Many Harvested Apples & Pears, Still Pick-Your-Own 'GoldRush' Apples

   Temperatures are predicted to drop to 25 F this Thurs. morning Oct. 31, to 26 F on Fri. morning Nov. 1, and to 29 F on Sat. morning Nov. 2.  So this past weekend, our workers, my husband Bill and I harvested all remaining 'Enterprise' apples from the trees, since they were all ripe.  Our crew harvested into large bins that we store in our larger cooler in our pecan building.  I'll sort apples from those bins all winter, into trays of #1 apples and #2 apples.  We'll have harvested 'Enterprise' apples for sale until we sell out, probably in Feb. or March 2020.
   So the pick-your-own season for 'Enterprise' apples has now ended.  'GoldRush' apples, our latest-ripening apple variety, are still ripening, and shouldn't be hurt by the predicted temperatures.  'GoldRush' apples will be available for pick-your-own customers after the rain stops and it warms up, from Sun. afternoon Nov. 3 until about Nov. 8.
   I'll start harvesting 'GoldRush' late this week and next week, and will have harvested 'GoldRush' apples for sale from about Nov. 5 to June 30, 2020.
   We have harvested 'Enterprise', 'Sundance', 'Prairie Rose' (Co-op 27), and other apple varieties for sale.  'Sundance' and 'Prairie Rose' (Co-op 27) originated from the same cooperative apple breeding program that produced 'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush'.  This cooperative effort between Purdue University, Rutgers University and University of Illinois gave Co-op numbers to all advanced selections for testing, and we planted some of these advanced numbered selections here 22 years ago.  We were growing Co-op 29 before it was named 'Sundance', and some customers love this tart-sweet apple with a hint of pineapple flavor.  We also grew and sold Co-op 34 for years before deciding to cut the tree down.  We're still growing Co-op 27, and this past winter I wrote to the retired head of the Purdue-Rutgers-Illinois program and got permission to name it 'Prairie Rose'.

We have harvested 'Prairie Rose' (Co-op 27) (left box) and 'Sundance' (right box) apples for sale now, along with many others. I give taste samples.

   I also have my own apple breeding program, which uses apple varieties immune to apple scab disease as parents.  All our apple varieties are immune to apple scab disease, so we don't have to spray for that disease, so we can put on 1/3 fewer fungicide sprays than if we grew scab-susceptible apple varieties such as 'Jonathan' or 'Golden Delicious'.  I give taste samples of the apple varieties available at the time.

'Prairie Sun' is a selection from my apple breeding program that resulted from a cross of 'Sundance' with Co-op 34.  It has a hint of cinnamon flavor, that it gets from its Co-op 34 parent.

   By Wed. Oct. 30, after customers come to get pears they've ordered, we'll still have about 180 pounds of 'Harrowsweet' pears and about 580 pounds of 'Shinko' Asian pears for sale until we sell out.  For prices of apples and pears, scroll down to the previous blog post.
   My husband Bill hopes to be able to start shaking and harvesting our pecan trees late next week, after the ground dries out enough from all this rain.  Temperatures of 26 F or below are needed to kill the shucks so they'll open enough to allow most of the nuts to shake from the trees when the tree shaking equipment is used, so this cold spell is what Bill's been waiting for so pecan harvest can commence.
   After tree shaking, Bill uses a pecan harvesting machine to scoop nuts off the ground with rubber fingers, so the ground can't be too wet.  Then he runs harvested pecans through a field cleaning machine to remove sticks and debris, then loads the nuts in super sacks that hold about 1000 pounds of pecans, and stores them in our pecan building to dry.  Then Bill runs the nuts through a pecan cleaning machine in our pecan building to remove shucks, mud balls and leaves.  The harvested pecans must dry sufficiently before Bill can run them through a pecan cracking machine in our pecan building, and bag up the cracked pecans.
   So we will not have cracked pecans ready to sell until mid-late Nov., as we do each year.  There's a good pecan crop this year, and if the weather cooperates, we should have pecans for sale from mid-late Nov. until early Jan. 2020, as shown in the sidebar at left under Crop Sales Seasons.
   Note that we've pushed back the start date for selling pecans until Nov. 20, since excess rain has delayed the start of pecan harvest.  The price for pecans will be the same as last year: $16.67 for a 4-pound bag of cracked pecans which are over 75% nutmeats.
   We're still open our fall open hours (shown in the sidebar at left) until Nov. 30: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mon. to Sat., and 1 to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Last 2-3 Weeks for Pick-Your-Own Apples

   Many have come to pick their own apples, and there will still be some to pick until about Nov. 12, or until we get our first hard freeze of 24 F or lower.  Many 'Enterprise' apples have been picked, but some are still ripening and will be available for picking until the first few days of Nov.  'GoldRush' apples, our latest-ripening apple variety, have just started ripening, and are available for pick-your-own customers now until about Nov. 12.

