Our warm, dry weather over the past few days has made getting outside easy and picking apples is a popular outdoor activity this time of year.

But how long do you have?

As fall approaches, so does apple picking season in Minnesota, but if you’re planning a trip to the orchard, you might want to adjust your schedule.

“If you want to come pick apples, you might want to come a little earlier this year than you have in the past,” said Apple Jack Orchards Manager Ben Fontana.

That’s because a shorter and mild winter with heavy rain this spring sped up the growing season. Some apple varieties that normally ripen in mid to late September are already in full swing.

“The sweet tangoes, for example. We started picking those last year around Sep. 1. This year, we were picking them mid-August,” Fontana noted.

Even the Minnesotan Honeycrisp apple has come early this year.

“There are farms in Minnesota that are already selling Honeycrisps. Typically, that’s a mid-September to late September apple,” said Fontana.

While the abundant rain this year helped the crop, it brought some challenges too.

“The rain was nice to a point,” Fontana added. “With the increased amount of rain comes some pest pressure, some apple scab pressure.”

Apple scab is a disease caused by fungal infection of the leaves, spread by rainfall events. These spots worsen over time but didn’t stop this year’s apple picking from coming in hot… literally.

“The apple trees definitely don’t need the heat anymore. As long as it’s above freezing, they’re pretty okay,” said Fontana.

Fontana says to come on out, even if it’s sooner than you’re used to. “Think about a week and a half earlier than you typically do.”