DibbleWhen are apples in season?
In a home garden, apples ripen from late June in the warmest low-chill areas to November in the north and at elevation. Early varieties are ready from July through August, mid-season varieties in September, and late varieties in October and into November, so the variety you plant matters more than the state.
This page is about fruit you grow yourself, in a home garden. It is not a guide to pick-your-own farms or to what is in the stores. Dates shift with the variety, the weather that year and how much winter chill the plant got, so treat them as typical ranges.
When apples ripen, by region
| Where | Ripens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Texas (low-chill varieties and Pink Lady) | late June to October, by variety. Anna late June, Dorsett Golden early July, Pink Lady October. | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service |
| North and north-central Florida | June or July, low-chill varieties. Anna, Dorsett Golden and TropicSweet, which need about 300 to 400 chill hours. | University of Florida IFAS Extension |
| Georgia (Athens) | late July to early November, early to late varieties. Ginger Gold late July to early August, Gala early August, Red Delicious late August to early September, Fuji early October, Granny Smith late October to early November. | University of Georgia Cooperative Extension |
| South Carolina (Clemson) | early August to October, early to late varieties. Gala early August, Red Delicious late August, Jonagold early September, Granny Smith late September to early October, Fuji early October, Arkansas Black October. | Clemson Cooperative Extension (Home and Garden Information Center) |
| Tennessee | about mid-August to mid or late October, all varieties, statewide. The main harvest period. Some varieties ripen earlier or later. | University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service |
| Kentucky (central) | early July to late October, early to late varieties. Lodi July 1, Gala August 25, Red Fuji October 5, GoldRush October 25. | University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service |
| Virginia (Blacksburg) | early July to late October, early to late varieties. Lodi July 1, Gala August 20, Red Delicious September 16, Fuji October 25. | Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech) |
| Missouri | mid-July to late October, early to late varieties. Lodi mid-July, Gala mid-August, McIntosh early September, Fuji mid-October, Goldrush late October. | University of Missouri Extension |
| Pennsylvania | early August to late October, early to late varieties. Zestar! early to mid-August, Honeycrisp mid-September, Golden Delicious late September to early October, Fuji late October. | Penn State Extension |
| Iowa | early August to late October, early to late varieties. Zestar! early August, Honeycrisp mid-September, Golden Delicious late September to early October, Goldrush late October. | Iowa State University Extension and Outreach |
| New Hampshire | late August to about 10 October, early to late varieties. Ginger Gold about 28 August, Honeycrisp about 12 September, McIntosh about 18 September, Liberty about 1 October, Golden Delicious about 10 October. | University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension |
| Minnesota | mid-August to mid-October, early to late varieties. William's Pride mid-August, Zestar! late August to early September, Honeycrisp late September, Regent early to mid October, SnowSweet mid October. | University of Minnesota Extension |
| Southern Wisconsin | late July to November, early to late varieties. Oriole late July to early August, Zestar! late August, Honeycrisp late September, Golden Delicious mid to late October, Black Oxford November. | University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension |
| Washington | mid-August to November, early, mid-season and late varieties. early varieties mid to late August, midseason varieties September to early October, late-season varieties mid-October to November. | Washington State University Extension |
| Oregon (mid-season climates) | mid-August to late October, early to late varieties. Gravenstein mid-August, Honeycrisp mid-September, Braeburn mid-October, Granny Smith late October. | Oregon State University Extension Service |
| Utah (Wasatch Front) | late July to November, early to late varieties. Yellow Transparent late July to early August, Zestar mid to late August, Honeycrisp mid-September to early October, Granny Smith late October to November. | Utah State University Extension |
How long until a tree bears
Minnesota extension says apples on dwarf rootstock start bearing 2 to 3 years after planting, and standard trees can take up to 8 years. University of Minnesota Extension
How long the season runs
In Virginia, varieties ripen from late June until mid-November, so planting different varieties can supply fresh apples over about four months. Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech)
Place and year
Kentucky's dates run about a week earlier in the west of the state and a week later in the east, and for some fruit the date can move by as much as a month between seasons. University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
Winter chill
In Texas, winter chill is the main limit on which varieties will grow. Texas A&M says to choose varieties within about 150 hours of your local chilling. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
When to plant apples, by zone
These are planting windows from the same climate engine the Dibble app uses, run at typical places in each hardiness zone. They say when apple plants can go in. They do not say when the fruit ripens: that is the table above.
| Zone | Planting window | Exact dates |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | Apr 27 to Jun 7 | Zone 3 dates |
| Zone 4 | Apr 19 to May 30 | Zone 4 dates |
| Zone 5 | Apr 11 to May 19 | Zone 5 dates |
| Zone 6 | Apr 3 to May 14 | Zone 6 dates |
| Zone 7 | Mar 18 to Apr 28 | Zone 7 dates |
| Zone 8 | Feb 19 to Mar 30 | Zone 8 dates |
| Zone 9 | Jan 22 to Mar 2 | Zone 9 dates |
| Zone 10 | Mar 13 to Apr 24 | Zone 10 dates |
| Zone 11 | Not suited to this zone | Zone 11 dates |
How to grow apples · Find your growing zone by ZIP code
Common questions
When is apple season?
For a home garden it runs from July for the earliest varieties to November for the latest. In the northern states in the table, the main picking falls in September and October. In the warmest low-chill areas it starts in June.
When do apples ripen by variety?
Early varieties such as Lodi and Zestar! are ready from July into August. Gala comes in August, McIntosh and Honeycrisp in September, Fuji and Golden Delicious from late September into October, and Granny Smith from late October into November. The table above lists the dates each state's extension gives.
How long until an apple tree bears fruit?
A tree on dwarf rootstock can bear in two to three years, and a standard tree can take up to eight.
Other fruit
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