Michigan statewide apple maturity report – September 4, 2025

Keep abreast of the latest apple maturity testing done in different cultivars around the state to optimize harvest times for storage and fresh picking.

Several apples in a tray cut in half and treated with iodine to stain the starch blue.
Starch tests of Honeycrisp apples from southwest Michigan indicating apples are mature on Sept. 1, 2025. Photo by Winter Krajci.

This report provides data to compare apple maturity across Michigan. This will include information from multiple regions, but if available you should consult a maturity report from your specific region. Regional reports will include more information, including updates on harvest extenders and pest and disease management.

Predicted harvest dates

Table 1. 2025 predicted peak harvest dates.

  Full bloom date 2025 Predicted harvest date 2025  
Station McIntosh Jons Reds McIntosh Jons Reds Observer
SWMREC 29-Apr 30-Apr 1-May 2-Sep 19-Sep 24-Sep MSU Enviroweather
Deerfield 26-Apr 28-Apr 28-Apr 29-Aug 18-Sep 24-Sep MSU Enviroweather
Romeo 4-May 5-May 6-May 9-Sep 22-Sep 29-Sep MSU Enviroweather
Sparta 5-May 6-May 7-May 10-Sep 23-Sep 30-Sep MSU Enviroweather
Hart 13-May 14-May 14-May 17-Sep 3-Oct 9-Oct MSU Enviroweather
NWMHRS 16-May 18-May 20-May 19-Sep 9-Oct 14-Oct MSU Enviroweather

Table 2. 2025 predicted peak harvest dates compared to normal and last year.

  Days -/+ normal  Days -/+ last year 
Station McIntosh Jons Reds McIntosh Jons Reds
SWMREC -8 -3 -4 7 9 7
Deerfield -12 -3 -14 5 8 8
Romeo -4 -3 -4 9 4 5
Sparta -6 -3 -7 9 7 7
Hart 1 0 -1 11 10 10
NWMHRS -3 3 -3 8 13 12

List of regional reports:

Check out Michigan State University Enviroweather's Growing Degree Days (GDD) Michigan map. Find your closest weather station, create an account on the website, and track GDDs daily.

Maturity tables and summaries

Apple maturity sampling parameters

  • Color % = the visual percentage of red color from 0 to 100; range is of all fruits tested
  • Firmness in pounds pressure = measured with a Güss Fruit Texture Analyzer; range is of all fruits tested.
  • Starch: 1 = all starch, 8 = No starch; range is of all fruits tested. Using Cornell Starch Iodine Index Chart. See the updated MSU starch chart.
  • Brix = % sugar measured with Atago PAL-1 Pocket Refractometer

Suggested firmness and starch index for long-term and shorter-term controlled atmosphere (CA) storage by variety:

Variety Firmness (lbs)* Starch Index*
Short CA Mid-CA Long CA Mature Over-mature
McIntosh 14 15 16 5 7
Gala 16 17 18 3 6
Honeycrisp 15 16 17 3.5 7
Empire 14 15 16 3.5 6
Early Fuji 16 17 18 3 7
Jonagold 15 16 17 3.5 5.5
Jonathan 14 15 16 3.5 5.5
Golden Delicious 15 16 17 3 6.5
Red Delicious 16 17 18 2.5 6
Idared 14 15 16 3.5 6
Fuji 16 17 18 3 7
Rome 15 16 18 3 5.5
Braeburn 16 17 18 2.5 7

Southwest Michigan

McIntosh, Gala and Honeycrisp varieties are at or near maturity depending on farm location. Blocks with light crop loads will mature three or four days sooner than the predicted harvest dates, while heavy crop loads will mature up to a week later than the predicted dates. See our predicted harvest dates for southwest Michigan.

Region Cultivar Collection Date Red Color (%) Firmness (lbs) Starch (1-8) Soluble Solids (°Brix)
Southwest Empire Sep. 1, 2025 79.5 21.2 2.1 10.3
Southwest Gala Sep. 1, 2025 83 18.1 3.5 10.3
Southwest Honeycrisp Sep. 1, 2025 63 14.5 6.2 11.7
Southwest JonaGold Sep. 1, 2025 30.5 16.7 2.6 10.8
Southwest McIntosh Sep. 1, 2025 76 13.7 4.8 9.3

Southeast Michigan

Growers in warmer parts of the region have moved further into McIntosh varieties and have started with some Gala strains for fresh eating. See our predicted harvest dates for southeast Michigan.

Northwest Michigan    

Premier Honeycrisp harvest has started in the region, and growers with Minneiska are testing for maturity now. We will expand to test Gala and regular Honeycrisp next week. See our predicted harvest dates for northwest Michigan.

