Texas · Orchard fruit
Typically early October to mid-April, with peak early November through late January.
Hatched chalk = early and late shoulders; solid = peak.
Nearly all from the Rio Grande Valley — early Marrs and navels first, Valencias into spring.
From early October — first pickings, lighter supply, best prices come later.
early November through late January — full stalls, full flavor. This is the stretch to plan around.
Through mid-April — quantity for preserving, and the stalls start dealing.
about 28 weeks end to end, shoulders included.
Winter grove picking — clip fruit with a short stem stub so the peel does not tear. The picking window tracks the band above: early trips get clean fields, peak (early November through late January) is the sure bet, late season is for quantity.
Farm-to-farm variation is real — up to two weeks either side of the typical window. Plan the trip, then call the farm before you drive.
Orange peak moves across the map. After this window, it lands next in:
In Texas, the orange season typically runs early October to mid-April, with peak availability early November through late January. Exact weeks shift a little with each year's weather.
Aim for peak: early November through late January. An early trip around early October gets first choice of clean fields; a late one is for jam-and-freezer quantity. Any single farm can run up to two weeks either side of the chart — call before you drive.
about 28 weeks end to end — early October to mid-April. The early and late shoulders are real but lighter; the solid stretch of chalk on the band is the sure bet.