Dear Helen: What has caused some of my apples to have translucent flesh that looks water-soaked? Are such apples all right to eat?
P.J.
Your description fits a physiological condition called water core. Affected fruit are edible, in fact they are usually juicy and sweet, if eaten promptly. They won’t cook or store well. Certain varieties — King, Fujii and Transparent among them — are susceptible, and fruit fully exposed to sunlight are commonly affected the most.
The incidence of water core is most pronounced in unusually warm, dry conditions. Without adequate soil moisture, the tree is unable to transport calcium and other necessary minerals up into its tissues. A lack also of zinc, selenium and boron is associated with water core.
A preventive program involving both moisture supplies and soil minerals makes sense. Ensure that apple trees are well supplied with water during warm weather, and consider lightly cultivating lime (for calcium) and seaweed meal (rich in trace minerals) into the soil. Apply these materials where most feeder roots are located, in a wide band under the tree’s canopy edge (the “drip line”). Do this in late winter or early spring.
If the weather is hot, avoid excessive summer pruning that would expose fruit unnecessarily to direct sun.
Dear Helen: I have a young Elstar apple tree that has fruit on it this year. How can I tell when to pick the apples?
A.G.
Elstar is a Cox’s Orange Pippin type apple that is easier to grow than Cox but with a similar delicious, sweet-tart flavour. Elstar is a very popular variety in Northern Europe.
I don’t have an Elstar tree but a neighbour has one. I noticed the first few apples fell to the ground early in the month. That’s one of the first signs that the picking stage is at hand. Another indication is the fruit colouring up with red over bright yellow. To test whether an apple is ready for picking, cradle it in your hand, lift it up slightly and twist gently to one side. It should detach easily. Never tug an apple off a tree. The seeds inside a ripe apple will be black.
Elstar is usually ready to pick in late September, but everything is early this year. My neighbour cut into a fallen apple and gave me a piece to try. I found the taste to be wonderful, though Elstar’s flavour is said to become even more intense after a short time in storage. The apples will keep for one to two months.
GARDEN EVENTS
Rose meeting. The Mid Island Rose Society will meet tonight from 6 to 8 in the Nanaimo North Library, across from Green Thumb Nursery on Hammond Bay Rd.
Native plant meeting. The Native Plant Study Group will meet on Thursday at 7 p.m. in room D 116 in the MacLaurin Building at UVic. Amanda Evans, Greater Victoria’s Green Team manager, will present How to Support Victoria’s Wild Spaces. Non-member drop-in fee is $5. UVic parking is $2.50. NPSG.ca.
Fall show. The View Royal Garden Club will host a Fall Show on Saturday, 1 to 3 p.m. in Shoreline Community School, 2750 Shoreline Dr. Admission of $5 includes refreshment and door prizes. 250-727-0076.
Chrysanthemum show. The Victoria Chrysanthemum Society will host its annual show on Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Monterey Recreation Centre, 1442 Monterey Ave. To celebrate the society’s 75th anniversary, as well as the usual display of members’ chrysanthemums there will be arrangements in the Japanese Ikebana style by the Victoria Floral Artists Guild.
Orchid meeting. The Central Vancouver Island Orchid Society will meet on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in the Harewood Activity Centre, 195 Fourth St. in Nanaimo. Members will give demonstrations on growing orchids, and fabulousorchids will be displayed and sold.
Plant sale. The Peninsula Garden Club will hold a plant sale on Saturday, 9 to 11 a.m. in the Mary Winspear Centre, Sidney.
Fall seminars. Dinter’s Nursery, 2205 Phipps Rd. in Duncan, is offering the following free, Saturday drop-in classes. dinternursery.ca.
• Saturday, 10 a.m.: Xeriscaping Gardening with little water with Bernie Dinter.
• Sept. 26, 10 a.m.: Reviving Lawns after drought, with John Close of Lush Eco Lawn.
• Sept. 26, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Master Gardener Clinic. Garden questions answered by Cowichan Valley Master Gardeners.
• Oct. 3, 10 a.m.: Principles of Composting with Cowichan Compost members.
• Oct. 10, 10 a.m.: Cuttings and propagation with Della, Dinter’s greenhouse manager.
