2022 Apple Maturity Report

2022 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, 0.65 for Gala, 1.00 for Golden Delicious, 1.15 to 1.00 for Red Delicious (higher DA = more "green"); starch index, 4-6.

(Note that you can click on any apple image to get a close-up and scroll through the pictures)

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
10/31 Goldrush none 3.2 NA 20 15.5 0.69 4-5 light crop, variable maturity goldrush103122
10/21 Ludacrisp nil 3.4 75 12 15.5 0.43 7 some stem end and calyx cracking; distinctly conic; very intense licorice flavore ludacrisp101522
10/21 Sweet Zinger nil 3.3 25-50 16 13 1.10 6.5-7 interesting apple sweetzinger102122
10/21 Goldrush nil 3.2 0-10 20 14.3 1.02 3-4 need another week minimum goldrush102122
10/21 Suncrisp (NJ55) none 3.6 10-25 13 13.1 1.01 4-6+ pick on color change from green to yellow suncrisp102122
10/21 Cripps Pink (Maslin cv.) none 3.1 90 15.5 14 0.29 6 starting to go over the hill, feeling a touch greasy crippspink102122
10/21 MAIA 1 'Evercrisp' none 3.3 75 22 15.2 0.40 3-4? watercore, does not starch test well? evercrisp102122
date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
10/11 Cameo none 3.4 85 16 12.9 NA 3-4 very nice crop if thinned, ready for 1st pick, under-planted apple cameo101122
10/11 Golden Delicious few 3.3 NA 14.5 14.6 1.06 4-7+ last call, some green still, ReTain? golddelicious101122
10/11 Suncrisp none 3.2 25 16 13.5 1.10 3-6 could use another week, no background color change from green to yellow yet suncrisp101122
10/9 Cripps Pink 'Maslin' cv. nil 3.0 75 17 13.9 0.28 4-6+ first pick based on red color 'pop' crippspink100922
10/9 Golden Russet nil 3.0 0 23 15.3 0.52 3-4 getting there, wait a week goldrusset100922
10/9 Ludacrisp nil 3.2 75 15 14.1 0.58 3-7 distinct conic shape, getting there ludacrisp100922
10/9 Crimson Topaz nil 3.2 85 17 13.7 0.53 4-8 should be harvested, nice this year crimsontopaz100922
10/9 MAIA 1 (Evercrisp) none 3.4 90 24 14.5 0.60 2-3 some watercore, light crop, wait a week evercrisp100922
10/9 Fuji 'Brak' none 3.0 80 striped 15 13.4 1.30 3-6 needs another week minimum brakfuji100922
10/9 Delicious few 3.25 95 14 12.1 1.28 2-5 watercore, attractive on tree, otherwise junk delicious100922
10/9 Mutsu/Crispin few 3.4 NA 18 12.9 1.31 3-7 in middle of harvest, uneven maturity? mutsu100922
date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
9/29 Crimson Gold nil 3.1 90 18 14.7 0.11 5-6+ very nice crimsongold092922
9/27 Mutsu some 3.2 NA 16 11.5 1.55 2-5+ mostly not ready, next week at the earliest mutsu092722
9/26 Rogers Red McIntosh some 3.1 90 12 12.3 NA 6 last call, holding up well, no ReTain rogersmac092622
9/26 Cortland nil 3.6 85 14 12.4 NA 1-2+ finally ready for harvest, never starch tests well cortland092622
9/26 Empire (Thome) none 3.0 99 17 12.9 NA 3.5 could start harvest, red color certainly there, but will be better next week empire092622
9/26 Macoun significant push-off 3.1 80 16 12.7 NA 3-4 economically ripe this weekend, will be better next week, ReTain yes macoun092622
9/26 Liberty none 3.0 99 19 13 NA 2.5-4 very attractive, at it's peak, pick on earlier side vs. later liberty092622
9/26 Cordera few 3.6 large 50 14 14.1 0.59 3-6 junk, bitter pit, not recommended unless you need scab-resistance cordera092622
9/26 Golden Delicious none 3.3 NA 14 12.7 1.39 4-5+ need another week golddel092622
9/26 Jonagold few 3.6 very large 65 14.5 14 0.53 5-6-7 hint of watercore, some cracking, needs 1st pick ASAP jonagold092622
9/26 Firecracker none 3.2 65 17 14.7 0.27 3-7 lighter cropped trees ready for harvest, attractive, good cider and eating apple firecracker092622
9/26 Ambrosia none 3.2 75-80 16 13.7 0.44 4-5 ready for 1st harvest, only 2 picks, finish in a week ambrosia092622
9/23 Ashmeads Kernel none 2.9 NA 24 15.5 1.09 2-3+ could stay on tree longer ashmeadskernel092322
9/23 Ruby Rush none 3.6 very large 85 19 14.9 0.29 3-7+ uneven maturity, some getting greasy, some water core, very attractive but large, should be picked by now rubyrush092322
date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
9/19 Rubymac McIntosh few 3.1 99 13 12.9 NA 4-5-6 holding up quite well, probably had ReTain, but pick this week rubymac091922
9/19 Rogers Red McIntosh some 3.2 75 14 13.1 NA 4-5-6 harvest anytime on red skin color, probably NO ReTain rogersmac091922
9/19 Cortland few (push-off?) 3.4 80 striped 16 12.6 NA 1-2-3 quite tart, does not starch test well, being PYO'd, ReTain? cortland091922
