You no doubt have been staring at those green round nuggets swaying in a canopy of green leaves all summer, just itching to try one as soon as it develops that first sign of a blush! While a few types of Apples are ready early in the season others are in no hurry! Check out this list of favorite Apple trees for all regions and their expected ripening months!
So how do you know it’s time to start your Apple tree harvest? Short answer - Use your 5-senses!
Nature Hills does our best to give you average dates or general seasons when your Apple tree’s fruit will typically be ripe! Also, follow your nose and let your fingers do the walking! Generally, if it smells good, has good color, and looks ripe, then go ahead and try one or two from different parts of the tree. This will let you know for sure!
Remember that weather, climate and your tree determine when the fruit is ripe! Knowing what variety of Apple trees it is and its expected harvest dates are the other half of the battle.
While climate and weather can slow down or speed things up - specific plant varieties have pretty regular timing when their fruit can be expected to be ready! Again your weather and climate will alter these dates, so staying in contact with your County Extension Office, learning about your region and talking with other gardeners will help immensely!
While Apples are often a late summer to fall harvest crop, these varieties are quick ripeners! Especially in warmer climates and mild winters where the trees get a jumpstart on the growing season, some dessert-style Apples can ripen as early as June in the hottest climates of USDA 8 through 10.
Likewise, only a few Apples ripen in July, though many are hot growing zone trees that ripen this early in the growing season. Summer ripening varieties are not the best for keeping and long-term storage so most July-ripening Summer Apples are great for fresh eating, desserts and sauces.
August is the start of Apple season for many parts of the country. August-ripening Apples are great for fresh eating, desserts, preserves, baking and sauces!
No room? Try a North Pole Columnar Apple or the Tangy Green Urban and Tasty Red Urban!
September is prime Apple month! The temperatures at night are cooling off and the fruit has developed fully! Apple picking, harvest festivals and fairs featuring pick-your-own Apple opportunities are usually going on this month! Get ready for loads of juicy Apples ripening for many growing zones!
October for many growing zones may see some frost and cool days as well as nights, but also the time for late ripening Apples, mostly those that are great for storage and that need that chill to fully develop their flavor! Also known as Winter Apples, these shrug off the chill and even develop better flavor or texture after a slight frost!
November still has Apples ripening, or at least hanging on the tree ready to harvest! Growing zones with mild winters and that won’t get a hard freeze yet will still have a wonderful selection of varieties to plant for a late-season harvest!
December believe it or not has a few Apple tree varieties, like Tydeman’s Late Orange, that are hanging in there! While most growing zones are locked in the dead of winter, hot climates are finally cooling off for late-season harvest.
Some trees, like Granny Smith, have long hang times, and are still beckoning for you to go outside and pluck a tasty morsel from the branches despite the chill!
Want Apples throughout the entire growing season but don’t have room for more than one tree? Try an Espalier Edible Grafted Apple Tree that is a 6-in-1 grafted selection with Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Rome and Red Fuji! All on one tree!
Summer Apples are best for fresh eating, sauces and jam, while Winter Apples are fantastic crisp baking and dessert fruits.
Long storage fruit, like the Arkansas Black, Winesap, Mutsu, Orange Pippin, Enterprise, Gold Rush and Red Rome, are great for long-term storage! Some even last through early summer without becoming mealy when stored properly!
Nature Hills Nursery makes it easy for you to plan out your orchard so that you have a steady harvest all growing season with early, mid, and late-season fruit combined with long-term storing varieties of Apples for you and your family!
Get growing your very own easy-to-grow Apple tree today to enjoy these healthy fruits and portable snacks sooner! Nature Hills ships mature trees and 3-4-year-old root systems so that you’ll get fruit a year or two after you’ve planted your trees!
Find Pruning & Trimming Apple Trees and Planting info in our handy and informative Garden Blog!
Jump on the edible landscaping bandwagon and boost your family's food sustainability with quality fruit trees and plants! All conveniently delivered directly to your doorstep from the expert growers at Nature Hills!
Happy Planting!