2016 Apple Maturity Report

2016 Apple Maturity Report

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

Questions, comments: jon[dot]clements[at]umass[dot]edu (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
24-October Evercrisp nil 3.25 75, somewhat dull 18.8 14.3 0.96 6.5 (6-7) very nice, but somewhat lackluster appearance; nice crop; a winner, plant as many as you can get evercrisp102416
24-October Goldrush none 3.0 NA 21.8 15.6 0.73 4 (3-5) variable maturity, ready for first pick, nice crop goldrush102416

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
13-October Suncrisp nil 3.1 5-25 blush 18.1 15.3 0.27 5 (4-6) quite ripe, but some fruit still looking pretty green on the tree; very sensitive to crop load management in terms of fruit quality; very sweet suncrisp101316
13-October Crimson Topaz none 3.2 (obloid shape) 65 striped 17.1 14 0.63 4.5
(3.5-6)		 some bitter pit crimsontopaz101316
13-October Cameo nil 3.2 60, striped, lacking 16.4 13.3 0.86 4 (3-6) very light crop, fruit clustered, off year (biennial) plus bud/freeze damage? cameo101316

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
3-October Empire few 2.8 80 16 11.2 1.16 5 not thinned, fair quality empire100316
3-October Golden Delicous none 2.9 NA 15.2 14.5 0.76 6.5 (6-7) nice, I believe they are 'Gibson' goldendelicious100316
3-October Crimson Gold none 3.2 70 20.2 15.5 0.29 5 (4-7) scab-resistant ACNursery exclusive, I suspect this would make a good cider apple; DA and SI did not line up real well crimsongold100316
3-October Jonagold some 3.1 65 14.9 14.1 0.66 7.5 poorly managed block, not real good looking; 1 with watercore, should be harvested by now jonagold100316

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
28-September Liberty none 3.0 90+ 19 13.8 0.82 4 (2 to 6) some moldy core; on the mark for harvest; makes great cider liberty092816
27-September Ambrosia nil 2.9 55 17.5 13.6 0.33 4.7 coming off plant patent in 2017, highly recommended for planting as soon as you can get some trees, but needs timely harvest (not good PYO) ambrosia092816
27-September Morning Mist Fuji nil 3.2 75, but dull (typical Fuji) 13.8 13.4 0.65 7 very nice earlier maturity Fuji, highly recommended morningmistfuji092716
27-September Pazazz (DS-41) nil 3.25 75 14.2 13.8 0.62 (0.4 to 0.8) 5
(4 to 6)		 very nice managed variety, can be grown and sold in-house with grower agreement pazazz092416
27-September Modi none 2.9 95+ 22.9 13.1 0.72 3.5
(3 to 6)		 Gala X Liberty cross, scab-resistant, popular in Euro organic production, but restricted here, grown in California only by Farmington Fresh, too bad for us as it is an improved Liberty with NO SCAB! modi092716
23-September Macoun some, push-off? 3.1 45 17.8 12.6 NA 3.5 muddy red skin, not ready to harvest macoun092316

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
19-September Lindamac McIntosh some, singles are loose 2.9 85 nice 13.8 12.3 NA 5.4 (4.6 to 6.5) last call for non-ReTain'd Macs Lindamac McIntosh
17-September Honeycrisp some 3.25 45 15.8 13.2 0.69 4.9 (3.5 to 5.5) pretty rough look on lightly cropped trees, not good color development NA
15-September Honeycrisp
(Northboro)		 nil 3.25 55 14.4 13.3 0.74 6.2 (4 to 7.5) ReTain'd; first pick already done; pretty nice but could use some more color NA
14-September Lindamac McIntosh some, push-off? 2.9 75 dull 15.2 12.9 1.72 4.5 (3.5 to 6) nice, sweet, pick NA
13-September Royal Red Honeycrisp significant 3.2 90 intense 16.1 13.9 0.28 7.5 (7 to 8) very nice, could have been harvested a week ago royalredhoneycrisp091316
12-September Honeycrisp significant 3.25 85 15.2 12.8 0.51 6.8 (5 to 7.5) 2010 NC-140 rootstock planting, lots of drop, somewhat greasy fruit, bitter pit, poor N/Ca ratio (needs work) NA

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
5-September Honeycrisp few 3.9 65 15.2 13.6 0.61 4.6 (3-6) some water core; young trees with good color fruit; ready to harvest, expect fruit-to-fruit variability in maturity honeycrisp090516
5-September Lindamac McIntosh few 3.0 80 16.5 11.5 1.87 3.2 (3-5) seeds still white/brown; pretty green, just barely suitable for begin of harvest lindmac090516
5-September Buckeye Gala none 3.0 95 20.5 13.4 0.32 3.8 nice, sweet, pick buckeyegala090516

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
1-September Honeycrisp
(Northboro)		 few
(push-off?)		 3.0 35 16.5 12.8 0.75 4.5 (2-8) one with moldy core (n=6); variably maturity, kind of rough look, bird pecks; ReTain'd honeycrisp090116TFF
1-September Rubymac
(Northboro)		 none 2.8 80 18 10.7 1.81 2.5 way green, white seeds, do not touch for 2 weeks at least; ReTain'd rubymac090116TFF
1-September Buckeye Gala
(Northboro)		 none 3.0 70 20.4 13.1 0.34 3.6 nice crop on 2nd-leaf trees;  buckeyegala090116TFF

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
25-August Honeycrisp nil 2.8 40 20.7 11.3 0.8 2.5 hard little bullets; not even close to ready yet, despite fairly low DA reading honeycrisp082516
25-August Honeycrisp
(Harvard)		 nil 2.8 45 21.9 12.4 0.45 3 n=4 apples only; not ready to harvest despite low DA  
25-August Buckeye Gala none 2.9 80 (dull) 19 9.1 1.06 2.5 green Gala buckeyegala082516
24-August Honeycrisp
(Easthampton)		 none 3.0 40 22 14.1 0.45 3 low DA reading but not ready to harvest; wait at least another week and re-evaluate based on starch index going up to 5 or so  

 

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
22-August Akane very few 2.7 85 18.4 14.2 0.38 6 lots of stem-end russet; clustered fruit; ready to pick Akane apple
22-August Ginger Gold none 3.0 NA 20.3 13.2 0.81 2.5 some signs of sunburn; could be harvested, largest fruit first; flavor reminiscent of jarred apple sauce (not necessarily a bad thing); does not starch test good Ginger Gold
22-August Rubymac none 2.8 85 18.6 11.1 1.79 2.5 despite red color, still green as grass Rubymac
22-August Zestar! few 2.9 45 13.7 12.7 0.32 6.5 I'd be wrapping up harvest of these ASAP Zestar!

 

date Cultivar pre-harvest drop fruit diameter inches color % red firmness lbs soluble solids DA Index starch index comments Image
15-August Zestar! few 3.1 40 14.3 13.5 0.51 4.2 light-moderate crop due to April freeze; tart; some watercore; touch of sunburn Zestar!
15-August Sansa nil 2.9 45 14.2 12.3 0.42 6 sweet; heavy (over) crop; some watercore; ready for 1st-pick Sansa
15-August Ginger Gold none 2.9 NA 21.7 12.3 1.43 1.5 sweet-tart; some sunburn noted; need another week Ginger Gold
15-August Paulared significant push-off 3.4 50 13.7 11.3 1.00 4 watercore; baked apples; needs harvest paulared081616