STORING APPLES

Press, Volume C, Issue 29523, 26 May 1961, Page 8

STORING APPLES

Ways To Avoid Wastage

Apples for keeping into next season need a little care and attention if you are to get the best results. Haphazard storage will never be a good substitute for careful storage. The fruits should be laid out in as shallow a layer as possible: the deeper the layer the more chance there is of spoilage due to a rotting fruit in the bottom row. Rotting fruits produce many snores which quickly affect adjacent apples—to the detriment of your storage programme.

Probably the best method of keeping fruit is in clean seed trays which have been lined with newspaper. Fruit is placed in one layer deep, two spacer strips of wood placed in position, and then a second tray placed on the first. There will be ample air circulation in this way. and fruit can be examined at intervals without too much effort, for the whole contents of a tray may be seen at a glance. The stack of tilled trays should be placed in a cool, but not too dry position Fruit shrivels quickly in too dry an atmosphere, and also in too warm a place. A good type of shed has ?n earth floor for oreference. which will give off a certain amount of moisture, while if it is built with a southerly '’xposure—perhans backing on to an existing buddingthen the temneratves will not rise too high, either. Although fruit may be stored out of doors protected from the rain—under a hed®» for example—it is not so good as in a properly constructed build’ing. Rots are likely to be many more, and damage from rodents—which always has to be watched for—is also liable to be worse. ’ Fruit for storage should be sound and unblemished Broken skins from any cause, or badly bruised fruit resulting from bad handling ’•'ill qu'ckly give rise to rots. Even finger nail marks resulting from careless picking can be the cause of a rot M store Fruit should be dry when put into store, and pre'erably dry when picked, too. Don’t put fruit picked in the warmth of the afternoon in store immediately, but allow them to cool overnight first and then place in the store in the morning, when they are at their coolest.

Some gardeners wrap each individual fruit, either in a niece of tissue specially for the job. or in cut newspapers. Granny Smith and Golden Delicious are two varieties which store best when wrapped in "oiled wraps" which are made specifically for the purpose Even newenaper will prevent the spread of any rots which do result in store, and so cut down your wastage. By such methods as this it is possible to keep late storing varieties into October or even November.