Whilst driving into work this morning through the orchards it was good to see the pickers out. This we probably be the last of the picking for this season. According to our resident apple expert, Paul Roberts, the last apples to be harvested from the orchards are the varieties that have large fruit and need longer to ripen, these varieties are normally associated with cooking rather than eating. Fruit that is on the tree for longer and not harvested until Sept/Oct remains hardy and durable and with the correct storage can be kept until as late as June, whereas fruit that is picked early in the season does not store well and has to be used straight away.

Once all the apple picking is complete the orchards will be tidied up and all the picking equipment put away until next year. The next job on the farm is pruning, this will happen from mid November, once the leaves have dropped and the trees have ‘gone to sleep’, right through until March. The purpose of pruning is to remove any disease or torn wood, keep the shape of the tree and promote growth and formation of the fruit bud.