When to Pick Golden Delicious Apples?

[yankeerider]

You might think that, after having had this tree for 20 years I would have figured it out. But I haven't. It seems like every year I wait for my Golden Delicious apples to ripen, and then the squirrels (and maybe deer, though I've never seen one of them at the tree) get them before I do.

I know it's a golden delicious because i bought and planted the tree from Stark's all those years ago. It seems that the apples stay green until they disappear. Web research suggests that some of this variety are still pale green when ripe. Another website said that experienced and successful apple farmers count the days from full bloom to know when to pick- that you can't go by color.

I have come to believe that the highest concentration of practical knowledge is found here on TBN. So, what guidance can you give?

 

[JCB]

I usually want to see a few on the ground before I start eating, but I was always taught that you don't pick apples until you're wearing sweatshirt.

If you're still in a t-shirt....keep waiting.

 

[Chuck52]

My Golden Delicious made exactly one apple this year. It is the same age as the Gala beside it, about 8 years, which made so many apples the limbs were hanging down. The Galas are definitely ripe here in the middle of Missouri, and when we were picking them we went ahead and picked the one GD, too. It was slightly green looking, but it was ripe. One way to tell if apples are at least nearly ripe is to pick one and check the seeds. If the seeds are dark brown the apple is probably at least at the early eating stage.

One of my grandsons is an apple freak. We used him as the taster, wandering through the orchard and trying apples from various trees. I'd peel one and give him a slice. According to him they were all ripe. The only one I didn't pick from was the Granny Smith. It isn't supposed to be ripe until October.

Aside from birds, the varmints seem to mainly leave my apples alone. There is a deer around that gets the fallen apples, and it may have taken some of the lower Galas, but couldn't have gotten many. On the other hand, I lose my peaches every year to tree rats, coons, or if not those @#$%^ to the birds.

Chuck

 

[yankeerider]

I usually want to see a few on the ground before I start eating, but I was always taught that you don't pick apples until you're wearing sweatshirt.

If you're still in a t-shirt....keep waiting.

I had to wear a sweatshirt when I let the chickens out of the coop a few days ago-temps were in the upper 40s. Does that count? or do you need to wear a sweatshirt all day long?