The fruit firmness decreases over time. This decrease can occur slowly in hot weather or more rapidly in cool weather. It usually decreases about 1.5 pounds per week in the Sacramento Valley. To achieve maximum yield and fruit size the best harvest timing would be when fruit firmness is 4 pounds, the fruit volume is decreasing, and the soluble solids are at their maximum. Most growers cannot harvest all their orchards in the few days when the fruit is ideal.
Harvest therefore needs to occur to minimize the change from the ideal.
This can be achieved by starting harvest early, harvesting later than ideal, having blocks that mature at different times or some combination. To achieve major differences in return a grower must also impact the harvest return or cost. With 36 to 42 percent of the total cost occurring as harvest cost, changes in this area could have a great difference in return . These dates can vary from location, orchard age, cultural practices and year. They are only included to give some perspective to a time frame.