How to choose a picker
If we are talking about large enough fruits such as pears or apples, tulip collectors are ideal. Much smaller berries are a completely different matter. Here a picker with a grip is unlikely to work, another option is needed. Previously, for such purposes, they usually simply used hooks with long arms, which were used to shake the branches. But in this case, cherries or cherries fell directly to the ground, albeit on a spread tarpaulin, and could be damaged. Now for such purposes, devices with cutting elements and bags fixed next to them are more often used.
Important! Much depends on the height of the tree, because it is quite difficult to keep a fruit collector with a long handle on weight all the time, and with a short one it is not suitable for tall trees. The way out of this situation is a telescopic fruit picker
It features a special handle design that extends when needed.
Fruit Picker GARDENA 03115-20
The GARDENA Fruit Picker 03115-20, like the previous device, will help you harvest crops from great heights. However, thanks to some improvements, it is much more convenient to work with. First, the picker has a mesh bag that can hold several apples - which means you don't have to put it down every time you pick one fruit. In addition, it is immediately visible through the mesh fabric how full the bag is. Secondly, the pointed edges of the slits make it easy to separate the fruit from the branch. For the most difficult cases, a blade is provided, which is located opposite the handle and will cut the apple together with the stalk without any problems. And another nice feature is the ability to adjust the angle of inclination of the fruit collector, which will make it easier to harvest even in the most inaccessible places.
The price of this garden assistant starts at 1,440 rubles.
Features and purpose
Previously, such devices had to be made independently, but today they are produced by the most eminent brands, you can find fruit collectors with a flap and a telescopic handle, as well as other types of such devices. First of all, such garden devices are acquired by owners of tall varietal plants who do not want to lose the harvest due to its inaccessibility. In addition, using the fruit collector, it is possible to remove already rotten or damaged fruits.
In the case of small berries - forest or garden, growing on bushes, special types of devices with a shutter are used to make the process of collecting a healthy treat as simple and enjoyable as possible.
The main purpose of all fruit pickers is to imitate the movement of a human hand picking a ripe fruit from a tree. That is why almost all of them, one way or another, have a grip that allows you to fix and remove the selected fruit. In some cases, the device must be emptied each time after use. But in most cases this can be done without, especially if the device is equipped with a capacious bag or basket for harvesting. The telescopic handle is also considered a useful element - for many manufacturers it is universal, suitable for several devices for caring for the garden at once.
Varieties
Before purchasing a device, you need to decide on its design option. The cost, purpose and functional features depend on it. Let's consider the varieties in more detail.
Fruit picker cutting
This design is considered the simplest.The basis is a special knife. On contact with the leg of the apple, he cuts it, and the fruit is in the fruit container. This includes collet devices. They have a long handle, and if you get used to working with them, you can significantly save time for harvesting.
However, one cannot but mention the disadvantages of this type. Their operation can be quite difficult, a certain skill will be required, the development of the correct technique for working with these devices. In addition, the costs of physical effort in this case are quite serious.
Mechanical fruit pickers
Capturing from such devices occurs with the help of the so-called "hand". It is made of wire, is movable and can be compressed at a certain moment. This ability is activated by pulling a special plastic or metal cable.
However, the disadvantage is the ability to damage tree branches quite often during work.
Fruit collectors-bowls
Such designs are the safest and are in high demand among gardeners. They are made of plastic, and the bag for collecting fruits is made of durable fabric. The shape and the upper part, divided into peculiar petals, gave the fruit picker another name - "tulip". The apple, falling between the petals, turns around its axis, and then falls into the bowl. You can choose between a wooden handle and a telescopic handle of the required size. The simplest models can be made by yourself.
Combined collector
This model is versatile. It provides a lateral type of fruit feeding and is a roller basket. The device is mounted on a special handle, and the capture of the fruit occurs by lifting it vertically or rolling it on the ground.
Advantages and disadvantages
Fruit pickers have many advantages, thanks to which gardeners and owners of private houses choose them for use. Among the obvious advantages are:
- ease of harvesting from tall trees;
- simplicity of design;
- no need to connect to the electrical network;
- the ability to keep fruits without damage;
- no difficulties in installation and maintenance;
- regardless of the design - the achievement of the result.
Harvesting devices on the garden plot are generally easy to use and make it possible to preserve the fruits in a marketable, suitable for storage form. Models for collecting padanets allow you to quickly collect apples, pears, apricots on the site, which have already fallen on the ground and are hidden in the grass. Not without flaws. These include difficulties in managing long-handled fruit pickers, quick fatigue from working with heavy models.
In addition, the volumes of the soft collection containers are small and have to be emptied frequently. This also somewhat complicates and delays the harvesting process.
