Apple Harvest

There’s a good crop of Bramleys that will need picking soon, the windfalls are more than sufficient to keep us supplied with flavoursome stewed apple. The eating apple Beauty of Bath was the first to ripen, then there was a smaller crop of Ellison’s Orange. Ribston Pippen is still being picked and Darcy Spice will ripen last and keep longest. The Conference pears can be eaten off the tree or poached and the majority are given away. A lovely sunny and warm day with light winds; picked and watered the runner beans which are producing even more blossom. Picked tomatoes and a small water melon.

Bramley Apple

Apple Picking

The Beauty of Bath apples are ripe enough for eating with lovely red and green skin, some were blown off in the strong winds and provide free forage food for the deer; there’s still enough to pick from the tree. The Donkeys and Texels like them, will try slicing them even smaller for the Ouessants, they’ll make a good alternative to the treat mix. I’m pruning the Bramley and giving the long lush leafy growth to the donkeys, there are a few windfalls and it looks like there’ll be a good harvest. A misty drizzly start to the day, the sun came out later and the temperature rose quickly, a very hot end to the day with light winds. Watered.

Beauty of Bath
Bramley