What’s in Season
Michigan grows on a schedule. Here is what comes off the field and out of the orchard, month by month, from the first asparagus in May to the last apples in storage.
How a Michigan season works
The growing window here is short and it moves fast. Asparagus breaks first in mid May and is finished by late June. Sweet cherries follow almost immediately and last about six weeks. Then the summer vegetables arrive in a rush through July, peaches and prune plums land in August, and apple harvest runs from late August into November.
By the first hard frost the fields are done. What separates apples from everything else is storage.
Apples go into controlled atmosphere rooms where oxygen is reduced and temperature is held just above freezing, which effectively pauses the fruit. That is why apples are the only crop on this list marked year round. A Fuji you buy in April was picked in September and has been asleep since.
The full availability calendar
Green indicates typical seasonal availability. Actual availability may vary due to weather and growing conditions, and some products may be unavailable in certain seasons.
| Crop | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apples Year round | ||||||||||||
| Asparagus May 15 to Jun 25 | ||||||||||||
| Sweet Cherries Jun 20 to Jul 30 | ||||||||||||
| Hard Squash Jun 20 to Sep 15 | ||||||||||||
| Yellow Squash Jun 20 to Sep 15 | ||||||||||||
| Zucchini Jun 20 to Sep 15 | ||||||||||||
| Cucumbers Jul 4 to Sep 25 | ||||||||||||
| Cabbage Jul 4 to Oct 30 | ||||||||||||
| Blueberries Jul 10 to Aug 25 | ||||||||||||
| Green Beans Jul 10 to Sep 30 | ||||||||||||
| Chili Peppers Jul 15 to Sep 30 | ||||||||||||
| Sweet Corn Jul 20 to Sep 25 | ||||||||||||
| Bell Peppers Jul 22 to Sep 30 | ||||||||||||
| Eggplant Jul 25 to Sep 25 | ||||||||||||
| Tomatoes Jul 25 to Oct 10 | ||||||||||||
| Peaches Aug 1 to Sep 5 | ||||||||||||
| Prune Plums Aug 15 to Sep 15 | ||||||||||||
| Table Grapes Aug 20 to Oct 15 |
Apple harvest, in order
Apple season is not one date, it is ten weeks of rolling harvest. Paula Red and Ginger Gold open it in the third week of August. Pink Lady closes it at the end of October, which is why you rarely see one before November.
| Variety | Harvest begins | Sweetness |
|---|---|---|
| Paula Red | Aug 19 | 2 of 10 |
| Ginger Gold | Aug 21 | 5 of 10 |
| Gala | Aug 25 | 7 of 10 |
| Honeycrisp | Sep 1 | 8 of 10 |
| McIntosh | Sep 5 | 3 of 10 |
| Golden Delicious | Sep 8 | 8 of 10 |
| Fuji | Sep 17 | 10 of 10 |
| Jonathan | Sep 22 | 1 of 10 |
| Empire | Sep 22 | 5 of 10 |
| Cortland | Sep 22 | 3 of 10 |
| Jonagold | Sep 24 | 7 of 10 |
| Red Delicious | Sep 25 | 9 of 10 |
| Ambrosia | Sep 28 | 9 of 10 |
| SnapDragon | Oct 5 | 6 of 10 |
| EverCrisp | Oct 22 | 7 of 10 |
| Pink Lady | Oct 28 | 5 of 10 |
The three seasons people ask about
Michigan asparagus
May 15 through June 25. Six weeks, and the first Michigan crop of the year. Southwest Michigan starts the run.
Michigan sweet cherries
June 20 through July 30. About six weeks, and the shortest window of any fruit we pack. When they are gone, they are gone.
Michigan apples
Harvest runs late August into November. Storage carries the crop the rest of the year, so apples never actually leave the shelf.
Seasonality, answered
When is Michigan cherry season?
Michigan sweet cherries run roughly June 20 through July 30. The exact start moves with the spring, but six weeks is the usual window. There is no storage program for sweet cherries, so once the season closes they are finished until the following summer.
When does Michigan asparagus season start?
Around May 15, running through about June 25. Asparagus is the first Michigan crop of the year and the season is short. Southwest Michigan kicks it off before the rest of the state.
When are Michigan apples ready to pick?
It depends entirely on the variety. Paula Red and Ginger Gold come off around August 19 to 21. Honeycrisp lands around September 1, Fuji around September 17, and Pink Lady closes the season around October 28. The harvest order table above lists every variety we pack with its start date.
How are apples available year round if harvest is only ten weeks?
Controlled atmosphere storage. Oxygen is reduced and temperature held just above freezing, which slows the fruit’s respiration almost to a stop. Apples come out months later still firm. Fuji, EverCrisp and Pink Lady are among the best keepers, which is why they carry the late winter and spring.
Do these dates change from year to year?
Yes, usually by a week or two in either direction. A warm spring pulls everything forward, a cool one pushes it back. The order almost never changes, so if Gala is running early, Honeycrisp will be right behind it.
Buying for a produce department?
We build supply programs around these windows for retailers across the country. Talk to us about volume, pack sizes and delivery timing.