To learn how to make a telescopic fruit picker from an old mop with your own hands, see the next video.
Harvesting time for apricots
When to pick apricots, each owner decides on his own - the fruits vary greatly in ripening time, depending on the variety. Early apricots ripen in late June and early July. Of course, a lot still depends on the region of growth and weather conditions. The more sun the apricot gets, the larger and sweeter the fruit will be.
Medium ripening fruits are harvested in mid-July. They are large, fragrant, perfect for harvesting for the winter and fresh consumption. Late varieties are harvested from July 25, apricots of late varieties are fleshy, large.
Depending on the variety, the fruit can be pale and bright yellow, with a reddish barrel and almost orange; it is almost impossible to determine maturity by color. Harvesting apricots begins when the stone is freely separated from the pulp.You need to harvest in dry weather, it is better to do it on a not too hot day.
Fruit picker
The simplest and cheapest device for picking fruit for the shape of the petals was dubbed by the people "Tulip". Many companies produce it under different names, so it is difficult to name the exact price. On sale you can find models for 29, 50, and 60 rubles. The cost is influenced by the quality of the plastic and the diameter of the collector. However, the principle of operation is the same for all models.
Before starting work, the plastic bowl must be secured to the wooden handle. And then everything is simple: bring the fruit collector under the fruit, trying to get the fruit stem into the slot between the petals, and turn it in any direction. The apple or pear comes off and remains in the bowl. You just need to be careful so that the fruit does not fall out of the fruit collector, lower it and remove it from there.
The main advantage of such a collector is its low price. However, like any cheap product, it also has disadvantages:
- some models have very poor quality plastic, so it often breaks down already in the first working season;
- the diameter of the bowl does not always allow picking a large apple;
- when lowering from a height, apples often roll out of the "bowl" of the fruit collector.
Fruit picking tools
Fruit pickers are divided into several types.
Collet strippers are made with wire or with a bag, and they also make tools with a grip.
Plastic devices are in the form of a cylinder with a slight slope, the edges of which are cut from above in the form of longitudinal strips.
Such a tool is called a "tulip".
The harvest is removed as follows: pry the fruit so that the stalk is between the petals of the "tulip", turning the tulip, the fruit is separated.
Collet wire collectors are tools shaped like an unopened petal bud.
At the ends of the "petals" there are wires bent in the form of loops.
A strong fishing line is pulled into these loops.
The fishing line is used to fix the fetus when separating from the branch.
When the fruit hits the catch, the line is pulled up, the catch closes and the fruit is easily lifted from the tree.
Pouch collet devices consist of a ring with a small pouch attached to it.
On the perimeter of the ring, "petals" are fixed to remove the fruit from the branch.
Several fruits are placed in the bag.
Such fruit pickers greatly facilitate labor and greatly speed up the harvesting process.
There are designs of fruit pickers equipped with a small metal knife placed on the top of the ring.
Collet telescopic fruit collectors with a grip are designed to collect fruits that prevent them from falling to the ground.
Modern tools and devices allow you to quickly and easily harvest from trees.
These devices are lightweight and can be used with one hand.
Tips from resourceful gardeners
Having understood the principle of the fruit collector, you can make it from other materials at hand. Let's see what garden engineers have already come up with:
- A thick wire hoop and a linen bag stretched over it.
- A basket and a galvanized hoop as a knife.
- The design of two metal rings: a bag is stretched over a static one, and a small movable one above it can be tightened with a fishing line around the handle.
- Scissors, spring and pole construction.
Thus, making a fruit collector from scrap materials is absolutely not difficult. And giving free rein to your ingenuity, you can even come up with your own unique model of this device.
Varieties
There are different options for the design of the fruit collector, which allows each gardener to choose the most convenient option.
Fruit picker cutting
The simplest design of a fruit picker is a cutting one, with a special knife, which is brought to the stem of the fruit and separates it from the branch. Then the fruit goes into a special collection bag without falling to the ground.This type of device includes collet collectors equipped with a long handle. But such devices have a lot of disadvantages:
- complexity in operation;
- the need to develop the correct technique for collecting fruits;
- significant expenditure of physical effort during work.
With a certain skill, the use of collet models with a cutting element still greatly facilitates gardening.
Mechanical fruit pickers
This is the name of the design options for the fruit collector with a grip in the form of a wire "hand", mobile and capable of "squeezing" under a certain influence. This function is most often triggered by the tension of a metal or plastic cable. At first glance, these pickers are ideal - inexpensive, widely sold, and easy to handle. But in practice, it is this type that accounts for the maximum number of complaints about damage to branches during the harvesting process.
