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2013 Apple Maturity Report

Apple Maturity Report

Submitted by Jon Clements jon.clements@umass.edu

All maturity results from UMass Cold Spring Orchard unless otherwise noted

date variety drop diameter (inches) % red color firmness (lbs.) brix starch index comments
9/24 Rogers McIntosh some 3.3 70 12.9 11.9 6.5 (6-7) last chance this week to pick non-ReTain treated Macs
9/24 Macoun some 3.35 70 14.5 11 3.9 (3-4) Macoun is just maturing with some varietal flavor developing
9/24 Empire nil 3.0 70 17 11 4.5 (3-5.5) Empire is just ready for 1st pick
9/24 Liberty nil 2.95 95 20 12.1 3.5, mostly 3 Liberty will be ready to pick at the earliest later this week
9/24 Delicious nil 3.0 95 17.4 10.8 2.5 (2-3.5) Delicious needs another week to pick
9/24 Morning Mist Fuji none 3.2 90 14.7 13.5 5.5 (4-7) newer, earlier, high color Fuji strain -- very nice
9/24 Golden Delicious (Gibson) none 2.9 NA 16.2 12 4.5 (4-5) need another week before picking
9/24 Rubinstar Jonagold nil 3.4 65 16.1 12.8 5.5 (4-7) jus barely ready to pick, could use another week for sugar to develop
date variety drop

diameter (inches)

% red color Firmness
(lbs.)
brix starch
index
comments
9/16 Honeycrisp few 3.4 85 14.7 12.4 6 (5-7) at their peak, finish picking this week
9/16 Redcort Cortland none 3.4 80 14.8 9.9 2 not at their best yet; may have been treated with ReTain; hold off harvest for a week if you can
9/14 Cherry Gala none 2.9 95 17 12.8 5.6 (4-8) a new Gala strain from Brandt's; at their peak, ready to pick
9/16 Buckeye Gala none 2.85 95 18.5 10.5 5 (3-8) mostly ready to harvest; small size, over-cropped trees = low sugar
9/14 SnappyMac McIntosh some 3.0 80 16 12.7 5 (4-6) at peak, excellent red color; this is a nice Mac strain from Stark Bros.
9/16 Lindamac McIntosh few 3.0 90 14.6 11.5 4.5 (3.5-6) ready to harvest (one pick)
date variety drop diameter
(inches)
% red Color Firmness
(lbs.)
Brix Starch
Index
Comments
9/5 Honeycrisp
(Northboro, MA)
nil 3.4 60 15.7 12.7 5.5
(4-7)
ready for 1st pick, good sugar
9/5 Honeycrisp
(Harvard, MA)
nil 3.2 55 14.7 11.3 6
(4-8)
very close to ready for 1st pick
9/5 Honeycrisp
(Stow, MA)
nil 3.2 45 16.8 10.9 5
(3.5-7)
most likely treated with ReTain?
9/9 Snappy Mac few 3.0 75 17 11.4 4.1
(4-5)
seeds dark; right on track for 1st pick as predicted; nice red color on these Snappy Mac
9/10 Lindamac some 3.0 80 15.7 11.6 4
(3-5)
Lindamac is a high red color strain, similar to a good color Redmax, but earlier coloring
9/9 Buckeye Gala nil 2.8 95 20 9.9 2.8
(1-4)
marginally ready for 1st pick based on background color change (which is hard to discern on these red Gala); sugar not there, but heavy crop load likely has adverse effect on sugar development
9/10 Honeycrisp few 3.1 60 15.7 11.4 6
(4-8)
note the higher starch index on these Honeycrisp from over-cropped Bud.9 trees, compared to B.118 below; probably never had much starch to begin with, and will not develop enough sugar for optimum varietal flavor
9/9 Honeycrisp few 3.4 65 14.7 11.2 4.6
(3-6.5)
sugars not fully developed, but needs a 1st pick, ripe fruit starting to drop; nice fruit gronw on Bud.118
9/10 Blondee® none 3.0 5 18 11.6 4.5
(3-7)
Blondee® is a fine yellow apple in this season, it's like a yellow Gala
9/10 RiverBelle®
(DS-22 cv.)
nil 3.6 70 16.8 13.9 5.5
(3-7)
RiverBelle® is a new, regional apple variety being planted in MN and WI; it is a very large, sweet apple designed for the regional market, but available to anyone who wants to plant; it most likely has a Honeycrisp parent; very large fruit, some russet/fruit finish issues
date variety drop Diameter
(inches)
% red color Firmness
(lbs)
brix starch index comments
9/2 Lindamac nil 3.0 65 17 10.9 3.5 (3-4) seeds still white; not ready to pick
9/2 Silken few 2.8 yellow-green 17 11.5 4 (3-6) eats OK, variable maturity, could use another 5-7 days
9/2 Buckeye Gala none 2.8 95 20 9.3 2 (1-3) seeds dark, needs another week to develop sugar despite some background color change green to yellow
9/2 Honeycrisp few 3.1 55 18 12.3 5 (4-7) further along than expected, some background color change, ready for 1st pick this week!
Date Variety Drop diameter
(inches)
% red color Firmness
(lbs)
brix Starch
Index
comments
8/27 Gingergold very few 3.2 NA 18 11.3 3-4 being harvested, very good quality
8/27 Sansa - - - - - - already harvested
8/27 Akane nil 3.0 90 18 12.9 6.5 (6-7) should be harvested ASAP
8/27 Rubymac very few 2.9 95 17 10.6 3.5 (3-4) GREEN AS GRASS!
8/27 Paulared - - - - - - already harvested
8/27 Dandee Red many 3.3 95-100 16 12.5 4 (3-6) drop prone, shouldbe picked and sold as Mac-like apple right now; superior to Paulred?
8/27 Zestar! very few 3.3 65 14 11.7 5 (4-6) going to be past it's prime soon, should be picked ASAP
8/27 Honeycrisp nil 3.1 45 20 11.4 2 (1-4) GREEN AS GRASS!