Apple Trees

I need help w/these apple trees. There are 3 smaller trees planted together. I am told that one is a Fireside, one is a Jonathan and the third one is questionable. to me it looks like a Delicious. I look all of these apples up and they are not suppose to be ripening until next month, if not Oct., but they seem to be ready to pick now. Because of the weather this year, could they be ready earlier than usual? And is there any way to tell the difference between a Jonathan and a Fireside apple? These just comprise 3 of the 7 apple trees I have! If you don't know what kind of apple tree you have, how do you know when it's ready to be picked?

HELP!! Totally lost !!

I usually pick one and see how it tastes. If it is not ready, wait a few weeks.

Pick an apple, eat it, and look at the seeds. If they are completely dark, the apple is ripe and ready to pick. If the seeds are still partly light-colored, it's not ripe.

OK, another question; These 3 trees are growing next to each other in a straight line. The 2 in question are on each end w/a delicious in the middle. The delicious is full of apples, infact I have some branches on the ground it is so full. The 2 on the ends hardly have any apples on them. Enough to make some jelly, but they are not very bountiful. Do they only produce every other year? or did the delicious get all of the pollination? Do they make a book "apple trees for dummies?" If so, I need it!

Maybe these trees are too young to bear yet?

If you have 7, you shouldn't have a polllination problem. And sometimes they do, indeed, only bear every other year.

Karen, You didn't say whether you thought it was a Red or a Golden Delicious. I am going to guess Golden as my Red Delicious are barely coloring yet and would not be thought perhaps ripe. My Dolden Delicious is super loaded this year. They kind of bear heavy one year and less the next. These Goldens are getting closer to maturity already this year...about 2 or 3 weeks early. Not all ripen at the same time.

My Jonathans are very light this year due to the April freeze I suppose and they are coloring up now and likely will be ready in a couple weeks.

According to Apples for the 21st Century by Warren Manhart says Jonathan "Matures early October in Western Oregon, earlier in the warmer states." I doubt if Iowa is warmer. You will have to tell us what kind of Delicious you have since they are different. Manhard doesn't mention Fireside.
According to SSE's Fruit, Nut and Berry Inventory says that Fireside also ripens in October.
I have replaced one apple tree twice and an apricot tree once because they wouldn't bear. I finally talked to my county extension agent. It turns the extension service had conducted trials of fruit trees not far from where I live. He gave me the names of two apple trees and apricots which would produce here, I suspect you may learn that your county agent may have similar information about your area. He or she might also be able to identify your apples I am continually impressed with the wealth of knowledge availble through the county extension service and its relevance to the area where they work. Call up your county extension service!
I now have two new apple trees which experts tell me will withstand our late frosts and our short growing season. I am very pleased.

The delicious apples are red.....and they are delicious. They are just falling off the tree now. I was mowing around them this last week and accidentally hit a branch and about a dozen fell on my head! I never sprayed them or treated them in any way and they don't even look that wormy! I do have 7 trees, these 3 stand alone in one area, then 2 more a very large red delicious tree and another tree (Lodi) in another area, then completely on the other end of the property are what I was told are "something like honey crisp" apples trees. But then I also read that they can't be the same tree and still pollinate. I think I will call the extension office. I've heard everyone else tell me they get a lot of information from them. I think I could probably keep them out here for a day identifying shrubs, trees, plants, etc... Everyone; thanks for your input!

I think you would enjoy a visit from the county agent. I also think with all the trees you named, you probably don't have a pollination problem. Congratulations on the Red Delicious apples. Enjoy them while you figure out what else you have!

If your apples are falling on your head, stop mowing and start picking!