APPLE NOTES '26
Producing the 2026 Crop
We wrapped up sales to the public in late October, 2025. We then concentrated on picking our English apples, which are grown specifically for hard cider. After dodging rain showers in the process, we finished up on November 8. On December 5, we used our new-to-us production cider press for the first time, to juice seven bins of Kingston Black cider apples for Liberty Ciderworks. Thus, we officially ended the 2025 harvest season. We settled around the woodstove for the holiday season, then began pruning in February. In March, we began final preparation of the ground for 600 new apple trees. We planted the trees on May 2. We had an enthusiastic planting crew consisting of ourselves, children, grandchildren, and other family, and friends Bob and Rose Beitz and their granddaughter. The weather was perfect and we succeeded in getting all of the new trees tucked in before nightfall.
The new plantings include Golden Delicious and Summer Red apples. The Summer Red trees were planted on the hillside just to the right of the main gate into the orchard. These trees should begin producing apples in about three years, thus eliminating the long trek to the new orchard for Summer Reds, or settling for pint-sized Summer Reds in the seriously declining block next to the wind machine in the old orchard.
Our beekeeper, Mike Durst, delivered honey bees to the orchard in mid-April. The first pear
blooms opened two days later, and the first apple blossoms appeared on April 21. Full bloom
occurred on May 4, about 7-10 days earlier than average. The frost alarm sent us scrambling to start the wind machines on two nights in late April.
Several late spring and early summer rains allowed us to postpone the start of irrigation in
June. Instead, we used the time to establish drip irrigation systems for the new plantings. Once we had water to the new trees, we focused on trellis for them. The new trees are grafted to Geneva 41 rootstocks. Geneva 41 rootstocks produce a dwarf tree requiring support. Without some means of support, the trees would eventually fall over in a windstorm. To support the trees, we use a modified version of a trellis developed by the University of Ontario. The trellis’ consist of posts every 24 feet, supporting five wires to which the trees are attached by special clips. Trees on Geneva 41 rootstocks typically top out at about 8 feet.
For some reason, building the irrigation and trellis for the new trees took an inordinate amount of time to complete. Maybe we are just getting slower as we become long in the tooth. Whatever the reason, we didn’t get around to the task of weed control until the orchard was a jungle. Late June and the entire month of July found us bogged down, just trying to stay ahead of the weeds and grass. We finally gained the upper hand by early August. For this, we can thank our hired summer help; without them, we would still be trying to hack our way through the jungle. As of this writing in late August, we are focused on repairing leaks in the irrigation system, trying to stay ahead of the weeds, and getting the cider sheds and tasting room ready for the harvest season. The crop looks good, and we should have a good supply of apples and pears for harvest.
Hours
We expect to open for apple picking on Labor Day, September 7. The first apples ready will be Summer Reds and Gravensteins, closely followed by Wealthy. The Gravensteins tend to ripen
unevenly, so there won’t be a huge supply at any given moment. The Summer Reds, Gravensteins, and Wealthy will be followed by McIntosh and Bartlett pears, which in turn will be followed by the later-ripening varieties. Please check out the harvest schedule page for more precise information regarding scheduling.
Our hours for the 2026 harvest season will be as follows:
Thursdays, beginning September 10: 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Fridays, beginning September 11: 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturdays, beginning September 12: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sundays, beginning September 13: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thursdays and Fridays will be limited to apple picking only. Saturdays and Sundays will be for
apple picking and, beginning Saturday, September 12, for cider making as well. All other days and times, we will be closed to give us time to pick apples for the cider operation.
PLEASE NOTE: CIDER MAKING WILL BE AVAILABLE BY RESERVATION ONLY.
Should you happen to check on any internet site other than our website or our Facebook page and find different hours listed, or if it indicates “open now” for any time other than the times listed above, DON’T BELIEVE IT!
Cider making
CIDER MAKING WILL BE AVAILABLE BY RESERVATION ONLY.