If handled carelessly, the tree can be severely damaged
Fruit collectors-bowls
The safest, most often made of plastic and supplemented with a cloth bag for collecting plucked fruits. Such fruit pickers are often called "tulips" because of the shape of their upper edge - it is divided into petals. The fruit caught between them is simply enough to turn around its axis, and the fruit will fall into the bowl. This type of device is the most common and favorite among summer residents. Telescopic handles and wooden handles of different lengths are produced for them, and the simplest analogue can be easily made by hand.
Flap lifters
Models of collectors with a shutter are intended for picking berries. They are equipped with a number of frequent teeth, with the help of which the bushes of blueberries, lingonberries, blueberries are literally "combed". The presence of a shutter allows to ensure the preservation of already harvested berries. Such fruit pickers are also called harvesters.
Today, such devices are made of plastic, which provides less injury to the bush when in contact with the device. The design includes a handle that allows you to hold the collector during operation.
Combined collector
Universal models are made in the form of a mesh roller basket with a lateral type of fruit feeding. They are fixed on a special handle and rolled on the ground or raised vertically to grip fruit. This solution is convenient to use in the garden, where a lot of padans accumulate. The diameter of the collection hole of 10 cm is sufficient for grasping fruits of different sizes, the device is convenient to use even in the near-trunk part of trees.
Harvesting from tall trees
How to harvest apricot trees - There are several possible ways. Usually, this is an activity for the whole family, small gardeners really like to climb trees and help elders, and grandmothers are happy to sort and process ripe fruits.
- Apricots are harvested by standing on a ladder or climbing a tree branch. Of course, these methods are suitable for physically strong gardeners, since both stairs and tree branches are unreliable support, and you can easily get injured, even if you are a very neat person. Long ladder should be properly installed and secured.
- Another way is to use pickers, however, if there are too many fruits, then harvesting with them is too tedious task. It is very difficult to hold a long stick with a fixed bag.
- If the apricots growing in the garden are not too soft, you can spread a cloth under the tree and shake the branches slightly. Ripe apricots come off easily and do not break. At the same time, harvesting takes very little time.
- Often a container for fruits is tied to a pole and, by tapping a stick on a branch, they carefully harvest. The fruit is simply poured from the branch into the fruit collector provided.
- You can wait until the apricots begin to crumble themselves, and collect the already fallen fruits, but there is a danger that then they will simply overripe.
- The last way is to pick the fruit after rain or strong wind, but in this case, the chances are high that the fruit will be severely beaten.
Combining all possible methods to quickly harvest the fruits is the best way out. The main thing is to fix the ladder well, and check the strength of the rungs before going up. If you are going to pick apricots while standing on a tree branch, choose the right shoes - they should be light, comfortable and not slippery, take care of a safety belt - it will save you from possible injuries.
Classification
Do you use a collector for harvesting?
Yes, I want to try
There are several types of pickers, different in design and collection mechanism:
- Cutter - a simple version with a ring equipped with knives that separate the fruit from the stalk. The collected food goes into a cloth bag.
- Mechanical - Design with wire "fingers" for gripping, controlled by a lever on the other end of the handle. The elements are closed by pulling a plastic or metal cable.
- Cup-shaped - safe plastic products. They look like a tulip with an edge divided into peculiar petals. The fruit is plucked from the tree by turning the handle in a circle.
- Scoop with shutter - this type of product is intended for berries. Frequent teeth allow effective combing of blueberry, lingonberry or bilberry bushes. The flap prevents the collected material from spilling out.
Review of the best models of fruit pickers
One of the best models for a personal plot is the Skrab fruit collector, designed for the piece-by-piece collection of a wide variety of fruits and equipped with comfortable grips. This device can be used to harvest apples, apricots, plums. It weighs about 1.2 kg. In fact, this is a universal telescopic fruit collector with a 1.77 m bar and the ability to increase it up to 3 m.
The advantages of the model are the rubberized surface of the grippers, which allows you to collect fruits without spoiling their surface. The gripping diameter is 60-130 mm. The aluminum rod is very convenient to operate. It is a three-piece design that weighs very little thanks to the alloy it is made of. In addition, this rod is equipped with a comfortable rubber grip for the hand. Thanks to this solution, the fruit collector can be used even with a large garden area, because the hand practically does not get tired. Moreover, there is also a metal pistol handle equipped with a retainer.
Fiskars fruit collector
The Fiskars fruit collector is a more sophisticated device. In fact, it is a pole-saw, to which a kind of textile fruit basket is attached. The advantage of this model is that several fruits can be removed at one time. The telescope handle extends up to 4 m. It is very comfortable, and the manufacturer used materials for its manufacture so that the palm does not slip.
