It’s harvest time! The time to enjoy the fruits of your labor are finally at hand. Here are some ideas to enjoy your food-producing plants today, and to maximize their productivity in the future.

On your peach, pear, and apple trees, be sure to remove all developing fruitlets for the first three years. This helps ensure the tree sends resources to its roots. Expect a small harvest in year 4 with full production by year 5 or 6.

You may want to plan ahead for your harvest. Some options are:

• Can, dehydrate, juice, make wine, or freeze
• Build a root cellar for storing apples and pears
• Give fruit to neighbors, friends or co-workers
• Take extra fruit to your local food pantry or visit Ample Harvest to find a pantry near you that accepts donations of fresh produce
• Contact Healthy Food for All to find volunteers who will pick your trees for you and donate the harvest to food pantries
• Register your trees/shrubs on Falling Fruit so that anyone is invited to pick
• Plant edibles in the front yard and join the Food Is Free project
• Contact Amy Stoddard at amystoddard1122@gmail.com, and she will pick up your extra fresh or frozen fruit and give you homemade chutney in return! Pre-picked preferred. Organic fruit only please.