9/19 Empire none 3.0 90 17.5 12.2 NA 3.5 next week maybe empire091922
9/19 Macoun some push-off 3.1 60 barely 16 11.9 NA 2-5.5? green, wait a week at least macoun091922
9/19 Honeycrisp nil 3.4 60 15.5 14.6 0.56 6-7 ReTain probably, keep picking on red color, some rots showing up honeycrisp091922
9/19 Pink Luster nil 3.4 50 19 12.4 0.22 4-6 maturity does not advance fast, attractive, suitable for limited PYO, very yellow background pinkluster091922
9/19 Morning Mist Fuji nil 3.4 large 75 dull 12 13.7 0.81 6-7 slight watercore, need to be harvested soon mmfuji091922
9/19 Modi none 3 99 24 14.3 0.61 3-4 could harvest soon, can't be grown outside of club in California modi091922
9/19 RubyRush none 3.8 very large 80 17 13.5 0.29 4-5? significant water core, very large apple, attractive, suitable for limited PYO planting rubyrush091922
9/19 Ambrosia none 3.4 70 18.5 13.5 0.47 4 keep an eye on it, harvest towards end of week, don't let get over-mature ambrosia091922
9/16 Marshall McIntosh some 3.1 75+ 12 12.9 NA 4-7 need to harvest ASAP marshallmac091622
date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
9/12 Rubymac McIntosh nil 3.1 95+ 14 12.1 NA 4-5 minimal drop, could hang another week for better flavor rubymac091222.jpeg
9/12 Rogers Red McIntosh few 3.1 60 14 12.4 NA 3.5-4.5 wait another week... rogersmac091222.jpeg
9/12 Marshall McIntosh some 3.2 70 13 12.3 NA 4-5-6 starting to drop, should be harvested soon marshallmac091222.jpeg
9/12 Buckeye Gala none 3.1 95+ 18 13.6 0.30 4-6 some cracking, should be harvested soon despite having some ReTain buckeyegala091222.jpeg
9/12 Honeycrisp few 3.6 55 striped 14 14.3 0.42 6-7 likely treated with ReTain, spot pick on color ASAP, needs 2-3 picks honeycrisp091222.jpeg
9/12 Minneiska (SweeTango) nil 3.25 80 15 14.2 0.09 5 very nice apple, harvest this week minneiska091222.jpeg
9/12 Pink Luster few 3.4 40 blush 17 11.8 0.30 4.5 still good, test again in a week? pinkluster091222.jpeg
9/12 Daybreak Fuji none 3.2 55 dull 12.5 12.1 1.05 5-7 wait a week despite starch-index, has not developed Fuji sweetness yet daybreakfuji091222.jpeg
9/12 Cortland few 3.4 80 striped, a bit dull 15 13.2 NA 1-3 (maybe) still tart, wait a week, may have had 1/2 rate of ReTain cortland091322.jpeg
date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
9/5 Rubymac McIntosh nil 3.0 95 14 11.4 NA 3.5-4 good color, minimal drop, could wait a week to mature a bit rubymac090522
9/5 Rogers Red McIntosh nil 3.1 50 16 12 NA 3.5-4 classic late-ripening Mac, wait until all other Macs are harvested rogersmac090522
9/5 Marshall McIntosh nil 3.0 75 13.5 11.8 NA 3.5-6.5 classic early-ripening Mac, pick within a week or it will drop marshallmac090522
9/5 Buckeye Gala none 3.1 95 16 12.3 0.30 3.5-6.5 a bit uneven ripening,but should be picked soon, good background color change to yellow on mature apples buckeyegala090522
9/5 Blondee none 3.0 NA 17 12.2 0.11 4-6.5 not widely planted, somewhat unique, very attractive yellow apple, prone to biennial bearing blondee090522.jpeg
9/5 Honeycrisp few 3.2 80 striped 17 13.9 0.33 5.5-7 light crop on dwarf trees, thus harvest ASAP honeycrisp090522
9/5 Minneiska (SweeTango) nil 3.2 65 14 12.9 0.10 4-6 despite the low DA, Duane says wait a week to pick; comes off patent in 2026 minneiska090522
9/5 Pink Luster few 3.5 40 blush 18 10.9 0.37 3.5-4.5 needs another week, rather attractive pinkluster090522
9/5 SweetMAIA none 3.1 90 19 13.6 0.28 7.5-8 should have been picked a week ago, water core sweetmaia090522
9/5 Summerset nil 3.8 very large 65 dullish 12.5 13.4 0.40 4-6 light crop, biennial? hard to compete with Honeycrisp in this time frame summerset090522
date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
8/29 Rubymac McIntosh nil 2.9 90 15 (13-17) 11.7 NA 3.5 barely green, at least a week off rubmac082922
8/29 Zestar! nil 3.4 45 13 (11-14) 14.9 0.32 (0.15-0.53) 4-6.5 ReTain? watercore zestar!082922
8/29 Buckeye Gala none 3.0 85 21 (19-23) 12.1 0.69 (0.42-0.95) 2-5 not ready for harvest, wait a week buckeyegala082922
8/29 Honeycrisp nil 3.2 45 (barely) 16 (13-21) 12.2 0.83 (0.52-1.09) 3-7 bitter pit (G.11), Japanese beetle, not a good look, wait a week at least honeycrisp082922
8/29 Sweet MAIA none 3.0 90 19 (18-22) 14.5 0.39 (0.23-0.56) 7-8 signs of heat injury (water-soaked flesh near skin), harvest any time now sweetMAIA082922
8/29  Premier Honeycrisp few 3.6 very large 40 striped 13 (11-15) 13.9

