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Without a doubt, one of the most popular fruits grown worldwide is apples. With over 7500 apple varieties grown worldwide, 2500 directly in the United States, and eight sub-species growing directly in Washington. It’s safe to say that the state is a hotspot for apples. So when are apples in season in Washington?
Washington apples grown in Washington, such as red delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala, and Granny Smiths, are in season from August to early November. You should sow apple trees in Washington in early spring.
So what exactly causes these apples to harvest at this time of year? And what species can directly be grown in Washington? Keep reading to find out more.
Just a quick heads up, over the past three years of running Plantpaladin, hundreds of people have asked for product recommendations. As such, You can find my favorite indoor bonsai tree here (link takes you to Bonsaiboy), my favorite outdoor bonsai tree (link takes you to Bonsaiboy), or have a look at all the products I recommend here.
When are apples in season in Washington?
To get to the bottom of when apples are in season in Washington, I got in touch with my local botanical gardens, Looked over USDA material, and even got in touch with three plant paladin readers who reside in Washington state.
All to ensure you had the most in-depth post possible on when apples are in season in Washington.
To summarize:
- Apples in Washington are harvested in the late summer and fall between August to early November.
- However, the vast majority of apples will be in season in September and October.
- All apples native to Washington state will follow this seasonality.
- These apple species include Red Delicious, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Gala, Golden Delicious, Fugi, Cameo, Cripps Pink, and Honeycrisp.
- Mcintosh, Pink Lady, Empire, Opal, Jazz, and Red Windsor can also be harvested in late summer/fall.
- The reason these apples all grow in Washington is the climate. Washington state has a mix of pacific coastal air, cold winter, and regular rainfall, making it ideal for apples to grow.
- The best way to determine if your apples are ripe is if the unripe green color has faded and made way for a brighter color.
Seasonality of apples in Washington
To go into a little bit more detail as to what to do with your apple tree in Washington and what to look out for as the seasons go by, I’ve created a table below:
Season | Description |
Winter (December - Feb) | Winter is the dormant season for apple trees. During this time, any apple production is shut down. Use this time to trim your tree back if need be, so long as the tree has not frozen over or has frost. |
Spring (March-May) | Apple trees wake up from hibernation during the spring. At this time, expect them to start blooming flowers as they attract insects for pollination. |
Summer ( June - Aug) | During the summer, your apple tree will grow the most as it absorbs as much sunlight as possible. Your apple tree will start to grow small apples that will be green during this period. During late august, some of your apples may be ripe for picking. |
Fall ( Sept-Nov) | This is when apples will be ripe for harvesting. Harvest your apple tree appropriately. |
How do you tell your apple is in season in Washington?
The best way to determine if your apples are in season in Washington is by taking note of the month.
The vast majority of apples, native and non-native but grown in Washington, will be ripe for harvest between late summer and early fall, between Late August and early November.
If you pick your apples, there is a good chance your apples will ripen a few days after picking them.
A secondary way of ensuring your Washington apples are ripe is to look at the color of the apple.
Most of the apples are grown in Washington and are shades of red.
If the majority of green has disappeared from your apple to make it easy for a more vibrant red, pink, or yellow color, your apple will be in season.
What time of year should you plant apples in Washington?
Apples grown in Washington should be planted in the early spring, within the first few weeks of March.
This will give your apple trees enough time to grow, bloom flowers, get fertilized by bees (like all plants do), and hopefully produce flowers – should your tree be mature.
Apple trees will only start producing flowers after their third or fourth year, so don’t fret if you have just started growing an apple tree.
However, the time of year you plant an apple tree will be the same, regardless of what sub-species of apple you grow in Washington state.
When are apples cheapest in Washington?
Apples in Washington state and the wider USA will be the cheapest in season from late summer to the fall.
Most apples will be cheaper during September and October when stocks are high and apples are abundant.
Apples purchased through other times of the year may cost significantly more due to these apples needing to be shipped from different climates or abroad.
When should your harvest apples in Washington?
