In cooperation with the Henderson County Master Pomology Program, we are initiating an effort to monitor apple fruit maturity in commercial orchards in Henderson County, NC. This is not a novel concept. Several members of the southeastern apple industry will recall a coordinated, large-scale apple maturity program that was started by the NC Apple Research and Extension Team in the 1980’s and was executed for a ~20 year period. We are excited to continue the legacy of supporting the southeastern apple industry in a similar manner.
The goal of this program is to provide timely updates regarding fruit maturity of several apple cultivars in the region. Data will be presented weekly to commercial apple growers via web-based updates to partly aid in harvest management decisions. Please note that the data presented is limited to the specific orchard block that we used for sampling. Do not assume that fruit at your location are at the same stage of maturity. To be clear, there is no substitute for regular monitoring of fruit quality parameters at your own operation.
This effort will be initiated in Henderson County as a pilot program in fall 2025. We realize that the scope of this information is limited, and that it would be ideal to expand this effort to include several major areas of commercial apple production in NC, SC, and GA in future. When appropriate, we look forward to feedback on this effort from members of the southeastern apple industry. Below is a tentative list of apple cultivars that will be evaluated as part of this program.
Varieties of interest and anticipated sampling schedule
Variety / Cultivar
Approximate 1st sample date*
Ginger Gold
July 15th
Simmons (Buckeye® Gala)
July 15th
Honeycrisp
Aug 12th
Golden Delicious
Aug 19th
Red Delicious
Aug 19th
Co-op 39 (CrimsonCrisp®)
Aug 19th
Granny Smith
Sept 9th
DT2 (Aztec® Fuji)
Sept 9th
MAIA-1 (Evercrisp®)
Sept 23rd
Cripps Pink
Oct 7th
*Sampling for a specific variety will be initiated several weeks before anticipated harvest. Weekly sampling will occur until commercial harvest.
Weekly Update (07.18.2025)
It is safe to assume that our 2025 harvest season will start “earlier than normal”. Our bloom date was ~ 10 days early, stone fruit is being harvested ~10 to 14 days earlier than “normal”, and growing degree day accumulation (base 50) in Mills River, NC is 194 hours greater than the 25 year average (data and figure are courtesy of the State Climate Office of North Carolina, NC State University).
At this location, Ginger Gold and Gala are immature. For those that are interested in managing fruit maturity using plant growth regulators, it is an appropriate time to consider intervention for both of these cultivars. If of interest, please see our previous posts for more detailed information. Specifically:
Table 1. 2025 ‘Ginger Gold’ fruit quality parameters in Edneyville, NC.
Date
Fruit Firmness
(lbs.)
Soluble Solids (%)
Starch pattern (1 to 8 scale)
Fruit Weight (g)
Fruit Diameter (inches)
Marketable Blush
(%)
July 15
20.5
10.1
1.1
166
2.91
0
Figure 1. 'Ginger Gold' superficial appearance at the stem-end (top), shoulder (middle), and starch pattern (bottom) on 07.15.2025
‘Simmons’ (Buckeye® Gala)
Table 1. 2025 ‘Simmons’ (Buckeye® Gala) fruit quality parameters in Edneyville, NC.
Date
Fruit Firmness
(lbs.)
Soluble Solids (%)
Starch pattern (1 to 8 scale)
Fruit Weight (g)
Fruit Diameter (inches)
Marketable Blush
(%)
July 15
24.5
9.4
1.3
121
2.5
1.9
Figure 2. 'Gala' superficial appearance at the stem-end (top), shoulder (middle), and starch pattern (bottom) on 07.15.2025
When should I harvest?
Optimal harvest timing is dictated by multiple factors, especially the intended market. While one size does not fit all, please see this resource from Michigan State University for some general guidelines.
Acknowledgements
We are very grateful for the cooperation of the Pat Lancaster and the team at Grandad's Apples for hosting this project. Thank you for your generous access to your farm and fruit!
This work would not be possible without my excellent colleague, co-author, and technician, Tatiana Zuber.
We sincerely appreciate the great work of the Henderson County Master Pomology Program. This dedicated team of volunteers inspired the initiation of this pilot program and is assisting with data collection. I will share more information about this group in the near future.
