2015 Apple Maturity Report

2015 Apple Maturity Report

All observations from UMass Orchard, Belchertown, MA unless otherwise noted

Questions, comments: Jon Clements 413-478-7219

Note: target maturity indeces: red color, >50%; firmness, >14 lbs.; soluble solids, >12; DA, 0.60 to 0.40 for Honeycrisp, 0.60 for Gala, 1.00 for Golden Delicious, 1.15 to 1.00 for Red Delicious (higher DA = more "green"); starch index, 4-6.

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
 
8-October Red Delicious none 3.4 100 15 12.4 1.16 3.3 could start harvest, particularly if going to store for any lenght of time; otherwise, wait 5-7 days; very good look, too bad they don't taste better
Red Delicious 10/08/15
8-October Gibson Golden Delicious none 3.2 NA 15.7 13.2 1.05 5.2 ready for start of harvest, pick yellow ones first; nice Golden Delicious 10/08/15
8-October Mutsu/Crispin few 3.5 NA 17.7 13 0.69 3.1 definitely ready for first pick based on color development; some quite yellow, some still pretty green (depends on crop load) Mutsu/Crispin 10/08/15
8-October Cameo none 3.4 85 16.6 11 1.18 4.5 on schedule for Columbus Day harvest, no sooner; nice quality as usual Cameo 10/08/15
8-October Ambrosia none 3.2 75 16.6 12.3 0.69 4 ready for first pick based on background color change from green to yellow; a very nice apple, coming off patent, trees should be available in 2019, call your nursery of choice! Ambrosia 10/08/15
8-October Crimson Topaz none 3.5 80 1705 12.3 0.62 12.3 some are ready for harvest (depends on tree and crop load); look very nice, but trees have a problem with nectria canker Crimson Topaz 10/8/15

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
 
22-September Empire none 2.9 70 19.8 11.2 1.44 2.8 still green, wait another week and test again (do not harvest!) NA
 
22-September Macoun some 3.2 75 17.1 12.4 1.5 3.9 (2.5-7) typical Macoun, variable maturity, some loose on tree, large fruit have watercore; pick over next week Macoun 09/21/15
22-September Rubinstar Jonagold nil 3.45 80 15.9 13.2 0.79 5.3 (4-7) ready for first pick based on color development; will peak in a week Rubinstar Jonagold 09/21/15
22-September Golden Glory (DS-65) none 3.2 NA 17.7 13.5 1.38 4.5 a nice, russet-free Golden Delicious type apple; not likely available as trees anymore; may be a little earlier than Golden Delicious, but wait another week to harvest Golden Glory (DS-165)
21-September Morning Mist Fuji none 3.2 90 13.9 12.7 0.86 6.5 one of the nicest early Fuji strains, ready to harvest Morning Mist Fuji 09/21/15
21-September McIntosh significant 3.25 75 14.8 12.2 1.62 5.6 ReTain treated (?) but right on schedule, need to harvest ASAP McIntosh 09/21/15

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
 
18-September Lindamac McIntosh some 3.1 90 14.9 11.4 1.47 4.8 (4-6) Right on schedule, minimal drop, should be picking real soon Lindamac McIntosh 09/18/15
 
18-September Blondee none 3.0 NA 17.7 10.9 0.34 4.5 (2-7) Nice, but surface defects easily seen; small if not adequately thinned, and quality suffers too; very nice fruit if can grow large size Blondee 09/18/15
18-September Redcort Cortland none 3.4 85 16.5 11.5 1.61 3.2 Being harvested, does not starch test well, still pretty green, economically ripe but could use another week for improved variety flavor Redcort Cortland 09/18/15
17-September Honeycrisp nil 3.7 50 12.2 12.1 0.72 7 Large fruit, on the green color side, bitter pit, what happens when you crop 2nd-leaf trees, good flavor though Honeycrisp 09/17/15
11-September McIntosh some 3.1 60 15.7 11.1 1.77 4 (3.5-6.5) ReTain treated  

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
9-September Buckeye Gala none 2.9 95 18.6 11 0.41 4.2 (3-7) Ready to go, but wish sugar was higher, could wait a bit; nice large fruit Buckeye Gala 09/09/15
9-September Silken nil 2.9 0 16.3 11.7 0.25 5.3 (3-6) Being harvested today Silken 09/09/15
9-September Lindamac McIntosh some 3.1 80 15.3 NA 1.77 4.7 Certainly ready to harvest based on color development, rather loose on tree, watch drop Lindamac McIntosh 09/09/15
9-September Honeycrisp few 3.6 65 14.2 12.4 0.29 7.3 (7-8) Really need to be harvested ASAP if there is red color, some ferment detected Honeycrisp 09/09/15
9-September Honeycrisp
(Northboro)		 very few 3.5 70 15.6 12.3 0.40 7.3 (5-8) top pick from trees, need to be harvestd ASAP based on color, treated with ReTain Honeycrisp, Northboro 09/09/15

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
8-September Honeycrisp
(Deerfield)		 some 3.3 65 14.7 12 0.27 7.5 Wow, detecting some ferment flavor, need to harvest ASAP, not a good candidate for long-term storage, cooking on trees right now with this heat Honeycrisp, Deerfield MA, 09/08/15
8-September Brookfield Gala (Deerfield) none 3.0 90 20.6 12 0.25 4 (3-6) Need to spot pick based on size and background color ASAP; should do one pick and then follow-up within a week with second pick; BTW, this is the nicest Gala Brookfield Gala, Deerfield MA, 09/08/15
8-September Lindamac McIntosh
(Deerfield)		 few 3.2 75 14.5 11.5 1.74 4 (3.5-4.5) Felt loose on tree, may have received some ReTain via drift, watch drop and pick ASAP Lindamac, Deerfield MA, 09/08/15
8-September Rubymac McIntosh
(Deerfield)		 nil 3.1 90 15.7 11.1 1.46 5 (4-6) Ready to harvest ASAP, may have received some ReTain via drift Rubymac, Deerfield MA, 09/08/15

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
31-August Zestar! nil 3.5 65 12.8 12.7 0.45 5.5 Second pick ongoing, touch of watercore, reaching end of peak, need to harvest ASAP Zestar! 08/31/15
31-August Honeycrisp none (yet) 3.4 55 15.6 11.7 0.62 4.7 Reddest fruit, barely ready to start harvest, but by end of week or Labor Day, yes; please resist picking now, wait for better maturity/quality next week Honeycrisp 08/31/15
31-August Buckeye Gala none 2.9 95 19.2 11.3 1.07 3.5 immature despite being fully red, need a week of heat (at least) then test again Buckeye Gala 08/31/15
31-August Ginger Gold few 3.4 0 17.5 13.3 0.55 3.5 should be near end of harvest (does not starch test well), very nice quality, large fruit, some moldy core Ginger Gold 08/31/15
31-August Akane nil 2.9 85 15.5 10.4 0.55 6.5 heavy crop on these trees impacts sugar and quality, pick ASAP Akane 08/31/15
31-August Lindamac McIntosh few 3.0 80 16 10.7 1.74 3.4 still very green, should be starch index 4, wait a week before testing again or harvest please Lindamac 08/31/15
date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
18-August Paulared yes, some 3.2 55 15.2 11.4 1.25 3.7 A geeen apple still, but being harvested; signficant drop already Paulared 08/18/15
18-August Sansa none 3.0 50 16.2 13.9 0.24 3.7 Ready to pick based on background color, DA, and soluble solids; light crop on trees tested Sansa 08/18/15
18-Aug Zestar! none 3.25 45 13.8 12.9 0.77 3.5 Could be first picked base on color Zestar! 08/18/15