Apples in Washington should be harvested between late August to November. This is when apples are at their ripest. Look for bright red, pink, or yellow colors that overtake your apples’ green color that they show when unripe.
Where in the USA is the best place to grow apples?
The best place in the USA to grow apples is in the Pacific Northwest, specifically Washington state. This is because Washington state has the perfect mix of pacific northwestern winds, which carry nutrients from the ocean, ample rainfall, and mild summers, vital for apple growth during summer.
What are the best climates to grow apples?
The best climates for apples to grow in our climates with seasonal conditions.
Apple trees need cold, wet seasons to produce fruit.
As such, most apple trees thrive in colder wet environments such as the pacific northwest (Washington State), Canada, The UK, and northern Europe.
The ideal temperature for apple trees to grow is temperatures that rarely exceed 32 degrees celsius for more than a few days at a time.
Using the USDA’s guidelines, hardy apple trees will grow best in conditions between Zones 3 to 5, and more long-seasoned apple trees will grow best in zones 5 to 8.
Why do apples grow in Washington?
Apple trees grow the best in Washington state as all of the vital components apple trees need to thrive are all met in Washington state.
This includes
- 70 to 150 inches of annual rainfall annually is ideal for these trees’ water requirements.
- An average winter temperature of 3 degrees C to -17 degrees C. This is ideal for the cold winter needed for apple trees to enter dormancy.
- The average summer temperature of 27 to 34 degrees C – is ideal for the sunlight needed for these trees during summer.
- A flow of nutrients from the wind picks these up from the pacific ocean.
- A general climate of zones 6 to 8 on the USDA hardiness zone map is ideal for growing long-season apples.
What are the most popular apples grown in Washington state?
The most popular apples grown natively in Washington state include Red Delicious, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Gala, Golden Delicious, Fugi, Cameo, Cripps Pink, Honeycrisp Mcintosh, Pink Lady, Empire, and Opal.
What time of year are other fruits and vegetables ripe in Washington?
It’s not just apples but other fruits that many of you will be interested in growing if you live in Washington state.
As such, I’ve pulled together a table listing when some of these fruits and vegetables will be ripe:
Fruit | When to harvest |
Pears | Fall |
Cherry | Early summer to fall |
Plumbs | Fall |
Apricot | Summer (Jul/Aug) |
Strawberries | Summer (Jul/Aug) |
Raspberries | Summer and fall |
Blueberries | Summer to early fall |
Peach | Fall |
Banana | Unable to grow due to cold climate |
Survey on when apples are in season in Washington
Finally, I wanted to ask three plant paladin readers based in Washington state when apples are in season in Washington.
To summarize:
My top picks for the gear you will need!
So like I mentioned earlier, over the past three years of running PlantPaladin, hundreds of people have asked me for my recommendations on the best bonsai gear on the market.
Having spent thousands of dollars on bonsai items these past few years and tested at least 100 bonsai-specific products, I’ve listed my favorite products below – All of which I highly recommend and think you can get great value.
They can purchase directly by clicking the link to take them to Amazon.
Bonsai Tool Set: One of the significant challenges I’ve had is finding a toolset that was not only durable but didn’t break the bank. SOLIGT has recently developed a fantastic bonsai tool set that covers all the tools you need to trim, prune, and repot your trees. – You can grab it here.
Complete Bonsai Set: Many of you will want to grow your bonsai trees entirely from scratch, but finding the varicose seeds, pots, and other items in one place can be challenging. Leaves and Sole then have created a complete bonsai set that I’ve personally used that ticks all the boxes. You can grab it here.
Bonsai wire: The number of times I’ve run out of wire for my bonsai or purchased cheap bonsai wire that doesn’t do the job is embarrassing for me to admit. After a lot of trial and error, I found that using Hotop’s aluminum bonsai wire is one of the best options on the market. This can easily be used for both indoor and outdoor bonsai. You can grab it here.
This post was written by Fehed Nicass, who has been passionate about bonsai and gardening for over three years.
