Apple growers offered harvesting advice

Gardening enthusiasts have been offered advice on how best to harvest their apples.

Whether growing the fruit outdoors or in greenhouses, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) – writing in the Telegraph – suggests testing to ensure they are ready for picking is advisable.

In order to do this, growers should support one of the apples in their hand and give it a small twist. If it is ready it will come off the spur easily.

Care must be taken not to bruise the fruit, by placing them in a bucket, which could be lined with hay or soft paper to prevent damage.

If any do suffer bruising, green-fingered aficionados should ensure they are kept separate to other fruits due to differing ripening rates. They should be stored at temperatures of between 2.5 and 4.5 degrees C.

Lastly, early crops do not last very long, according to the RHS, meaning gardeners should eat them straight off the tree. Meanwhile, summer apples should keep for two to three weeks.

This comes as Lia Leendertz of the Guardian advised cucumber growers to plant the vegetable in large tubs, with canes up which to grow and plenty of water.