Topic: Showing apples

[Kea]

I've got a problem. I'm planning to put some of my apples in our local produce show along with other stuff but my stuff keeps getting stolen off my allotment. I lost my 5 biggest onions...I won that last year. I thought my apples were safe as this is my first year with apples my bramley has 11 on it. Our show is just friendly fun rivalry and good natured or at least I thought so until the last few weeks. There is someone who holds grudges and I've beaten this individual in a number of classes in the last 2 years. Overnight the single apple on one of my other trees (one that's very important as I needed the apple to identify the variety which I grafted from my MIL's tree) whoever did it had to walk past the bramley tree to get to it so it looks like a threat.

The question is our show is a week and a half away, if I harvest the apples now will they look past it by the time I show them. Option 2 is harvesting my 2nd best as a safety net. I haven't sent my entry in yet as everytime I go to do something else disappears.
My squash plant that appeared to have the biggest fruit on it suddenly yellowed off like it had been treated with weedkiller. Fortunately the large fruit is not actually on that one it's vine is twined through the affected one and a quick glance looks like it's the other plant.
I'm quite frankly sick of all these little incidents of sabotage I've been getting over the last 18 months beginning with weedkiller watered on my damson tree.

[Robert_Brenchley]

That's appalling!

[Kea]

Thanks Robert.
I need a bit of support I'm at a low ebb.

I'm actually one of the show organisers and at meetings I've mentioned my problems and who I think is behind it but I think they think i'm losing my mind or I'm just paranoid. They're not going to have my help next year though I'm going to give it a miss.

[pumkinlover]

I'm sorry I have never shown apples so cannot help, though keeping it cool might help but it will proably dehydrate.

I can only sympathise and commiserate, some people are so bitter and twisted but in the end I firmly believe that they hurt themselves more than anyone else.  I remember last year how upset Betty was about someone who stole the brilliant onions a lovely old gent on her site had grown for their show.

[Kea]

I've decided that I will get up early and spend a few hours at the plot when the numbers of people are low and a visit again in the evening. I've netted my Apple, chained and locked my gate....they can climb over but it prevents a quick get away. Increased the height of my fence which fortunately I had started to do anyway when I put in new taller posts now there is wire round the top.
Though the wire I had already put in place had been cut a few days ago.
I have informed my nearest plot neighbors about what's been going on....they were all very shocked so there are lots of people aware now.
The mouse traps that are hidden near some key produce might at least give whoever it is a big fright.
Hopefully I have made it a lot harder.