Autumn 
is apple picking time. Did you know that Ohio apple growers produce up to 100 million pounds of apples each season? In Northeast Ohio, the stores, farmers’ markets, and orchards are loaded with bags and bushels of a wide variety of apples, from September through November. Apple varieties have different qualities. Some are perfect for baking, some work better for salads, and some are ideal for eating fresh off the tree.
Cortland – tart, eating, baking
Golden Delicious – sweet, eating, baking
Granny Smith – tart, eating, baking
Honeycrisp – sweet, eating, baking
Jonathan – tart, eating, baking
McIntosh – tart, eating, baking
Melrose – sweet, eating, baking
Red Delicious – sweet, eating, salads
Suncrisp – tangy, eating, baking
Winesap – tart, eating, baking
And one nice thing about apples, is that they are portable, you can take one with you while you head out to get busy on your October Garden Action List:
- plant your favorite tree in order to establish by springtime
• stop watering your Christmas cactus for 30 days
• enjoy Ohio’s state apple, Melrose
• dig and store bulbs and tubers after a hard frost
• fertilize large trees with a granular fertilizer
• take lawn or garden soil test and take results to Dayton’s Nursery for analysis
• dig and store your tender flowers like dahlias and cannas
• transplant most trees and shrubs
• rake leaves to place on compost pile or on your empty garden
• pick the remaining vegetables out of your garden; the last of the watermelons, turnips, parsnips, cauliflower, broccoli, and of course, pumpkins!