Monty Don urges anyone with apple trees in their garden to do 1 thing in September

Pears, plums, and damsons are at their ripest in September, but so are apples. Bushels of the sweet and crispy fruits are just waiting to be harvested and put away. With the colder months fast upon us, there's nothing better than a couple of pies, cakes, muffins, sauces, and crumbles to see us through. But just how do you go about harvesting your apples successfully?

As well as sharing wisdom on planting bulbs, taking cuttings, and aerating lawns, beloved gardening guru Monty Don has now issued crucial advice on exactly how to take full advantage of apple season. After all, it can be challenging to even tell when exactly to pick apples, or to determine which are ripe and ready, and not to mention, the huge conundrum of how to grab them without damaging your tree.

Monty emphasises that the one thing gardeners absolutely need to do with their apple trees this September is to "start to pick over any apples at least once a week".

Before you start picking your fruits, though, make sure to have a couple of key tools to hand. A large soft bag or even a bucket will work well to allow you to pick apples without bruising them. A sturdy ladder could be handy for reaching taller branches safely.

When handling the apples and checking to see if any are ripe, Monty warns: "Do not force it, as when it is ready, they always pick very easily." Instead, he advises "holding them in the palm of your hand and gently lifting to see if the stalk comes away easily."

Careful storage will ensure maximal longevity so you can enjoy your apples well into the winter and beyond. Monty advises they should be "carefully placed in a cool, dark, fairly moist place". However, gardeners must take note of any bruises or blemishes, and any windfall. Such apples "will not keep and should be eaten fresh or cooked and then frozen".

Monty also has a clever and delicious solution for dealing with excessive windfalls. If there's more apples "than you can possibly eat or process, consider hiring an apple press to make juice which can then bottled and stored."

Gardeners should also be warned that they can actually easily damage the ability of their apple trees to produce further fruit. As well as Monty's helpful guidance on careful picking, other gardeners have also issued important advice.

Of course, you could always just taste your apples to check for ripeness, but paying attention to the "background colour" and even the colour of seeds is valuable. A two-toned apple should be much yellower and almost creamy in colour at the back, as opposed to very green.

With more solid colour varieties like Granny Smiths, it pays to cut them open. If the apple is not quite ready, the seeds will still be tan or pale in colour.

Wrapping each individually in newspaper or tissue paper will prevent them from touching each other and rotting, ultimately extending shelf life. Of course, gardeners should regularly check for signs of spoilage.

A dehydrator could also be a fun way to make healthy, long-lasting snacks from a large windfall.