General comments on 09/14/09 apple maturity: all fruit tested picked at UMass Orchard, Belchertown. Fruit maturity is moving along rapidly, particularly McIntosh and Honeycrisp. There is less than a week left to pick McIntosh for CA storage. (September 19 to be exact in Belchertown.) Honeycrisp are at their optimum harvest maturity, but will soon start to go by and drop will become excessive unless fruit was treated with ReTain. Honeycrisp fruit should be kept at app. 60 degrees F. for 5-6 days after harvest before being put in cold storage at 38 degrees F. Gala has a bit to go but is adequate for first harvest. Background color change from green to yellow-cream is evident. Let's hope the sugars develop in Gala over the next week.
| Cultivar | date | pre-harvest drop |
color % red |
fruit diameter inches |
firmness lbs |
soluble solids |
starch index |
comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snappy Mac McIntosh | 9/14/2009 | few |
95 |
3.3 |
14.6 |
13 |
5.8 (4.5-7) |
scab |
| Rogers Red McIntosh | 9/14/2009 | some |
80 |
3.3 |
13.3 |
11.9 |
5.2 (4-6.5) |
common mid-season Mac |
| Blondee | 9/14/2009 | nil |
10% red blush |
2.9 |
20.1 |
11.2 |
3.9 (3-5) |
an attractive, uniform apple, need another week |
| Rezista 'Gala type' | 9/14/2009 | a lot |
90 |
2.5 |
17.9 |
11.1 |
7.9 |
very sub-par in eating quality, but productive and non-vigorous tree; good for organic production and cider; fruit would be better if properly thinned |
| Brookfield Gala | 9/14/2009 | none |
90 |
2.9 |
19.4 |
11.3 |
4.9 (3-6.5) |
could wait a few more days for first pick, but close (sugars still low) |
| Redmax McIntosh | 9/14/2009 | some |
80 |
3.2 |
14.6 |
12.8 |
6 |
nice Mac strain, distinctly striped |
| Honeycrisp | 9/14/2009 | some |
55 |
3.3 |
13.5 |
11.7 |
6.5 (6-8) |
perfect |