Harvesting is a pleasant but tedious task. Ripe fruits are usually located at the top of the tree, and getting them is difficult and sometimes dangerous, especially when apricots need to be picked. Fruit trees are tall, and ripening fruits are tender and juicy, so summer residents simply need improvised means to facilitate this process. Today there are many devices for collecting apricots from tall trees, both industrial and home-made.
Types of fruit collectors
The basis of any fruit picker is a long telescopic handle.Typically, its length is from 1.5 to 3 meters. Even if the fruit collector itself is made independently, from scrap materials, it is worth buying a handle because it is light, long, and allows you to reach the very top branches of the tree.
Devices for harvesting from tall trees consist of such a handle, usually a lightweight aluminum alloy is used for it, and a container for fruit. The container can be made in the form of a bowl or bag for harvesting. The main thing is that the delicate fruits do not wrinkle during the assembly process.
Tulip
The fruit collector in the form of a tulip passes freely between the branches; the fruits are easily separated from the stalks if you begin to slightly twist the fruit collector in any direction. A small plastic bowl prevents the fruit from bruising.
The disadvantage is the tediousness of such collection, the need to collect each fruit separately, which is very inconvenient in the case of apricots.
Fruit collector LUXE
Consists of a durable washable bag and a ring with sharpened metal petals. A device of this design makes it easy to harvest even from a height, without damaging the fruits and branches of the tree, since the stalk is easy to cut off with the sharp edges of the petals.
Fruit collector with pruning shears
Consists of a funnel, a container for storing fruit and reinforced pruning shears. The funnel is placed under the fruit, the stalk is cut off with pruning shears, and the undamaged fruit is carefully rolled into a net or harvest bag. There are many homemade fruit collectors; long cuttings and plastic bottles have come to the rescue of gardeners. With this device, replacing containers, you can collect apricots, plums, apples and pears.
Harvesting from tall trees
How to harvest from apricot trees - there are several possible ways. Usually, this is an activity for the whole family; little gardeners really like to climb trees and help the elders, and grandmothers enjoy sorting and processing ripe fruits.
- Apricots are collected by standing on a ladder or climbing a tree branch. Of course, these methods are suitable for physically strong gardeners, since both the ladder and tree branches are unreliable support, and you can easily get injured, even if you are a very careful person. Long ladders must be installed correctly and secured securely.
- Another way is to use fruit pickers, however, if there are too many fruits, then harvesting them is too tedious. Holding a long stick with a bag attached is very difficult.
- If the apricots growing in the garden are not of a very soft variety, you can spread a cloth under the tree and lightly shake the branches. Ripe apricots easily come off the branch and do not break. At the same time, harvesting takes very little time.
- Often a fruit container is tied to a pole and, by tapping a branch with a stick, the harvest is carefully harvested. The fruits simply fall from the branch into the placed fruit collector.
- You can wait until the apricots themselves begin to crumble and collect the already fallen fruits, but there is a danger that then they will simply become overripe.
- The last way is to collect the fruits after rain or strong wind, but in this case there is a high probability that the fruits will be severely damaged.
Combining all possible methods to quickly collect fruits is the best way out. The main thing is to secure the ladder well and check the strength of the rungs before climbing.If you plan to pick apricots while standing on a tree branch, choose the right shoes - they should be light, comfortable and non-slippery, take care of a safety belt - it will protect you from possible injuries.
Apricot harvest time
When to pick apricots, each owner decides independently - the fruits vary greatly in terms of ripening, depending on the variety. Early apricots ripen in late June and early July. Of course, a lot also depends on the region of growth and weather conditions. The more sun an apricot gets, the larger and sweeter the fruit will be.
Medium-ripening fruits are harvested in mid-July. They are large, aromatic, great for preparing for the winter and for fresh consumption. Late varieties are harvested from July 25; apricots of late varieties are fleshy and large.
Depending on the variety, the fruit can be pale or bright yellow, with a reddish side and almost orange; It is almost impossible to determine maturity by color. Apricots begin to be harvested when the pit is freely separated from the pulp. You need to harvest the crop in dry weather; it is better to do it on a not too hot day.
The best time to collect is from the morning until 11 a.m. or after 3-4 p.m., when the afternoon heat subsides.
DIY device for picking apricots
Plastic bottles are excellent for fruit collectors, and they use both small, 1.5-2 liter bottles, cut in half, and 5 liter water containers. The selected bottle is cut crosswise in half and holes are drilled in the neck. The funnel obtained from the bottle is tightly placed on the pole and secured with self-tapping screws. Of course, this design is not very durable, but it is easy to replace by adapting a new bottle to the fruit collector.To make the fruits easier to tear off, you can use scissors to cut small cloves around the perimeter of the container.
Sometimes a metal or plastic wastebasket is attached to a pole. A ring of smaller diameter is attached to the upper ring, the edges of which are slightly sharpened. This design allows you to carefully cut fruits from the stalks, and ripe, undamaged fruits fall into the basket.
Important: you should not make a large fruit picker - harvesting in such a container is inconvenient, apricots can become wrinkled and lose their presentation, and it is not easy to hold a heavy container over your head.
No matter what method the gardener has to use to collect apricots, the main thing is to prevent loss of the harvest. You can process apricots in different ways: the easiest way is to dry the juicy fruits, because dried apricots are perfectly stored and contain a huge amount of vitamins and other useful substances. Apricot jam, jam and marmalade - these are other ways to preserve the harvest and an opportunity in the cold winter to once again feel the aroma of a sultry summer, enjoying compote or pie filling, or perhaps just sipping tea with delicious apricot jam.
