Grand Rapids area apple maturity report – September 30, 2026
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EmailGolden Delicious, Red Delicious and Ambrosias are being harvested. Fuji and Evercrisp are nearing maturity.
Apple maturity testing will occur weekly for the Grand Rapids/Ridge region beginning now through the end of harvest. Reports will be sent out every week following the Michigan State University Extension fruit team apple maturity calls on Wednesday mornings.
In the Grand Rapids Ridge region, Mutzu, Ambrosia and Red Delicious are being harvested this week. Fujis and Idareds are close to maturity or at maturity. Evercrisp and Pink Lady are still immature.
How to read maturity tables
Each week, an apple maturity report will be provided and will include average values for several apple samples for varieties nearing maturity. Maximum and minimum values are included in tables below for the highest and lowest individual fruits evaluated for each, to give a full spectrum of maturity. Samples included in the reports have been untreated with ReTain or Harvista, unless otherwise noted. Samples were collected from 2-5 locations across Kent and Ottawa counties.
For more information about apple maturity testing, review these resources compiled by the MSU Extension tree fruit team.
- Predicted apple harvest dates for 2026 from MSU.
- More information on harvest management tools and timings can be found in this article.
- Guidelines from MSU to check for apple maturity in your own orchard, including specific pressure and starch recommendations by variety.
- New starch charts for evaluating apple maturity in Michigan from Michigan State University
- Predicting apple maturity and starch chart from Cornell University.
- Starch chart for Honeycrisp Apples developed by Washington State University.
Harvest
Apple harvest has begun on a few early varieties like Wildfire Gala, Premiere Honeycrisp and Maia. The Predicted harvest date for Gala is Aug. 25, so maturity sampling should have already begun or start now. Double check prediction dates and PHIs before applying Retain and Harvista.
Maturity information for the Grand Rapids/Ridge Region
Fuji
Fuji were sampled from three locations in Kent and Ottawa County this week. Samples in the table below are for Aztec Fujis. Red color is at 75%. Background color is light green at 2.6. Fruit firmness is at 16 lbs. of pressure. Starch is an average of 4.2, and sugars are an average of 11.3 °Brix.
|
Collection Date |
Fruit Weight (g) |
Red Color (%) |
Background color (5-1) |
Firmness (lbs) |
Starch (1-8) |
Soluble Solids (°Brix) |
|
Aug 31 |
316 (340-293) |
51.2 (90-35) |
4.9 (5-4) |
20.6 (23.4-18.5) |
1.2 (1-1) |
9.7 (9.8-9) |
|
Sep 14 |
388 (450-290) |
49.2(80-25) |
3.2 (4-2) |
19.1 (24.8-16.2) |
2 (3-1) |
10.6 (10.1-10.1) |
|
Sep 23 |
423 (451-398) |
66.7 (90-59) |
3.9 (5-3.4) |
16 (19.6-14.86) |
2.2 (3-1.9) |
10.7 (13-9.9) |
|
Sep 28 |
463 (490-410) |
74.7 (95-71) |
2.7 (4-2) |
16.1 (19.2-14.7) |
4.2 (7-2) |
11.3333333333333 (12.7-10) |
Evercrisp
Fruit were sampled from three locations in Kent and Ottawa County. Red color is at 71%. Background color is green, and fruit is still ripe. Average pressure is 25 lbs, and starch rating averaged at 1.5. Sugars are at 12.3 °Brix. Likely still a couple weeks away from maturity.
|
Collection Date |
Fruit Weight (g) |
Red Color (%) |
Background color (5-1) |
Firmness (lbs) |
Starch (1-8) |
Soluble Solids (°Brix) |
|
Sep 28 |
445 (483-423) |
72 (95-58) |
4.3 (5-3.6) |
24.9 (28.7-23.78) |
1.53 (3-1.2) |
12.3 (12.4-0) |
Red Delicious
Fruit were sampled from two locations in Kent County. Red color is at 90%. Background color is mostly yellow, and fruit is still ripe, but close to maturity. Average pressure is 16.4 lbs, and starch rating averaged at 2.4. Sugars are at 10.3 °Brix. Some locations of red should be picked, but more will come into maturity next week.
|
Collection Date |
Fruit Weight (g) |
Red Color (%) |
Background color (5-1) |
Firmness (lbs) |
Starch (1-8) |
Soluble Solids (°Brix) |
|
Sep 9 |
376.7 (390-350) |
81.5 (90-60) |
2.2 (3-1) |
17.14 (21.3-14.8) |
2.3 (7-1) |
9.9 (10-9.5) |
|
Sep 16 |
379.7 (420-350) |
83.7 (100-50) |
1.5 (3-1) |
18.52 (19-16) |
1.8 (6-1) |
10.1 (10-10) |
|
Sep 29 |
439 (469-409) |
89.8 (95-55) |
1.4 (2-1) |
16.37 (18.2-15) |
2.4 (4-1) |
10.35 (10.7-10) |
Ambrosia
Ambrosia were sampled from three locations in Kent and Ottawa County this week. Fruit is still slightly immature overall. Red color is at 66%. Background color is yellow at 2.3. Fruit firmness is average of 17.9 lbs. of pressure. Starch is an average of 3.2, and sugars are an average of 12 °Brix.
|
Collection Date |
Fruit Weight (g) |
Red Color (%) |
Background color (5-1) |
Firmness (lbs) |
Starch (1-8) |
Soluble Solids (°Brix) |
|
Aug 24 |
293 (293-290) |
31.5 (50-20) |
5 (5-5) |
22.8 (26.2-18.2) |
1 (1-1) |
10.5 (10.5-9.1) |
|
Sep 14 |
370 (400-330) |
54.3 (90-30) |
2.9 (4-2) |
17.1 (22-13.1) |
3.2 (8-1) |
11.8 (12.3-10.3) |
|
Sep 29 |
481 (520-452) |
66 (90-60.5) |
2.3 (3-2) |
17.9 (20.8-17.02) |
3.2 (4-3.1) |
12 (13.8-0) |
Apple maturity sampling parameters
- Color % = the visual percentage of red color from 0 to 100; range is of all fruits tested. Indicates surface area covered in red and intensity of red color.
- Background color: 5 = Green, 1 = Yellow; range is of all fruits tested.
- Firmness in pounds pressure = measured with a Güss Fruit Texture Analyzer; range is of all fruits tested.
- Starch For Honeycrisp: will typically be rated using the standard Michigan State University starch scale (1-8). However, a separate starch chart for Honeycrisp Apples developed by Washington State University (scale 1-6) also exists.
- Brix = % sugar measured with Atago PAL-1 Pocket Refractometer
Looking for more? View Michigan State University Extension’s Apple page for regional reports throughout the state and additional resources.
|
Suggested firmness and starch index levels for long-term and shorter-term controlled atmosphere (CA) storage by variety. |
|||||
|
Variety |
Firmness (pounds)* |
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 |
6 |
|
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 |
|
Brix Guide |
Low |
Fair |
Good |
Excellent |
|
All varieties |
Less than 11 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
|
Honeycrisp |
Less than 12 |
12 |
12 |
Greater than 14 |
