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THE FOUR SEASONS
Apples on the family farm
The majority of New England apple orchards are family-run businesses.
An apple orchard is a busy place, a highly seasonal enterprise as
varied as the days in a year, with each day bringing a new chance to
test the orchardist's skills against the measure of the eventual
harvest.
Winter
In January while the trees are dormant, pruning begins. Limbs are
sawed off and clipped to allow maximum sunlight into the growing
structure. Pruning allows the tree to produce larger, better colored,
higher quality and more valuable fruit. The remainder of winter is taken
up with equipment repairs and maintenance. (APPLE PRUNING VIDEO)
Spring
April is the time to prepare for spring planting. The average tree
will bear fruit in three years, with full production coming in 8-10
years. Most apple trees are planted on dwarf stock, using less land and
labor. Since apples do not grow true to their seeds, young trees that
have been grown in a nursery from cuttings are transplanted to the
orchard site. These trees have a desired fruit variety grafted (attached
by tissue splicing) on to a root-stock selected for characteristics of
size and vigor. (GRAFTING VIDEO)
In the beginning of May, apple buds begin to swell. Brush from
pruning is picked up or mulched back into the orchard soil. Grass that
has grown tall is mowed to reduce competition for nutrients and habitat
for pests. Growers use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to start
monitoring the weather while hanging various insect traps to collect
data for their annual pest-control program. Temperature, humidity and
rainfall are recorded in orchard weather stations to predict disease
outbreaks and identify effective management tools. Both harmful and
beneficial insects are counted to determine spray schedules. Spraying is
only done when needed to protect the tree and fruit.
With the opening of the "king" blossom, the largest and centermost of
the five-blossom clusters, pollination begins. Growers rent bee
colonies from beekeepers, and they are moved in quickly, usually at
night, so the bees are "home" and not in flight. Sunny mild days are
needed during bloom to encourage strong bee activity. Apples need more
than one variety of pollen for the cross-pollination that ensures good
fruit set. (POLLINATION VIDEO)
Summer
Fertilizing and tree training round out the busy June calendar. Limbs
must be tied up or weighted down to spread the young tree into the
perfect shape. Pomology, the science and art of growing apples, has
become a very refined practice, and apple producers attend regional
meetings and classes to keep abreast of the latest information and
technology.
During dry years, irrigation is necessary in July to ensure good
fruit size and firmness. Spraying, mowing, shaping, and pruning
continue, allowing the growing fruit to be exposed to ripening sunlight.
The earliest New England apple varieties, like PaulaRed and Ginger
Gold, are ready to harvest in August. Some apple varieties keep longer
in storage than others, but to maximize an apple's storage life, it's
important to keep it cold. For more tips on apple handling, view PROPER STORAGE AND HANDLING.
Red apples need cool nights during harvest to trigger an enzyme that
increases the amount of color or "blush." Ladders and bins, large bulk
boxes to store fresh-picked apples, are positioned strategically around
the orchard. Harvest logistics are carefully planned. Apple storage
rooms are cleaned, and their refrigeration systems are tested. Most
growers store some of their fruit in controlled atmosphere (CA) rooms
where the temperature is rapidly brought down to 32 degrees, and oxygen
is replaced with nitrogen to slow ripening. Apples remain as fresh as
the day they were picked. For an apple to pass the "admissions test" to a
fall CA room, it must have the proper starch and hardness measurements
(to determine ripeness) at harvest.
Fall
Apples bruise easily and must be hand picked. Additional harvest
workers are hired to help get the crop in on time. Farmers market their
fruit either through their own farm store, or they have it packed and
shipped fresh to supermarkets, restaurants, and schools throughout New
England, the country, and around the globe. (PACKING HOUSE VIDEO) During the harvest season, many farms invite the public to come for the fun of picking their own (PYO) apples. (PICK YOUR OWN APPLES VIDEO)
Many apples are processed into sauce, pies, and jelly, or they are
pressed into fresh cider and apple juice. Some apple varieties are
designed specifically for this market. For others, cider is a delightful
byproduct of apples not "pretty" enough for the fresh whole apple
market. (CIDER MAKING VIDEO)
With the harvest complete, it is time to prepare again for winter.
Growing an apple takes all year, and there is always work to do in the
orchard. If you look closely, you can see the promise of next year's
crop at the tip of each branch. Each bud becomes an apple that you might
eat one year from now.
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