According to EDS Schoenborn Orchards, Apples are a popular fruit to grow and sell in the United States. They make up two-thirds of the country’s crop and are often used for fresh eating and processing. They also provide valuable nutrition to people in remote areas where transportation costs are high.

The best time to harvest apples is in the fall, but there are a few things you can do to determine when to pick them. First, look for a colour change in the apples. The most common colour change is from green to red, but there are other ways to tell when a specific type of apple is ready to pick.

When an apple is ripe, it should be easy to pick off the tree. You can also test it by slicing the apple in half. If the seeds are dark brown and easy to see inside the apple, it is ready for harvesting.

Once you have harvested your apples, it is essential to store them correctly to keep them fresh for the winter. Maintaining the humidity at 90-95% is necessary to prevent them from drying out. Professional growers use controlled atmosphere rooms to keep their apples at the right temperature.

If you cannot store your apples at this temperature, you can place them in an airtight plastic bag with holes punched into it for humidity control. You can also put them in the refrigerator if you have one.

It is also essential to check the apple’s skin before deciding when to harvest it. If the skin is soft or mealy, you should not pick it. Instead, leaving it on the tree for a few days is better to ensure it is fully ripe and ready to harvest.

In addition to the skin, you can also test the apple’s internal consistency. If it is sticky or clumpy, the apple is probably not ready for picking. Instead, it may be better to leave it on the tree for ten days.

Most apple trees produce fruit only once they reach a specific size. This depends on the cultivar, soil fertility and rootstock. Dwarf or semi-dwarf apples, for example, usually do not flower and bear fruit until 3 to 5 years. Standard-size trees may take up to 10 years to flower and bear fruit.

The amount of time a fruit takes to mature is called its season. Most cultivars are ready for harvest in September to October, with a few varieties ripening as late as November.

There are several different methods to determine when an apple is ready for harvesting, but the easiest way is to observe the colour change and look at the ease of picking.

If an apple has a green or brownish background, it is not ready for harvesting. The apple on the left has a greenish experience, and the apple on the right has a yellow/tan/white background.

If you cannot harvest apples because of a bad weather forecast, you can keep them on the tree until they are ripe. Just be aware that you will get a different flavour and texture than if you had eaten fresh apples from the tree.