Tag: organic growing

first apple harvest

My Pristine apple tree is the first to ripen in my orchard and each day drops many apples.  In Atlanta and northwest Georgia we have had record making rains, so the apples are relatively large, very juicy and, for the Pristine, relatively sweet. I do not spray so, inevitably, there are occasional visitors but these are easily removed with my pocket knife as I gorge away.   Nice thing about not spraying is I don’t wash my fruit and I eat the skin.

the Pristine apple tree - it had a lot more apples last week
the Pristine apple tree – it had a lot more apples last week

Since there are too many apples for consumption I decided to dry and store them.  We had a rigorous debate about using apples which had fallen to the ground.  My view is they fell because they were ripe for eating and, provided I clear them each day, they are relatively fresh.  The more informed view was that there is a risk of contamination (salmonella) which even washing and skinning does not allay and, if I was the only one eating them – fine, otherwise no ground apples.  So I hand pick the apples from the tree – the trick is to test only the yellow ones (ripe Pristine apples are yellow) and if they need more than a nudge, leave them for tomorrow.  I also use my arm extender shown below.  (see update)

my extension arm apple picker
my extension arm apple picker

Then to the coring station – I use a handy contraption which peels, cores and slices at the same time, and very quickly too.  Since the slices are thin it is easy to notice any ingredient other than apple and to exclude that segment from the lineup for the dehydrator.

the handy apple peeler, corer and slicer
the handy apple peeler, corer and slicer

I do not pre-treat the apple slices since I don’t mind some discoloration and I want to keep out all additives, even fruit juice.  Then I load each of the trays which come with the dehydrator.

 

one of five dehydrator trays
one of five dehydrator trays

Finally, close up the dehydrator, set the temp initially to 155 deg for 15 mins and then back off to 135 deg and take a look see 6 hours later.  When the slices are leathery dry I pack into zip lock bags and freeze.  And they taste so good.

my Nesco dehydrator
my Nesco dehydrator

Update

Picking, processing and dehydrating apples is now a regular first thing in the morning event.  To avoid wastage and missing out on the ripest apples, I cut 2 6′-10′ sections of 6mil clear plastic sheets which I located under the apple tree.  Now each morning, rather than picking from the tree I simply collect the apples which fell the previous day.  Because they have not come into contact with my animal fertilizer, compost or the ground we are not concerned about contamination.

 

 

planting out the tomatoes

My main ritual early each summer is the planting out of the tomatoes.  I grow these from seed, initially in the basement (0.75″ soil blocks) then in the greenhouse (2″ soil blocks).  My first year was a glorious year, since then hard going.  Not beginner’s luck but a case of slipping under the radar the first time.  Now each year the pests and problems await me.  Though I rotate the growing site, this does not thwart the soil borne diseases – there is an interesting piece in this morning’s NYT on using grafted tomatoes – maybe next year.  The biggest problem is the stink bugs, which each year multiply and love despoiling my tomatoes.

Undaunted I press ahead.  This year I planted 32  plants, less than last year.  And, for the first time in two adjoining rows of 16 plants each.  Previously I took care to wrap the stems just above and below the ground with aluminum to foil soil disease transmission – this year I just mulched with shredded paper waste.

Each plant has a name tag, but these frequently go missing, so I also noted the details on a post which carries the cable securing the wire cages.

0531 tomato a
16 plants in the right row listed sequentially

The varieties, which include heirloom and hybrid, are:  Mortgage Lifter, Rutger, Sweet Olive, Cherokee, Jelly Bean (new), Georgia Steak, Yellow Pear (new), BrandyWine, Siletz, Sugar Cherry, Black Prince, and Beef Steak.  The other 16 plants are also listed on the post and are of the same varieties.

I also adjusted my irrigation system.  I use bubblers for each plant, gravity fed from my rainwater tanks.  In the past the lines and bubblers were at ground level.  Advantage was they were somewhat protected from the sun and degradation.  Disadvantage was that if the bubbler was raised, say 45 degrees, the water from the bubbler ran to the base of the bubbler and not on to the plant and if the bubbler was horizontal it was difficult to see if water was flowing.  With my gravity fed system blockages occur and, if not identified, no water leaves the bubbler.   So this year I raised the lines and the bubblers so it is much easier to check that the water is flowing.  Will see how it works out.

0531 tomato c
irrigation loop with lines and bubblers raised above the ground

The irrigation lines form a loop enclosing the 16 wire cages so the water pressure equalizes and all the bubblers should flow about the same, though of course they don’t, even after cleaning.  So everything in place and awaiting quick growth and the stink bugs.

0531 tomato b
the 32 wire cages each containing a tomato plant and each fed water through a bubbler, with the prominent shredded paper to conserve moisture and delay weeds

Wildflowers

Some of the wildflowers are glorious, this near the chicken coop.

0531 wildflower