The apples in the Orchard are ripening, but they are not ready to pick yet. In previous years we’ve had people picking them far to early and then throwing them away – which is such a shame. So, this year we’ve tied a label on each tree with apples with the rough time when they should be ready to harvest. Some will be ready in September, others not until November, for most in will be October.

You can tell when an apple is ready to pick when when you cup it in your hand and give it a slight twist, and it comes off in your hand. If you need to give the fruit a yank, or it leaves its stalk behind, or even a bunch of leaves, it is definitely not ready!

You can also tell from our apple guide – each tree is labelled with its name, and there is a note in the guide to the time when it should be ready. You can download the guide here. It will also tell you if it is a desert or cooking apple or both.

Unfortunately, it has been a poor year for pears, and there are none. But the two plums have fruit, which will be ready, hopefully, during September.