Collect your fallen apples on a daily basis. You can use these apples for applesauce, apple butter, jam, and apple cider vinegar. Unripe apples work great for making pectin. All you have to do is wash and trim the apples to prepare them for your recipes. Apples shouldn’t be left on the ground. If you leave fallen apples on the ground, they could spread brown rot to the nearby trees. Fallen apples can also attract rodents, wasps, and other pests.
Should You Pick Up Fallen Apples?
You should always pick up apples that fall off your trees. If they’re left on the ground, fallen apples can spread brown rot to nearby trees. Fallen apples also attract rodents, flies, and other pests to your yard.
- You should always pick up fallen apples.
- Otherwise, the apples will likely spread brown rot to nearby trees.
- Fallen apples attract pests to your yard, including rodents and pest insects.
- Apples gathered from the ground are dirtier and more damaged than handpicked fruit.
- Wash and prep the fallen apples carefully before using them.
Apples picked up off the ground will be more bruised and damaged than ones harvested off the branches. So, wash them carefully and look for pest activity, rot, and other blemishes. Prep the fruit thoroughly to remove all damaged areas before using them for your recipes.
What Can You Do With Fallen Apples?
Fallen apples work well for a wide variety of recipes. You can use them to make applesauce, chutney, and apple butter, just to name a few things. Apple cider vinegar is another option if you like to make your own.
- Fallen apples work great in a variety of recipes, including applesauce and apple butter.
- Apple cider vinegar is another popular recipe that uses fallen apples.
- You can also feed the apples to your horses, mini goats, and other livestock.
- Only use the apples as supplemental feed when giving them to your animals.
Fallen apples can serve as livestock feed if you keep animals. Horses, pigs, and other large livestock will eat the apples whole. Cut up the apples for your chickens, miniature goats, and other small animals. Only aim to supplement your animals’ diet with the fallen apples. The fruit does not provide all the daily nutrients your animals need to thrive. But they make a great addition to a well-rounded diet.
What Should You Do with Unripe Apples That Fall Off the Tree?
Use your unripe apples to make natural pectin. You’ll need to cook down the unpeeled apples to extract this helpful carbohydrate. You can then use your homemade pectin when making jam and jelly. The pectin will help the jam properly gel together as it cools.
- You can use all your unripe fallen apples to make natural pectin.
- Cook down the unpeeled apples to extract this carbohydrate.
- Natural pectin helps your jam and jelly recipes set up just right.
- Each batch requires 7 apples, 4 cups (950 ml) of water, and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon juice.
- You’ll get 1.5 cups (350 ml) of pectin after reducing the strained liquid overnight.
You can make 1.5 cups of pectin from seven unripe apples, four cups (950 ml) of water, and two tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon juice. Just wash and quarter the unpeeled apples. Then, put them in a pot with the water and lemon juice. Boil for 40 minutes and let the liquid strain out overnight. Reduce the liquid down to half the next day. Then, you can use the pectin for future jam and jelly recipes.
Is It Okay to Leave Fallen Apples on the Ground?
You should not leave fallen apples on the ground. The fruit can spread brown rot to your nearby trees as it decays. The apples attract rats, mice, wasps, beetles, and other pests that can also wreak havoc on your orchard space.
- Do not leave your fallen apples on the ground.
- Rotting fruit can spread brown rot to your nearby trees.
- The fallen apples attract pests to your orchard well.
- Brown rot can end up damaging up to 50% of your growing fruit.
- The rot occurs due to the spread of fungus by insects, wind, and rain.
Brown rot can affect up to 50% of the fruit growing on your trees once it spreads. The rot actually occurs due to the growth of the Monilinia fungus. The presence of insects typically helps spread the fungus from tree to tree. The fungus also spreads easily by the wind and rain. If brown rot attacks your orchard because of fallen apples, it can cause serious damage to your fruit trees.
Do Fallen Apples Attract Rats?
Fallen apples definitely attract rats. Many insects find the rotting fruit irresistible as well, including wasps. The only way to deter them is by picking up the fruit as it falls. Even leaving the apples on the ground for a couple of days will result in a pest infestation.
- Fallen apples attract rats and other rodents, such as mice and voles.
- Wasps and other insects are also drawn to fallen apples.
- Leaving the apples on the ground for even a couple of days lets pests get established.
- Well-established pests will devour your growing fruit even after you remove fallen apples.
- If you let pests become established, you will have to work double-time to exterminate them from your property.
Established pests will start eating your growing fruit after you remove the fallen apples. You will then need to set up traps, spray organic pesticides, and work double time to remove the pests. So, it’s best to deter pests by picking up fallen apples daily.
What Should You Do with Apples That Fall from Your Tree?
When dealing with fallen apples in your orchard, follow these quick rules:
- Fallen apples should get picked every day to prevent damage to your orchard.
- Rotting apples can spread brown rot to your nearby trees and decimate your harvest.
- Apples on the ground also attract rats, wasps, and many other pests.
- Use the fallen apples in your recipes for applesauce, chutney, and apple butter.
- Unripe apples can be used to make natural pectin for your jelly and jam.
Picking up fallen apples on a daily basis is just a part of growing a healthy orchard. As you do that, you can watch your apples ripen on the branches, and then time your harvest just right.
