East Michigan apple maturity report – Sept. 4, 2019

Gala and McIntosh varieties from east Michigan orchards were analyzed for maturity this week. Neither are not ready to begin harvest.

General apple harvest comments

This Monday, Sept. 2, was the first week to collect apple samples from a number of orchards in east Michigan. Samples were then analyzed at the Department of Horticulture Post Harvest Lab at Michigan State University. This is the first apple harvest report for the 2019 apple harvest. Samples of Gala and McIntosh were collected and analyzed this week. Honeycrisp were also field tested for maturity.

Based on only one week’s worth of data, neither Gala nor McIntosh are ready to begin harvest. McIntosh maturity appears to be ahead of Gala. Although I did not test maturity of Honeycrisp, based on field taste testing, Honeycrisp are still very green with the exception of the Premier strain, which are ready for harvest. 

Our predicated apple harvest dates for east Michigan are three to four days later than the normal dates. Here is the link for the 2019 apple predicted harvest dates article that was emailed to area growers and published on our Michigan State University Extension Fruit & Nuts News website in August.

Spend time in your orchard soon to evaluate the maturity of your apple varieties. Our bloom period this spring was extended for three weeks. So far this season it appears there is a widespread of maturity of individual apples on the tree. This may change once we get in to harvest further. Fruit size is generally excellent this season.

Apple maturity in east Michigan for apples harvested Sept. 2

Variety

% Fruits with ethylene over 0.2 ppm (range)

Color % (range)

Firmness lbs. (range)

Starch (range)

Brix %

Gala

58 (0-90)

73 (33-90)

19.2 (18.8-25.0)

1.4(1.0-2.1)

12.1

McIntosh

0 (0-0)

58(25-98)

19.1 (16.8-23.0)

2.3 (1.7-3.5)

12.7

Individual variety results

Gala

Gala was sampled for the first week of the season with several strains being tested. The predicted harvest date for Gala for the region is Sept. 11. Based on this week’s data, Gala are not ready for harvest. Gala is a variety that tends to mature early in hot growing seasons, later in cooler seasons.

The%age of fruit with internal ethylene levels over 0.2 parts per million (ppm) is 58% this week. Fruit are still very firm averaging 19.2 pounds pressure and the average starch index is only 1.4. We usually look for a starch index for Gala to be in the 3 to 4 range. Dry conditions in many areas may have fruit that is more advanced. While growers have heard about different Gala strains maturing over several weeks, my experience is that most strains, with the exception of Autumn Gala, mature in about the same window and within just a few days of each other.

Gala maturity sampling for the harvest season

Sample date

% Fruits with ethylene over 0.2 ppm (range)

Color % (range)

Firmness lbs. (range)

Starch (range)

Brix %

Sept. 2

58 (0-90)

73 (33-90)

19.2 (18.8-25.0)

1.4(1.0-2.1)

12.1

McIntosh

McIntosh was sampled for the first week of the season. Based on one weeks’ worth of data, McIntosh are not ready to begin harvest. The predicted harvest date for McIntosh is Sept. 16. Fruit color is generally poor, at 52%. No fruit are testing with internal ethylene levels over 0.2 ppm. The average starch index is 2.3 this week. We usually look for a starch index for McIntosh to be around 5.

McIntosh maturity sampling for the harvest season

Sample date

% Fruits with ethylene over 0.2 ppm (range)

Color % (range)

Firmness lbs. (range)

Starch (range)

Brix %

Sept. 2

0 (0-0)

58(25-98)

19.1 (16.8-23.0)

2.3 (1.7-3.5)

12.7

Predicted peak fresh market apple harvest dates for East Michigan

Each year we publish predicted harvest dates for many locations across the state. These predicted harvest dates are based on a long-established formula using the bloom date and temperatures for 30 days post-bloom.

The following table has predicted apple harvest dates for east Michigan. It has been expanded to include more apple varieties and lists only one date for the entire east Michigan region, which is hard to do! You can adjust these predicted harvest dates based on your actual bloom dates or on the typical harvest dates at your farm.

These dates are an estimate and will be affected by the apple strain, rootstock, crop load, fertility, soil type, and other factors including weather this season. Keep a close eye on the weekly Apple Harvest Updates for possible revisions of these dates.


Normal and 2019 peak harvest dates for apple varieties for East Michigan

Variety

Normal date

2019 predicted date

Paula Red

8/22

8/25

Zestar

8/22

8/22

Gingergold

8/23

9/26

Gala

9/8

9/11

McIntosh

9/13

9/16

Early Fiji

9/14

9/17

Honeycrisp

9/16

9/20

Empire

9/20

9/24

Jonathan

9/23

9/27

Jonagold

9/23

9/27

Cortland

9/25

9/29

Golden Delicious

9/29

10/3

Red Delicious

10/1

10/5

CandyCrisp

10/5

10/10

Idared

10/6

10/11

Northern Spy

10/8

10/12

Crispin (Mutsu)

10/9

10/13

Rome

10/11

10/15

Autumn Gala

10/17

10/21

EverCrisp

10/19

10/23

Fuji

10/22

10/26

Braeburn

10/23

10/28

Winesap

10/26

10/30

Goldrush

10/31

11/4

 *Firmness is measured with a mechanical 11-millimeter wide probe inserted into the pared flesh of a fruit to a distance of 8 millimeters. Starch index is measured on equatorial cross section of an apple stained with iodine solution and rated using the Cornell University starch-iodine index chart for apples on a 1-8 scale (Predicting Harvest Date Window for Apples by Blanpied and Silsbey, Cornell Extension Bulletin 221.)

 

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