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We blew out water lines starting on October 30, took 4 full 12 hour days to get it all done. We have some temporary worker housing that we don't use in winter that had to be winterized and that takes longer than it seems like it should.
Post harvest cherry sprays were over 6 weeks ago, and in apples we only had a couple of blocks with enough pest pressure this year to warrant a post harvest oil and lime sulfur application so that was pretty easy.
Getting rid of all the mylar reflective film took a fair amount of time, and disposal of it is a PITA. Have to order a couple of large dumpsters just for that, otherwise it'd take months to just work it in to our regular trash dumpster pickups.
Started applying chicken compost on all of the weaker blocks. Weaker/sandier blocks will get a fall and spring application, while stronger healthier blocks that have already filled their space will get one or the other.
Pruning started in cherries, they were first to defoliate. Seems like it should be a relaxing time but if you get behind on pruning you end up rushing and doing a poor job at the end. And you know that you'll lose several days or maybe even weeks when it gets too cold or there is too much snow in the trees.
But a Granny is a cooking apple, not a dessert apple. I grew up with too many other really good choices than to have to suffer with eating a fresh Granny!
I'm a pretty big Braeburn fan, but they have some issues that make them a bit hard to grow. If you ever find a Cameo around, they are a really good apple that never quite reached enough production to develop a strong marketing effort. Most of the Pink Lady/Cripps Pink strains are really good if you like an acidic apple. Not really sold on Ambrosia, they're a decent apple but almost have a dull, creamy taste as the trees mature. Honeycrisp is awesome, but again has some serious hurdles to grow good quantities of decent fruit.
There are a ton of new "club" varieties just coming into production right now, more than I have spent the time truly taste testing of fruit from mature trees. If you see a variety that you don't recognize or haven't tried, ask the produce clerk for samples. You might find a new favorite!
The Shop
Most of our stuff will be packed under this label, and if you see this box or a sticker that says "Grady's Organics", that's about a 101% chance that it was grown by some fantastic farmers and for some silly reason I got a little bit of credit for their hard work!
The old Red Delicious was a decent apple several decades ago, but people kept buying only the deepest red that they could find, which made nurseries and growers keep selecting grafting wood based on the color of the fruit it produced, rather than the taste qualities, and over time it eventually "bred out" the sweet taste of the old Red Delicious and we started growing the equivalent of potatoes on trees.
The same thing has sort of occurred with the Gala and Fuji varieties, but after realizing the mistakes from the Red Del, growers are at least somewhat working hard to select the redder strains that still taste decent for the most part.
As far as a good , sweet and tasty apple goes.....what are your favorites? I'm not talking about making a pie or anything....just grab it and eat it type of apple.
Gala are really good apples, but they do lose some flavor in longer term storage. I wouldn't buy any past the end of March, maybe earlier than that. After that I'd probably buy Fuji or imported Gala.
I like Braeburn a lot, and even though they are hard to find, if you ever see a Cameo, give it a try also. For a more tart apple, Pink Lady is really good.
There are lots of newer "club" varieties out, and I've tried a lot but nothing that just "wows" me. The Cosmic Crisp has potential, as does the Ambrosia. The Ambrosia is a good apple, but tastes a little too "creamy" to me.
https://bestapples.com/varieties-information/varieties/
Not sure why you'd need to delete your posts if you're leaving, though.
Unless, of course, you're planning on running for public office in the future and worried about what will be considered acceptable then!!!!!!!!!!!!
But no, I don't understand the "doesn't respect legacy" reference......
Post a reply to: APLMAN99