Michigan apple harvest prediction dates for 2026

Martín Brubaker<brubak40@msu.edu>, Emily Lavely<lavelyem@msu.edu>, Nikki Rothwell<rothwel3@msu.edu>, Dan Dick<dickdan1@msu.edu> and Derek Plotkowski<plotkow5@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - July 30, 2026

Michigan State University Extension apple team releases predicted harvest dates for five production areas in Michigan.

Two red apples hanging from a tree. — Photo by Emily Lavely, MSU Extension

Detailed predicted apple peak harvest dates for five production regions in Michigan are now available to help with planning, including applying preharvest treatments and scheduling labor. These reports give the normal and predicted harvest dates for the southwest, west central, central, southeast and northwest regions for common commercial apple varieties including McIntosh, Jonathan and Red Delicious. In most parts of the state, harvest will likely be earlier than last year.

The predicted harvest dates are based on mathematical models developed by Michigan State University Extension for these varieties using full bloom date and the temperatures for the 30 days after bloom. 

Also given are the predicted harvest dates for a broader list of apple varieties. These predictions are based on McIntosh, Jonathan and Red Delicious and historical experience of relative harvest order of other varieties compared to these three.

These reports are based on the Apple Maturity Model on the Enviroweather website, which can be consulted for predictions for all Michigan State University Enviroweather stations for locations not covered by these five reports.

View the reports below:

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).