Michigan Harvest Calendar - PickYourOwn.org

What's in season in December 2024, and other timely information:

This page has a table below that tells when each fruit or vegetable is normally ready to be harvested in Michigan!  We also have a page with links to our own simple instructions on canning, freezing and drying  many fruits and vegetables, such as  how to make jam, apple butter, applesauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, pickles, ketchup or freezing corn.

• Back to the Michigan pick your own farm listing to find a U-Pick farm
• To find pumpkin patches, corn mazes and other Halloween activities, click here.
• To find choose and cut-your-own Christmas tree farms, click here.

Typical Crop Availability - When to Pick in Michigan

Fruit/Veg

Jan

Feb

March

April

May

June

July

August

Sept

Oct

Nov

December

apples

X

X

X

X

X

X

Asian pears

X

X

X

X

X

X

asparagus

X

X

X

X

X

beans

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

beets

X

X

X

X

X

blackberries

X

X

X

X

blueberries

X

X

X

broccoli

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

cabbage

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

cantaloupes

X

X

X

X

X

X

cherries

X

X

X

chestnuts

X

X

X

Christmas trees

X

X

cucumbers

X

X

X

X

eggplant

X

X

X

X

X

X

greens

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Fruit/Veg

Jan

Feb

March

April

May

June

July

August

Sept

Oct

Nov

December

herbs

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

nectarines

X

X

X

X

peaches

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

peas

X

X

peppers

X

X

X

X

X

X

plums

X

X

X

X

potatoes

X

X

X

X

X

X

pumpkins

X

X

X

X

raspberries

X

X

X

X

X

X

rhubarb

X

X

X

X

squash

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

strawberries

X

X

sweet corn

X

X

X

X

sweet potatoes

x

x

x

x

tomatoes

X

X

X

X

watermelons

X

X

X

X

X

X

The light green indicates light crops at the beginning, end, or in between seasons - dark green is when the bulk of the crop ripens and picking is best.

Typical apple ripening dates in Michigan

Apple Varieties	Approx Ripening Dates	Description & Uses
Jersey (summer) Mac	mid Aug - early Sept	Smaller and slightly sweeter than winter mac - eating, sauce, jelly.
Paula Red	mid Aug - early Sept	Crunchy and juicy - good for pies, baking, sauce, drying, jelly.
Gala	September	Very sweet, soft, does not store well at all
Ginger Gold	late August	Sweet yellow, like Golden Delicious
Whitney Crab	early Sept	Large - for spicing and jelly.
State Fair	early Sept	Sweet/tart, not a real hard apple - eating sauce, jelly, baking, salads.
Early Gold	early-mid Sept	Tart and crisp, a cross between transparent & a golden - eating, baking, pies, sauce.
Wealthy	early-mid Sept	Tart and tangy, an antique apple that's excellent for pies, sauce and baking, tart for eating.
Jona-Mac	mid-later Sept	Jonathan and Macintosh cross - eating, baking, sauce, jelly, pies.
Macintosh	mid-late Sept	The perennial favorite! - eating, baking, pies(cooks down), sauce, jelly.
Jonathan	Mid- September- mid October	Sweet, medium firm, eating, baking, sauce, jelly, pies.
Jonagold	Mid- September- mid October	Sweet, medium firm, eating, baking, sauce, jelly, pies.
Golden Delicious	Mid- September- mid October	Very sweet, soft, does not store well at all,  - eating, salads, baking, pies, sauce.
Red Delicious	Mid- September- mid October	Very sweet, soft, does not store well
Cortland	mid-late Sept	White flesh, crispy, a best seller! Excellent for eating, drying, pies, sauce, baking, jelly, salads.
Honeycrisp	late September - early Oct	Large, firm, juicy dessert apple - our fastest selling eating apple (not recommended for baking).
Sweet 16	late September - early Oct	Crunchy, juicy, sweet - similar to Honeycrisp (but not quite as hard or large) - eating, salads, can bake.
Snow Apples	early Oct	Tiny, sweet, aromatic eating apple (an antique apple) - not a keeper!
Spartan	early Oct	Crunchy, tart, juicy - eating, salads, pies, baking, keeper too!
Gala	early Oct	Our sweetest apple! crunchy, non-acid eating apple, not large - good for lunch boxes, salads.
Wolf River	early-mid Oct	Giant, sour old-time pie apple.
Empire	early-mid Oct	Cross between a Mac and Red Delicious, juicy taste-test favorite! - eating, salads, sauce, drying, can bake.
Cameo	early-mid Oct	Crisp, sweet/tart eating apple! Great for applesauce
Jonathan	early to mid Oct	Tart and aromatic - eating, pies (does not "mush"), baking, jelly, applesauce!
Red Haralson	mid Oct	Tart and juicy. Excellent flavor for pies (cooks down), drying, baking, eating.
Jona-gold	early to mid Oct	Part Jonathan, part Golden Delicious - good eater, pies, baking, sauce, jelly, salads.
Fuji	mid-October	Great all-around apple - sweet, firm, stores great
Braeburn	mid-October	Nice firm, sweet all-purpose apple
Goldrush	late-October	Sweet golden apple, stores well firm a yellow apple
Rome	October	Very firm, almost hard apple.  Good formaking baked apples.
Ida Red	mid-late Oct	All-purpose apple! super keeper - pies, baking, eating (tart), drying, frying!
Northern Spy	mid-late Oct	Big and firm - pies, baking, drying, eating.
Double Red Stamen Winesap	late Oct	"Wine-like" flavor, creamy interior, not a large apple in the north - pies, baking, eating.
Yellow Newton Pippen	late Oct	Antique (Geo. Washington's favorite!) tart, crisp nutty flavor, good keeper and eater. Firm in pies and baking.