A disease called fire blight, caused by a bacterium (Erwinia amylovora), has these symptoms. The causal bacteria are spread by wind-blown rain and insects. Fire blight is difficult to control in highly susceptible varieties. Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer. The blighted shoots and blossoms can be pruned out as they appear if you sanitize the pruning shears by dipping them in a 10 percent bleach solution or 70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) between cuts. Otherwise, prune the blighted shoots …
How long can I store fresh apples?
Late-maturing varieties of apples will store for use throughout the winter if the fruit is hard, mature, and in perfect condition. Apples picked too green (unripe) are subject to a number of storage disorders, such as scald and bitter pit; if picked beyond maturity, they quickly become overripe in storage. Cool fruit as quickly as possible after harvest for best results. For most varieties of apples, the optimal storage temperature is 30° to 32°F with a 90% relative humidity. Higher …