Apples are divided into summer and winter grades, the last differ in thicker and rough thin skin with ill-defined raid of wax. Winter grades of apples, at the correct collecting, transportation and preparation, are capable to remain fresh throughout all winter.
Long-term storage of apples completely depends on how fruits have been collected. Therefore for harvesting it is recommended to use ladders or other devices which will allow you carefully and without damages to pick apples from branches. To avoid damage of thin skin of fruits, collect them in cotton gloves and put in the plastic buckets or baskets covered from within by burlap or soft fabric. Do not shake at all tree as the fallen apples are unsuitable for long storage, they will begin to decay quickly.
Sort collected apples, remove fruits with mechanical damage, worm-eaten and affected with diseases aside. It is necessary to store only healthy fruits. Sort the whole apples by the size (large, average and small). Best of all and fruits of the average size are longer stored, small quickly wither, and large are surprised diseases.
Prepare container for apples, it has to be clean and strong, made of moisture resistant cardboard or wood of soft breeds. At the same time in box there should not be too big gleams between boards. It is preferable to isolate each apple, turning in paper or pouring sand, shaving of soft deciduous breeds, pod or peel of buckwheat. It is possible to re-make ranks with apples straw. Stack fruits ranks or diagonalno. For longer storage dip each fruit into spirit solution of propolis (100 grams of propolis on alcohol half of liter) or 2% solution of chloride calcium. You store boxes with winter grades of apples on rack in the basement, cellar, balcony or other well aired and cool room. Temperature has to be about two degrees of heat with optimum moisture content of air eighty percent. Some gardeners with success store apples in the earth, previously having packed fruits into plastic bags on one kilogram. Dig harvest on depth of 25 centimeters and from above outline dry grass and branches to create warm blanket.