60 Pittsburg, KS first graders had fun picking their own
'Enterprise' apples on their school field trip here on Mon. Oct. 21.

 

   We also have some harvested 'Enterprise', 'Sundance', 'Querina', 'Prairie Rose' (Co-op 27), and other apple varieties for sale.  We do not have harvested 'GoldRush' apples yet, since these are just starting to ripen, and pick-your-own customers are picking all the ripe ones.

'GoldRush' aples are just starting to ripen, and pick-your-own customers are getting them as soon as they ripen.  I'll start harvesting 'GoldRush' next week, and will have harvested 'GoldRush' apples for sale from about Nov. 1 to June 30.

   All our apple varieties are immune to apple scab disease, so we don't have to spray for that disease, so we can put on 1/3 fewer fungicide sprays than if we grew scab-susceptible apple varieties such as 'Jonathan' or 'Golden Delicious'.  I give taste samples of the apple varieties that are ripe at the time.
   I also have my own apple breeding program, which uses apple varieties immune to apple scab disease as parents.  Since the gene for scab immunity is dominant, all offspring from these crosses will be immune to apple scab.  Developing new apple varieties is a long process, which takes 15 to 20 years.  I harvest all selections from my apple breeding program, since these trees are grown from seeds resulting from controlled pollination, so there's only one tree of each selection.

'Sun Giant', a selection from my apple breeding program, produces apples which can weigh 1 pound each (see my fingers in photo for scale). 'Sun Giant' apples are very crisp, with a taste like that of 'Honeycrisp' but a bit more tart.  I sell them harvested.

    We still have about 300 pounds of 'Harrowsweet' pears and about 700 pounds of 'Shinko' Asian pears for sale until we sell out.  Our workers finished harvesting the rest of the 'Harrowsweet' pears  on Sat. Oct. 12, and we'd already completed harvest of 'Shinko' Asian pears.  We should have 'Harrowsweet' pears for sale until late Oct., and 'Shinko' Asian pears until mid-Nov.  

   Pick-your-own apples cost $1.00 per pound + tax for #1 apples (practically perfect) and $0.79 per pound + tax for #2 apples with cracks, bird pecks, or other surface damage.  Those who pick over 40 pounds total (#1's + #2's) get a discount, so #1 apples cost $0.93 per pound + tax and #2 apples cost  $0.74 per pound + tax.  Pick-your-own means that you harvest apples from the trees, and you buy whatever you harvest.  Those who pick some #1 and #2 apples to buy may also pick some #3 apples, with small rotten spots, for free if they want them.

   Small amounts of harvested apples, pears or Asian pears all cost $1.30 per pound + tax.  We pick directly into 20-lb. boxes, which I then weigh to exactly 20.0 lbs., so you save $1.00 if you buy a 20-lb. box of apples, pears or Asian pears for $25.00 + tax.  We harvest apples and pears into 2 bags per box, so you can get a 10-lb. bag of pears and a 10-lb. bag of Asian pears or apples, and still get the 20-lb. discount.
   Our harvested 2nds apples, with rain cracks, limb rubs or other surface damage, sell for $0.93 per pound + tax.  We now have a good supply of harvested 2nds apples, for those wanting to make apple pie filling, apple butter or other apple products.

'Northern Lights', another selection from my apple breeding program, is another great-tasting apple variety we have for sale harvested.

   For payment, we accept cash or checks; NO debit cards or credit cards.  Please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover what you'll buy.  Thanks.
   We also appreciate it if pick-your-own apple customers bring us some clean, non-ripped, used plastic grocery sacks in different colors.  We have customers pick #1 apples into white bags, #2 apples into yellow or tan bags, and #3 apples (if they pick any) into gray, blue or brown bags.  We have plenty of white bags now, but are running very low on all other colors, so we really need those.

   Just come during our fall open hours (shown in the sidebar at left): 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mon. to Sat., and 1 to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays.
   I'm usually out harvesting apples each morning, until customers start arriving here.  I put a sign on the sales building above our bell, that says "I'm working in the orchard. Ring bell for service."  Ring it loudly, just once or twice, and I'll hear it and drive our utility vehicle up to the sales building.