Horticulture & Specialty Crops
Harvest Maturity Guide for Fruit
A reference for judging when fruit is ready to pick. Growers use it to record maturity checks by crop and variety so harvest timing fits the market.
GuideHorticulture & Specialty CropsFree PDF
The steps on this page
- Note crop and variety
- Check ground color or skin color
- Check firmness by hand or tester
- Taste a sample
- Check seed or stem changes
- Record weather and days from bloom
- Pick a test sample
- Adjust harvest by buyer needs
How to use this guide
Walk a new hand through the steps once, then let them use the page on their own. Add your own notes as you learn what works.
Where to check the details
This sheet is a general template, so confirm specifics with your own manuals, labels and local rules. For current official guidance, start with eXtension and USDA.
For more in this area, see the row crop calendar. Between chores, farm.FM has farm humor, including Early Freeze Destroys Apple Harvest; Farmers Discover Americans Will Pay $40 to Ride a Wagon Past Trees That Couldn’t Afford to Grow Fruit, and farming farm stories.