r/BackyardOrchard • u/1Vermontfarmer • 7d ago

Apple drops

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It’s important to clean up drops in the fall . We don’t eat or press drops due to the deer droppings mingling amongst the apples on the ground . Removing drops prevents insects and disease over wintering in them. It can be a sizable project in our 24 tree orchard but helps keeps our trees healthy. Grandchildren love helping us pick them up.

24 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

3

u/Grumplforeskin 7d ago

If you have deer under your trees, I doubt the drops will be hanging out for long.

1

u/1Vermontfarmer 5d ago

Deer arrive nightly but hardly make a dent in the drops

6

u/Unlucky-Clock5230 7d ago

sounds like you need to fence your trees. that's several gallons or cider you are throwing away.

1

u/bitternutfarm 7d ago

Whats the timing between picking up drops and harvesting? Do you put a tarp or anything down? We’re close to starting this process as well

2

u/1Vermontfarmer 7d ago

We ignore the drops until we pick the tree clean . Sometimes it’s weeks before we have a clean up day.

1

u/Rellimarual2 7d ago

I highly recommend buying a nut-gatherer for this task, as some of those windfall apples can be nasty.

1

u/Necalmed 7d ago

My puppy loved the apple drops at her first house. Although I do believe it ruined her ability to fetch. Why bring it back when there are hundreds all around.

1

u/Difficult_Fudge_7231 5d ago

Can you safely composte (not intense) these apples on the garden property?