Fruit update – August 28, 2025

Article written by Madeline Wimmer - UMN Extension Educator, Fruit Production 

Apples:

• Growth stage: Harvest season 

• Article: Late season fire blight with messages from Dr. Suzanne Slack and David Bedford

• Photo observations: 

• Wildlife damage on apples

• Apple leaf shading spots

• Apple agritourism: 

• Orchard pumpkins nearing ready for harvest season

• Apple resource card for customers

Apples

Growth stage: Harvest season 

Images: A number of examples of apple varieties are coming into harvest season in SE Minnesota, along with an example shoot that is hardening off (becoming woody), and a Honeycrisp leaf showing mottled chlorosis. Photos taken at Sekapp Orchard in Rochester.

In the past couple of weeks early-pick apples (green background color) have been popping up at the Rochester farmers market. Now that the Minnesota state fair is in season (a classic timely marker in Minnesota), a number of earlier varieties, like First Kiss® (aka MN55/Rave®) and Zestar! (not pictured here) are further ripening (gaining a yellow background color) and nearing harvest, with other varieties steadily on their way. 

This is also the time of year when apple tree green shoots start to harden off, turning woody with a brown appearance. 

Article: Check out this week’s article on fire blight in Minnesota!

Have you seen more fire blight strikes in your orchard this year than past seasons? If you’ve been thinking about late season management (main take home: physical removal of fire blight strikes recommended) check out this week’s article that talks about general disease patterns in Minnesota orchards and how to mitigate future outbreaks. 

Article: Fire blight in Minnesota

Photo observations:

Wildlife damage on apples 

Image: Open gaps on apples are usually caused by wildlife. In this case, the damage was likely caused by bird pecking. Apples with this type of damage should not be harvested for human consumption (ok for livestock and composting). They can also be problematic as they attract flies, wasps, and other insects. 

Apple leaf shading spots

Images: Color development in apples is in part due to sunlight exposure. This leaf was covering part of an apple and exposes the stark contrast of color between shaded and non-shaded parts of the fruit. This type of shading can be done by placing a stencil, decorative sticker on the apple before it changes color as a form of art, sometimes practiced in Japanese apple production (i.e., sun-tan apples, or “ringo art”). 

Apple agritourism (coauthored by Freya Thurmer, UMN Agritourism Extension Educator)

Orchard pumpkins nearly ready for harvest season

Images: Sekapp Orchard (Olmsted County, MN) grows a number of pumpkin, squash, and gourd varieties near their orchard, soon to be harvested in the next coming weeks and sold during their fall retail season. 

It’s getting closer to the harvest period for a number of pumpkins, squash, and gourds. These crops can be complimentary to apples, and coincide with the fall festival season. Having them alongside apples creates a “one-stop” fall experience where families can enjoy multiple favorites in a single visit, which can keep them coming back year after year.

Even without a large patch, pumpkins can add value. A wagon or bin near your orchard entrance can encourage purchases and doubles as fall décor. Bundling products—like pie pumpkins with apples or cider—adds variety and highlights your harvest. Simple displays with hay bales or corn stalks provide photo-friendly spots that enhance the visit without requiring much investment.

For growers who don’t raise pumpkins and adjacent cucurbit crops, working with a neighboring farm or sourcing pumpkins through local auctions can still bring these crops into your fall offerings. The goal is to extend the season, diversify sales, and strengthen customer connections.

In the past, UMN Extension has offered an annual Pumpkin Grower Fall Meet-up, which was last held in 2023. We hope to offer this again in a future year based on interest within the Minnesota grower community. 

If you have found this event valuable in the past, feel welcome to reach out, or indicate your interest when we share our end of the season survey on the Fruit Update article series. 

Apple resource cards for customers

Colorful, easy-to-share cards for u-pick orchards and farm stands. These cards offer friendly tips on keeping apples safe, fresh, and delicious—covering handling, storage, and simple preservation ideas families can use at home. Simply download, print (two sided), and cut in half.

Click here to view and download a printable version of the apple customer resource card!