On September 5, we will begin accepting requests for cider making reservations. The first day
our presses will be available for use will be Saturday, September 12. Initially, the apples for cider
making will consist primarily of Summer Red apples, because they will be the only variety ripe in any quantity. However, Summer Reds do make excellent, single varietal sweet cider - that is one of the reasons we have planted as many of them as we have. We anticipate the presses will be available on Saturdays and Sundays until late October, until we either run out of apples, or until apple quality declines to a point that they don’t make good cider.
ALL CIDER MAKERS MUST BRING THEIR OWN JUGS OR CONTAINERS FOR THEIR
CIDER; WE DO NOT SUPPLY JUGS OR CONTAINERS.
How to make a cider making reservation
Cider making will be available by reservation. We ask that you not come to the orchard to
make cider unless you first have a reservation. Reservation requests are best made at least a day or two in advance of your visit. Same-day reservation requests are often not noticed until after the fact. To request a reservation, you must email your request to bishopsorchard@completebbs.com. We cannot and will not accept requests by the telephone because we are not set up to track them properly. All requests must include:
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The number of anticipated cider-makers in your group;
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The number of gallons you anticipate making;
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Your preference for a date and time; and
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If you would like to be contacted in case there are any last minute scheduling changes on our part due to breakdowns, apple shortages or other calamities, we will need a phone number so we can head you off (this has never happened, but it could).
This information allows us to schedule enough time for you to make your cider. If your request for a reservation does not include all of the information requested, we may not be able to schedule you in, and we may not have time to contact you for the missing information. There is a two gallon minimum. If you find you have enough time to continue making cider after completing the gallons you estimated in your request for a reservation, you are welcome to continue making cider until your allotted time is up. Please try to be on time for your scheduled time slot. If you arrive late, we probably won’t be able to adjust your allotted time.
The reservation system has worked reasonably well since we instituted it during COVID times.
However, there are some folks who still email us to ask “What times are available,” or “How does the schedule look” for such and such day. If we don’t know how many will be in the group to make however many gallons the group anticipates making on a particular day and time, there is no way we can really answer, and we probably won’t try.
Due to the demands on our time, it sometimes takes one or two days for us to respond to
reservation requests. If it happens that you request a reservation, then don’t hear from us after two days, please don’t hesitate to email or call (509-635-1276) and leave a message; we will then look into the matter. We never intentionally ignore anyone (after all, we are in the business of selling what we grow) but, please remember, we are a one horse operation and, like anyone, can get overwhelmed when suddenly everyone wants to make cider on the same day at the same time.
Cider making safety
At Bishops’ Orchard, we offer you the opportunity to make your own cider. We provide the
presses and the apples and the rest is up to you. The apples are picked directly into bins, and have never been on the ground. You must provide your own jugs and containers for your cider, and you must make your own cider.
Jugs and containers should be clean. Like any natural fruit juice, cider can become
contaminated by harmful bacteria. Using good food preparation habits while handling cider is a must to minimize the risk of bacterial contamination. The biggest risk of contamination comes from those handling the cider, a common but not the only vector being unwashed hands. To reduce risk of contamination, ALWAYS wash your hands before you begin making cider, and keep them clean until you are done and the cider is in the jug. You are responsible to assure that your cider is free of bad bacteria. The only practical method that we know of to eliminate the risk of bacterial contamination is pasteurization and we absolutely recommend you pasteurize your cider. Pasteurization is a relatively simple process; it involves evenly heating the raw cider to approximately 160° F, then quickly cooling and storing it in good, clean containers. By no means should you boil the cider - boiling destroys the unique flavor of cider. Once pasteurized, the cider should be refrigerated and treated with the same care as any other food.
Pest Control
Our most persistent pests - other than thistles - include apple scab, codling moth, and oyster
shell scale. Apple scab presents itself as unsightly scabs on the surface of apples. The apples are still edible, but may look pretty gross. At one time many years ago, we worried that apple scab might put us out of business. Scab is caused by a fungus that depends upon sufficient moisture at a given temperature over a specific amount of time. Nowadays, thanks to the development of sophisticated (and economical) monitoring equipment, the refinement of disease growth models, fungicides that are user friendly, and climate change, scab has almost entirely slipped from our sights. This year was no exception; without rainfall, scab has not been an issue.
