Join me on a gardening adventure, from planting seeds to harvesting. I'll share tips, triumphs, and lessons learned in nurturing a fruitful garden and orchard.

Fruit Tree Harvest Guide

Your trees are finally cultivated and producing fruit, what happens next?

Harvest Time!! 🎉

Here are tips on when to harvest and how to harvest. We will also cover how to deal with overcrowding.

How to Pick Fruit:

  1. Hold fruit in hand.

  2. Gently twist fruit to a horizontal position. Do not pull down on fruit.

  3. Don’t shake your tree because fallen fruit causes bruising.

  4. Cool fruit immediately after harvesting for best results. I would recommend refrigerating in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer. Some fruit prefer room temperature as well.

*Unblemished fallen fruit should be eaten and not stored for long term.

*Fruit ripens on the tree from the inside out so check back every few days/weeks.

Harvest Guide:

Apples: Most varieties ripen in shades of red, yellow, or russet. Coloration isn’t the only indicator so be sample the fruit as well. The skin should be thin, crisp, juicy and non-astringent (mellow).

Jujubes: They ripen from light green to reddish-brown. They are crisp and sweet when mature. Lang variety can ripen and dry on the tree while Li variety should be harvested when half fully colored. Refrigerate until ready to prepare.

Asian Pears: Ready to pick and eat as soon as their color changes to shades of brown, russet, or gold. No longer green. The fruit should be firm and detach easily from tree. Fruit will be thin, juicy with sweet and tart notes. Refrigerate right away.

European Pears: These pears should be harvested before they are fully ripe. Harvest when they change from deep green to yellow-green. Also, small spots on the surface change from white to brown. Allow to fully ripen in the refrigerator. Don’t harvest fruit all at once so stagger how many over a period of time.

Figs: Figs need to be left in the tree to fully ripen. Colors will vary from purple, brown, or yellow but they are not ready if green. The neck of the fruit will soften and bend downward. Leave the stem on when harvesting to prolong spoilage. They do bruise easily so handle with care and don’t pack them in tight areas.

Peaches: Depending on variety, a ready peach will appear between the shade of yellow and red with no green skin. Would recommend harvesting early and letting ripen at room temperature.

Overcrowding:

  1. Thinning fruit clusters early in the growing season can help distribute resources more evenly among the remaining fruits. When thinning, aim for 6 to 8 inches of space between individual fruits.

  2. Pruning can help manage the size of fruit trees and maintain their structure.

  3. High-density planting can help manage the size of fruit trees while still allowing for optimal growth.