0.41 (0.21-0.56)

 6.5-8 harvest ASAP if color premierhoneycrisp082922
8/29 Minneiska (SweeTango) none 3.1 60 16 (13-20) 12.2 0.24 (0.12-0.38) 0.24 (0.12-0.38) harvest in 5 days, has not developed variety flavor yet minneiska082922
8/29 Marshall McIntosh nil 2.9 45 16 (14-17) 11.4 NA 4 heavy crop, still green, wait at least a week marshallmac082922
8/29 St. Edmund's Russet significant 3 0 12 (9-14) 13.8 1.24 (0.54-1.67) 4.5 this apple has no use IMHO, very loose and heavy drop, if for cider, wait for drop and pick off the ground stedmundsrusset082922
date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
8/23 Akane none 3.2 95 18 (16-21) 15.6 0.35 (0.17-0.48) 7 watercore, young dwarf trees, harvest ASAP akane082322
8/23 Premier Honeycrisp few 3.4 45 striped 14 (12-16) 13.5 0.52 (0.29-0.86) 4-6+ spot pick on acceptable red skin color ASAP, finish up within a week premierhoneycrisp082322
8/23 Paulared nil 3.2 75 16 (12-19) 13 0.87 (0.62-1.25) 2-4 typical Paulared, one with watercore, a bit tart still paulared082322
8/23 Zestar! nil 3.2 65 13 (12-16) 14.7 0.41 (0.27-0.53) 4-6 watercore, this apple does not like heat too much, harvest on red skin color ASAP zestar!082322
date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
8/17 MN 55 (First Kiss, Rave) some 3.1 80 12 10.3 1.03 3-4-5 time to make the donuts! MN55on081522
8/15 Sansa nil 3.3 60 16 (15-19) 14.5 0.31 (0.00-0.52) 3-4 meh, looks nice, defects, ready for 1st harvest sansa081522
8/15 Premier Honeycrisp none 3.4 55, mostly calyx end 12 12.4 0.72 (0.46-0.99) 3-7 could be spot picked any day on color premierhoneycrisp081522