Too many apples!

[GinaC]

So I was excited when I found out one of the trees in my backyard is an apple tree. I called an arborist during the summer and he said to put fruit tree fertilizer spikes to help it out, which I did. He said to call him back in October so he could cut it back properly.

(Keep in mind that I tend to stay away from plants in general because I am not good with them.)

Well, the apples are ready. It's not a big tree, but it hasn't been cared for, so all the fruit is at the top. It's all dropping and it's making a mess. Every day I go out and I pick up about 20 good apples, and the rest, about 40, are already half eaten. I've been bagging the bad ones for trash removal. Is there anything else I should be doing with them?

Still, 20 good apples a day is too much for me and my lonesome to eat! They aren't pretty, because they have spots, which I've determined is fungus. Also, they're not the eating variety, they're the cooking variety. I've made some applesauce and it turned out well, and tomorrow I'll be making some cobbler.

Any ideas what else to do with the good ones?

[heartwood]

make applesauce or give them to someone who does...
horses and cows love apples...do you have a farm near by?
leave some for the critters who are enjoying them...

if the tree is cared for by the new owner (you!), it won't be so tall but grow wide...
get yourself a little ladder and pick them so they don't have time to fall...

have fun....
....jade

[Willa]

Suggestions:

- Put an ad on your local Craigslist, etc. for free apples. If you are inclined you could pick the good ones up every day, and put them in a container at the front of your yard, with a "free" sign. That way there's no waiting around for people or face to face interaction. Or have people come to pick/gather what they want/need for canning, animal food, whatever. Post photos of what you've got and the apples themselves. The fewer email replies you have to send, the better.

- Compost what is beyond giving. Make a pile in an unobtrusive corner that gets some sun. Even if you do not have a composter or container the apples will know what to do. Pile leaves and weeds there, too.

- If you let the windfall be, the apples will break down and disintegrate themselves. If you are a manicured lawn type this approach won't work obviously. If you can stand to let them be, clean up any untidiness next spring.

[phil]

I have a plumb tree and it made lots of plumbs. I eat a few but we had so much and didn't want to can them so I just set them out at the curb with a sign "free fresh plumbs" and put paper bags so they could take what they wanted. they all got taken and I figured it was a neighborly thing to do , they were yummy. I tried positng an ad on craigslist to find someone to pick them and take them but decided that I didn't want anyone having an accident so I just gave the lady the box when she arrived.
there is a very simple tool for pulling apples, you should have one. it's basically just a long pole with a hoop at the end , you could make one from coat hanger or wire just a little heavier. you just hook it over the apple and pull , then you dont have to go climbing the tree and the pole might be 20 feet or so , maybe one of those extendable aluminum ones would be OK but watch out for any power wires. wood or fiberglass would be safer but use common sense..

there are various commercial ones available but you could just research it and get ideas , easy thing to make yourself. I dont know much about fruit trees but I think you want the fruit all down or it just encourages bugs into the tree that may thrive on the old fruit.
I have a neighbor with an apple tree , they hang over so some fall in my yard but they are usually far gone and just go in the green bin. composting is ok but I dont like feeding the mice and rats. my neighbor has a compost bin which my cat watches like a hawk. I dont mind its good for her to exercise her natural instincts.

[Gothichome]

Gina, Phill, I recently read an article on a Toronto volunteer group who go around picking the fruit from urban homes and it all went to food banks and the such. I thought that was a pretty good idea. Maybe there are local organizations in your area that do the same.
Found the link.
https://notfarfromthetree.org/about-us/

[Manalto]

I have two words for you, Gina - hard cider.

[GinaC]

Thank you! I had no idea that I could donate them.

Apparently there are several places here in Newport to check. Worst case scenario is I get a basket and leave them by the road with a "Free" sign. I've seen several neighbors do that with various items.

[nhguy]

So I was excited when I found out one of the trees in my backyard is an apple tree. I called an arborist during the summer and he said to put fruit tree fertilizer spikes to help it out, which I did. He said to call him back in October so he could cut it back properly.

(Keep in mind that I tend to stay away from plants in general because I am not good with them.)

Well, the apples are ready. It's not a big tree, but it hasn't been cared for, so all the fruit is at the top. It's all dropping and it's making a mess. Every day I go out and I pick up about 20 good apples, and the rest, about 40, are already half eaten. I've been bagging the bad ones for trash removal. Is there anything else I should be doing with them?

Still, 20 good apples a day is too much for me and my lonesome to eat! They aren't pretty, because they have spots, which I've determined is fungus. Also, they're not the eating variety, they're the cooking variety. I've made some applesauce and it turned out well, and tomorrow I'll be making some cobbler.

Any ideas what else to do with the good ones?

We have a very early ripening variety that is ready in August at our barn. We make apple sauce to freeze and make a cobbler or two. I brought 30 or 40 gallons of 5 gallon buckets to guy who has horses. I have in other years pressed enough to make several gallons of cider.

[phil]

the food bank is a good idea, Its nice if you can help someone while at the same time just not seeing them go to waste. around me it's really normal for people to put stuff by the curb. Ive put many things out this year. even metal like my old bbq and mower parts get picked by scrappers. Its always fun to put neat things out that I dont want and see them go, anywhere but the landfill. I also watch craigslist free as a bit of a hobby. I just got a new digital antenna last week that way. I wanted to put a couple of them on the roof so it saved spending on that.
we had a rash of incidents with the clothing bins. people kept climbing in and getting stuck in them. a few died that way and they got rid of a lot of them.

[GinaC]

I found a soup kitchen down the street that takes them. They also take the animal-grade ones for a lady to pick up for her cows.