apple storage for winter.

**TrappinGal** · 07-10-2008, 09:17 PM

i have access to alot of apple trees and i have varieties from early transparents, red and golden delicious and winter rambos. to name a few.

when i store them i dig a whole into a bank about 18-2 feet deep. i line the hole with straw and gently lay in the apples. then i cover them with about 3- 4 inches of straw and the dirt displaced when digging the hole. it keeps the apples fresh all winter. when you want some you just go out and dig some out then recover the ground.

my grandad stored potatoes like this when his root cellar overflowed as well.

do any of you store apples in this way?

**Rick** · 07-10-2008, 09:37 PM

Are you digging a trench? Is it 18inches to 2 foot deep? Single layer of apples?

**TrappinGal** · 07-10-2008, 10:16 PM

i guess you could do a trench but i wouldnt call it a trench. its, depending on the amount of apples you have to store its usually about a 4x4 square. its dug on a slope, not flat ground so if it happens to rain it will run off and not seep into the whole and stand, it will drain away from the apples for the most part. having it on an incline is very important.

i have always done one layer because tthats what my grandad did but 2 might work as long as you put enough straw in between.

id compensate for the extra layer buy digging the hole it maybe 6 inches deeper because the additional layer of apples and straw will take up about that much additional height in the hole.

you need at least 18 inches of soil on top of the apples to help keep them insulated so they wont freeze.

**crashdive123** · 07-11-2008, 06:22 AM

Great idea - thanks.

**Rick** · 07-11-2008, 06:28 AM

Then I suppose it could be done on flat ground by covering with something like a tarp. As long as the ground had good drainage and the apples did stand in water. Some of us flat landers have a problem finding an incline.

**wareagle69** · 07-11-2008, 07:29 AM

what is your frost line there? that might make a difference in how far to dig a whole but great idea, i'm looking for an orchard where i can pick apples for my horses this winter and store w/o loosing any

**TrappinGal** · 07-11-2008, 07:59 AM

Rick, i guess you could adapt it to flatland, maybe by using a tarp, id never considered that before because i dont have much flat land right here arounnd the house.

wareagle you are right, it would depend on your frostline, same as it would for water lines ect.

standard rule for building locally is 24 inches. which would mean im really needing to dig the whole 30 inches because you have to go 6 inched deeper than the frostline to insure no freezing around here.

i guess im going to need to dig a little deeper this winter,although i have never had any freeze, you never know what might occur this winter. our weather for the year has been crazy so far. we have hd way more snowfall than is normal.

ty for asking that question, i learned something,i always just went on by what grandad had done.ty.

**crashdive123** · 07-11-2008, 08:22 AM

No frost line here. Just gotta be concerned with the 10,000,000 different little things living in our sandy soil that would enjoy a burried snack.

**Ole WV Coot** · 07-11-2008, 10:39 AM

We never had any trouble just did like the lady said with apples, potatoes etc. Besides if we ironed the wrinkles out of WV it would bigger than Alaska.

**trax** · 07-11-2008, 10:42 AM

I was thinking the same as wareagle, up here the ground freezes deeper than that.

**Chris** · 07-11-2008, 11:35 AM

original settlers used to load apples into barrels and sink them into lakes for winter storage. I'm assuming the barrels were air/water tight. If the water doesn't freeze solid it'll be around 33 degrees, which is great.

**wareagle69** · 07-11-2008, 11:58 AM

well i was thinking that up here frost is 5 to 6 ft deep plus you need to consider that you probably don't have 3 ft of snow insulating the ground so the frost will go deeper but i imagine the straw would help with that just triple up on the top layer of staw i would imagine

**dilligaf2u2** · 07-20-2008, 06:52 PM

Frost? Snow? Ewwww!!!

I wish you people would watch your language!

Don

**gm22664** · 07-31-2008, 03:36 AM

That is an awesome idea TrappinGal. My family LOVES apples and I have wondered how I can winter store them. Now, if only I had a sloped yard.....

**tacmedic** · 09-25-2008, 05:41 PM

Thought I would revive this thread since it is that time of year. What if you don't have any way of storing them underground? I was thinking about putting them in a burlap sack hung in the basement, do you think this would work?