picking season

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "picking season" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a specific time of year when fruits, vegetables, or other crops are harvested. Example: "The apple picking season usually starts in late September and lasts until mid-October."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

25 human-written examples

It is a busy place this time of year, the height of blueberry picking season.

The New York Times

I loved the store during picking season because Pop filled it from floor to ceiling.

The Guardian - Books

Every picking season, local newspapers chronicle even worse conditions throughout the country: migrants sleeping in tents, caves, cars or under bridges.

The New York Times

The berry picking season here is short, and workers toil long hours during this period to pick the fruit by hand.

The New York Times

As picking season gets under way, I find myself just as excited about the other star berries in our native fruit firmament, and I'm going to tell you about them over the next three weeks, starting today with gooseberries.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The Socialist party candidate, Alfredo Rubalcaba, says he hopes to win over the undecided but, as Manuel Jabois commented in El Mundo newspaper, with 5 million unemployed, "the undecideds are already either leaving for Germany or waiting for the strawberry picking season to begin".

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

35 human-written examples

Between picking seasons, she returned to Brownsville, put on her best blouse, walked into a local textile mill, and asked if she might learn to sew.

The New Yorker

When asked to pick his favorite season out of The Simpsons seasons one through twenty, Paul Lane of the Niagara Gazette picked season four and highlighted "the sweetly funny" "Lisa's First Word".

Wikipedia

When asked to pick his favorite season out of The Simpsons seasons one through twenty, Paul Lane of the Niagara Gazette picked season four and highlighted "Brother from the Same Planet" and "Mr. Plow" which he called "excellent", along with "the sweetly funny" "Lisa's First Word", and "Homer the Heretic".

Wikipedia

If you have the option of traveling during different seasons, picking the off-season can drastically lower your prices.

WikiHow

Orchards are not just for apple-picking season.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about agricultural practices, use "picking season" to specifically denote the period when crops are manually harvested, adding a human element to the description.

Common error

Do not use "picking season" to refer to automated harvesting processes. This phrase implies manual labor, so using it for machine-based harvesting can be misleading.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "picking season" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It denotes a specific period of time related to agricultural activity. Ludwig AI provides numerous examples where the phrase is used to describe various crop harvests.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Formal & Business

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "picking season" is a common and grammatically correct noun phrase used to describe the period when crops are manually harvested. Ludwig AI confirms its widespread usage in various contexts, particularly in news and media, where it informs about agricultural activities. While the phrase is generally neutral in tone, it is important to note that it specifies manual harvesting, differentiating it from automated processes. Alternatives include "harvest season" or "gathering season", though these may not always capture the same nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

harvest season

Focuses on the general act of harvesting, applicable to various crops, whereas "picking season" implies manual gathering.

harvest time

Emphasizes the period dedicated to harvesting crops, similar to "picking season" but broader in scope.

gathering season

Highlights the act of collecting crops, akin to "picking season" but can also refer to other types of gathering.

cropping season

Refers to the period when a specific crop is harvested, similar to "picking season" but specific to the crop type.

fruit picking time

Specifically indicates the time for picking fruits, narrowing the scope from all crops to fruits.

fruit harvest season

Combines "harvest season" with a focus on fruits, emphasizing the harvesting of fruits during a specific time.

berry picking season

Specifically refers to the season for picking berries, narrowing the scope further to berries.

apple picking season

Indicates the season specifically for picking apples, making it crop-specific.

grape harvesting season

Specifically relates to the harvesting of grapes, often associated with wine production.

seasonal harvest

Inverts the structure, focusing on the harvest that occurs seasonally, less direct than "picking season".

FAQs

What does "picking season" mean?

"Picking season" refers to the time of year when fruits, vegetables, or other crops are ready to be harvested, typically by hand.

What is another way to say "picking season"?

You can use alternatives such as "harvest season", "harvest time", or "gathering season" depending on the context.

How is "picking season" different from "harvest season"?

"Picking season" usually implies manual harvesting, while "harvest season" is a more general term that can include both manual and mechanical harvesting methods.

What types of crops have a "picking season"?

Many fruits, vegetables, and some grains have a "picking season". Common examples include berries, apples, grapes, and cotton.