Apple maturity in northwest Michigan for apples collected on Sept. 2, 2025:

Variety Color % Firmness lbs. Starch °Bri
Premier Honeycrisp 57.9 20.3 1.9 11.5
Minneiska 69.2 19.1 3.2 12.3
Ginger Gold 11.5 21.4 1.4 11.7

West central Michigan

Growers are harvesting Premier Honeycrisp and Wildfire Gala and looking forward to regular Honeycrisp, Gala and McIntosh for storage. Jonagold isn’t ready yet, mostly 1-2 on starch index. Sugar levels seem low but color is good because of cool temperatures.See our predicted harvest dates for west central Michigan.

Variety Collection Date Weight (g) Red Color % Background Diameter (cm) Firmness (lb) Starch °Brix
Gala 9/2/2025 143 76 2.2 67 19 1.4 9.7
Honeycrisp 9/2/2025 212 63 3.2 78 16 1.2 10.1
Jonagold 9/2/2025 176 88 3.9 74 20 1.5 10
Jonaprince 9/2/2025 180 90 4 75 18 1.2 1.6
McIntosh 9/2/2025 169 93 4.6 78 16 2.6 12.7
Minneiska 9/2/2025 188 83 1 76 16 3.1 14.3

Grand Rapids region

Much like west central Michigan, growers are harvesting Premier Honeycrisp and preparing to pick for storage in Honeycrisp, Gala and McIntosh, with Honeycrisp probably starting next week. See our predicted harvest dates for the Grand Rapids region.

Variety Collection Date Weight (g) Red Color % Background Diameter (cm) Firmness (lb) Starch °Brix
Gala 9/2/2025 275 93 1.3 64 21 2.2 11.3
Honeycrisp 9/2/2025 389 78 3.5 75 17 4.8 11.9
Jonagold 9/2/2025 438 30 4.8 76 22 2.2 11.1
McIntosh 9/2/2025 303 84 4.7 72 16 3.5 11.3

Upcoming events

Great Lakes Expo

The Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Markets Expo, held annually in early December at the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is the largest show of its kind in the country. It attracts a diverse audience of apple growers from the Great Lakes region.

This year's apple sections take place on Tuesday, Dec. 9 and Wednesday, Dec. 10.

Sweet and hard cider: Tuesday morning

Paula Englin

MCA Block Grant Report

Mike and Mark Vansteenkiste

Making award winning sweet and hard cider at Twin Pines Orchard and Cider House in Ontario

Kevin Halfmann

Regulations on producing unpasteurized cider in Michigan

Wade Syers

Cider preservation

Apple 1: Tuesday afternoon

Todd Einhorn

Apple vulnerability to winter freeze and spring frost events

Jackie Perkins

Climate Change Adaptations for Pest Management

Randy Beaudry

Evercrisp, but not ever lasting: Are there strategies to help us preserve Evercrisp quality in Controlled Atmosphere

Renfu Lu

Robotic Apple Harvesting: Is it a Fiction or the Future

Apple 2: Wednesday afternoon

Julianna Wilson

Trends and Management Updates on Key Apple Pests

George Sundin

Fire blight and bitter rot updates

Tom Kon

Lateral branch induction strategies for apple

Poli Francescatto

Best Practices and Research Updates for ReTain Use

Apple thinning: Thursday morning

Todd Einhorn

Michigan State University

Tom Kon

NC State University

Poli Francescatto

Valent Biosciences

John Cline

University of Guelph

Randy Beaudry

Michigan State University

Cider contest: Wednesday afternoon

The cider contest will judge the best ciders produced by Michigan cider makers (only Michigan cider producers are eligible). Here are some important details for the contest:

To enter, cider producers must submit two 1-gallon cider jugs at the Exhibitor Registration desk in the Grand Gallery concourse in DeVos Place on Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or on Wednesday, Dec. 10, from 8 a.m. to noon. No entries will be accepted after noon on Wednesday.

Download the entry form

Cider samples must be thawed by 1 p.m. on Wednesday (this is the responsibility of each cider producer, not the contest coordinator).

Cider contest judging will be on Wednesday afternoon. Judging will be held in one of the main-level Grand Gallery meeting rooms and will be open for viewing starting at 1:30 p.m.

The top five winners will be notified prior to the EXPO Social so they can be in attendance. Winners will be announced at the EXPO Social on Wednesday evening. First place receives a plaque and a traveling trophy. Second and third places receive a plaque.

Don't miss this valuable opportunity to connect with industry experts, gain valuable knowledge and explore the latest advancements in the apple industry.

We look forward to seeing you there!

To get a better sense of the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market Expo, check out this video.

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