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.