are looking for moisture, my apple trees are being stripped, even the Granny Smith and Montys which is 3 months away from ripening ! Have my plum trees covered in bird netting, so they are safe. Between codlin moth and the birds. I'll have very few apples. I'm chopping most trees down when the birds are done, just keep two cooker apples. Can't be bothered trying to fight the codlin anymore, and we haven't eaten fresh apples for a couple of years. Oops . sorry for the digression.
rotorbladz,
Feb 2, 3:44am
Digress away. We have a beautiful old black doris plum tree and last year the fruiting was amazing. And this year, nothing. It had great blossom but we had big storms and I'm wondering if that has affected the fruit setting?
bluefrog2,
Feb 2, 3:58am
If the birds are after moisture, It might help to keep a birdbath/waterbowl around. Remember to change the water daily. I had a lot of hail damage early in the season on my fruit trees. Damaged leaves, and I culled a lot of apples with dings from the hail. The leaves are still looking ragged even now. No problem with codlin moth, thank goodness. But have had some trouble with mildew attacking already damaged leaves this year.
EDIT: I don't know much about plum trees, but pear trees often fruit every other year. This year is a low year for me. There is a total of ONE pear on each tree. On a high year, I'd get a bucket or two.
rotorbladz,
Feb 2, 4:20am
Thanks for the tip. There's a pear tree on this property that's almost 100. I'd love to graft it onto something as it's not going to survive much longer.
p.monro,
Feb 2, 11:32am
I used to be bird free until a flock of waxeyes found my place. I have 30 fruit trees and they went for the figs. I covered the figs with net so they went for the apples so I covered the apples and they went away. The next year they tried again and as soon as the nets were bought out they took off. This year they started on the peaches so I draped a small net over part of the tree and I have not seen them since. I have put nets on the royal gala apple. The gala is too big to cover and they took a few off it but nothing of concern yet They do not seem interested in the pears. My pear tree has branches growing from the rootstock. I take cuttings from there and when they are established about 6mm thick I graft pear from the tree to get a new tree
laspaz,
Aug 3, 3:36pm
My Black Doris produced nothing last year and about a bucket full this year. Only the 3rd year I have had it so can't know what's normal yet.
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