Codling moth damage is characterized by holes bored into the apples by immature codling
moth. Codling moths were once controlled by the application of super toxic, organophosphate
chemicals. With the advent of mating disruption techniques using pheromones to keep male and female moths from hooking up, codling moth control has become manageable without the use of toxic chemicals. However, mating disruption is not 100%; codling moth damage persists, albeit at very low levels. In recent years, we have noticed increased codling moth strikes, especially on the edges of the orchard where female moths enter the orchard after having mated elsewhere. We suspect one reason may be that the pheromone dispensers have used up their supply of pheromones by August. The pheromone dispensers are designed to flood the orchard with pheromones for a period of up to 90 days. Due to climate change in recent years, our growing season has increased beyond the life of the dispensers. Another contributing factor may be our orchard renovation work in the original orchard. The original orchard has been in serious decline since a hard freeze occurred in early October, 2009. As soon as we shifted production to the new orchard, we began replacing the dying trees with new plantings. Until the new trees are tall enough to hang dispensers on them, the new blocks are basically unprotected, allowing female moths to mate, then move into the older trees, where they lay their eggs for the next generation of moths. In sum, if you happen to pick an apple with a codling moth strike, don’t feel compelled to keep it.
Oyster shell scale is a tiny, sucking insect that attaches itself to small branches and fruit in
early summer. The scale is protected by a covering that looks like a tiny oyster shell. In sufficient
numbers, the scale can actually kill an apple tree. Scale has not typically been a problem for us
because it is readily kept in check by cold weather during the winter months. However, with the mild winters we have had the last few years, scale has reared its ugly head and become a major pest for us. Scale can be controlled by the timely application of dormant oil. Dormant oil is highly refined mineral oil. Dormant oil is an old time remedy for many pests, and is considered an organic pesticide. The trick to using oil to control scale is timing; just like Goldilocks and the three bears’ porridge, conditions have to be just right - the tree buds have to be at an exact stage of development, and the weather can’t be too cold or too warm. It has taken us three years to refine our timing, but we believe we are beginning to get the upper hand in scale control. As of the end of August, we have not detected any scale in this year’s crop.
Apples for hard cider
If you are interested in pressing apples to make hard cider from some of our hard cider-specific apples, please contact us ahead of time so we can advise what varieties are offered, and when they may be available. The hard cider apples that may be available include Michelin, Golden Russett, Roxbury Russett, Dabinett and Browns.
With our new, commercial production cider press, it may be that we will have a surplus of hard cider juice for sale. If you are interested in purchasing juice for hard cider, please keep in touch with us. Our hard cider apples are typically pressed in late October or early November.
Tasting room
Our apples provide the basis for many of the hard ciders produced by Liberty Ciderworks in Spokane. These ciders are sold throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond, and have earned a solid reputation in the world of artisan ciders. We are quite proud of the contribution our humble apples make in the production of Liberty’s very excellent ciders. The climate and soil of the Palouse have the potential to yield world-class hard cider. We will continue to host Liberty’s seasonal tasting room at the orchard to showcase some of its ciders, which will provide an opportunity to experience another dimension to our apples.
Prices
Apples, pears and prunes will be $.75/lb. Cider apples (excluding English apples used for hard cider production) will be priced at $8.00 per gallon of juice pressed.
Some final thoughts
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We encourage you to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of our picnic tables or under the shade of an apple tree in a secluded corner of the orchard. You are welcome to wander around and explore the orchard, and you can sample the fruit - we won’t be asking you to step on the scales on your way out. We also invite you to rest your weary feet and sit on one of the benches scattered through the orchard. Please do not enter any outbuildings unless specifically authorized to do so.
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Please don’t climb the trees; the limbs are very brittle, climbing breaks off fruiting spurs. Besides, falling from a tree is not cool and could result in serious injury.
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The orchard floor has sticks and windfall apples - please watch your step to avoid falls.
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Please remember not to park in front of the homes across the street from the orchard.
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And finally, please have fun when visiting the orchard!