September is harvest time in California, but this year’s calendar isn’t following the usual script.
An usually warm spring pushed crops like stone fruit and grapes way ahead of schedule. Hot temperatures during pollination caused problems for pistachios and cherries, too. The result is an uneven season — one that finds growers across the state focusing not just on harvesting, but on adapting, too.
Almonds are moving into harvest, with early estimates putting the state’s product at 2.7 million pounds. Walnuts are entering their harvest window, too, with stronger shipment activity than previous years. It should be a good season for both nuts. Pistachios are a different story. Extreme heat during the bloom period disrupted the synchronization between male pollen release and female bloom. Since pistachios depend on wind pollination, the crop has been vastly reduced in key areas like the San Joaquin Valley.
On the other hand, figs are having a good year! Overall production is expected to match last year’s harvest of nearly 10 million pounds. Production began winding down in late August, but the crop’s main varieties — including the Emerald fig, a self-pollinating variety that was introduced commercially last year — will be available through November.
That contrast is the theme of California agriculture in September 2026. The harvest calendar still promises crops like grapes, figs, stone fruit, nuts, and other fall staples. How much ultimately comes off the trees, though, is being shaped by some of the most challenging weather conditions we’ve seen in years.
If you’re looking to protect your growing operation from unusually hot temperatures, give us a call. Our supply stores have the products you need when you’re in the fields, and our irrigation department can custom-design a watering system for your crops. Let’s make the next harvest season as successful as it can be!