In cooler climates, harvest time is generally September through October. In warmer climates, harvest time could be anywhere from late summer through early spring.
Unfortunately, some of the newer apple tree cultivars are not so obvious. The skin on these apples may turn entirely red before they are ready for harvest or the green part of the skin may not turn yellow until the apples are stored for a few months. To overcome this obstacle, heck the flesh of the apple before harvesting all of them to determine if they are ready. When these apples are ready to harvest the flesh will have changed from pale green to white. The color of the indentation near the stem is another way to tell on certain varieties. The shade of this area generally lightens as the apples ripen. [3] X Research source
When your apples are ripe, they should be fairly easy to pick from the tree with a simple upward twist of the apple. [5] X Research source Try to avoid picking an apple by pulling the fruit straight down and tugging. If otherwise healthy fruits begin to fall off the tree, they are probably beginning to get a little too ripe and should probably be harvested as soon as possible.
Don’t be discouraged if all signs point to harvest time but the apples are not as sweet as they should be, especially if they are a type of Delicious apple. Some types of apples will get sweeter after they are picked and stored for a short while.
