WSU Extension Q&A: Store apples around 32 degrees
Q. I was just given a box of apples. I might use some for making pies, but I would rather store them for eating. What is the best way to store apples?
A. Apples keep best when stored at about 32 degrees with a high humidity of 90 percent to 95 percent. Stored this way, apples will last for two to five months. You can store them in a refrigerator, but a bushel of apples will need about a cubic foot of space.
If you do not have enough refrigerator space, you will want to keep them as cool as possible down to 32 degrees, perhaps in an unheated garage. Make sure the apples do not freeze. The warmer the temperature, the shorter the storage time. To keep the humidity higher, store the apples in plastic bags that have a few holes in them to prevent moisture buildup. Also, do not store apples with other fruits or vegetables.
Q. Do we have the Colorado potato beetle in the Columbia Basin?
A. Yes. They feed on solanaceous plants exclusively (nightshade, potato, tomato and eggplant). Most commercial potato fields utilized neonicotinoid insecticides at planting, providing adequate control of the pest. Interestingly, few Colorado potato beetles are found in Colorado.
Q. I have a neighbor who has chickens, and I hear the roosters crow all night. Aren’t roosters just supposed to crow at sunrise?
A. When the only light source was the sun, the roosters did crow at sunrise (and then throughout the day). However, now we often have lights streaming from many sources into the chicken coops. The light rays coming from street lamps, yard lights and other sources confuse the poor roosters, and they end up crowing all the time. Also, when a rooster crows, it’s like a challenge to all the other roosters within hearing distance. So if there are several roosters in your neighborhood, once one rooster crows, it sets off a chain reaction.
Q. Why didn’t all my concord grapes ripen at the same time. I had green and ripe grapes on the same bunch?
A. This can be an issue of weather conditions at fruit set, over cropping or lack of fertilizer. In home gardens, over cropping can easily lead to deficiencies in nutrients
Questions should be called in to the WSU Extension offices in Kennewick at 735-3551 or Pasco at 545-3511.
This story was originally published November 15, 2015 at 5:38 AM with the headline "WSU Extension Q&A: Store apples around 32 degrees."