Note! The bar turns out to be quite heavy, but the basket itself weighs only 220 g
Types of collectors
A long telescopic handle is the basis of any fruit picker. Usually, its length is from 1.5 to 3 meters. Even if the fruit collector itself is made independently, from scrap materials, the handle is worth buying, since it is light, long, and allows you to reach the uppermost branches of the tree.
The tackle for harvesting from tall trees consists of such a handle, usually a light 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 delicate fruits do not wrinkle during the assembly process.
Tulip
The tulip-shaped fruit collector passes freely between the branches, the fruits are easily separated from the stalks if you begin to twist the fruit collector slightly to either side. The small plastic bowl prevents the fruit from crushing.
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 with the sharp edges of the petals.
Fruit picker with pruning shears
Consists of a funnel, a container for folding fruits and a reinforced pruner. The funnel is brought under the fruit, the stalk is cut with a pruner, and the undamaged fruit is gently rolled into a net or harvest bag. There are many homemade fruit pickers, long cuttings and plastic bottles have come to the rescue of gardeners. With such a device, replacing containers, you can collect apricots, plums, apples and pears.
Fruit picker with grip PALISAD LUXE 64446
The PALISAD LUXE 64446 grapple lifter is another device that will help you harvest fruits from great heights. The maximum "working" distance is 1.3 to 2 m above your head. The telescopic bar helps to adjust the length of the handle.
To grab the fetus, you need to press the handle - and the 3 finger plates will immediately close. From the inside, the plates are covered with rubber, thanks to which your crop will be harvested as carefully as possible. In a closed state, fruits with a diameter of up to 19 cm are placed inside the plates.
The unit can be used not only for its intended purpose. For example, if your child has thrown a ball onto the roof, the PALISAD picker will also help to get it out of there.
The minimum price at which the PALISAD LUXE 64446 fruit picker is sold is 2000 rubles.
Factory-made blueberry harvester
The blueberry scoop is the simplest and most popular blueberry picker. Despite its simplicity, it perfectly fulfills its functions and speeds up the collection of berries by 3-4 times.
A finished harvester is not expensive at all, and therefore is very popular. You can buy it at both the hardware store and the gardening store. The device has several names: a scoop or harvester for berries, a fruit picker, and a berry plant.
The blueberry picker is a parallelepiped-shaped container with long curved teeth resembling a comb on the bottom wall. With their help, the bushes are literally "combed out".
The distance between the teeth is approximately 5-6 mm. Thus, the branches and leaves of the bush pass freely between them, and remain intact, and the berries are carefully removed and fall into the rear compartment of the scoop.
There are various models of factory production, and do-it-yourself. Plastic, metal or wood are used as materials for the body. Wire is almost always used for teeth.
Selection rules
To find the right berry and fruit picker, there are several important factors to consider:
- Fruit type. It is good to remove large fruits with cupped models, and for cherries and cherries, cutting products with a metal edge are suitable. The berries are picked with special scoops.
- Purchase costs. You can buy cheap and simple devices, but high-quality branded options usually pay off with interest and will last much longer than budget counterparts.
- Work height. Universal products are equally convenient for harvesting from a tree, and for picking up padanes. The telescopic arm allows you to adjust the optimal length for different trees. Standard wood cuttings can be overwhelming for extended periods of time.
- Load level. Aluminum and plastic structures are lightweight and can be used even by the elderly. Models with a massive wooden handle require more physical strength.
Features of picking blueberries and strawberries
Collecting blueberries and strawberries is a laborious and painstaking process. The berry is small, the bushes are low and grow densely. Harvesting by hand is incredibly difficult - you literally have to pick one berry out of solid greenery. In this case, it is necessary to stand leaning towards the ground.
Picking blueberries
Most often, blueberries are found in pine and small-leaved forests.Finding a berry plant is quite simple: a clear sign of the presence of shrubs is a wild plant - wild rosemary. It has a pronounced smell, which will become your reference point.
There are also cultivated varieties of blueberries that gardeners grow in their summer cottages. The bushes of such plants are higher, but less often, and the berries are larger, and therefore, it is much more convenient to collect them than forest ones.
Bushes can be up to 40 years old. The oldest ones occupy a large area and have a spreading shape. There are many berries on them, but they are smaller than on young plants.
The most delicious and healthy fruits grow on young growth, the age of which does not exceed 10 years. They have thin green twigs, and thick side branches are practically absent.
It is recommended to collect blueberries in small plastic buckets or baskets. It is not worth pouring the harvested crop from one container into another, since the berries, although strong, are easily damaged. It is not worth picking blueberries after rain, it is better to choose dry morning weather.
Collection of forest and garden strawberries
The collection of strawberries has its own characteristics. Both wild forest and garden berry - she loves well-lit, open areas. Ripe and ready-to-eat fruits are bright red in color and easily detach from the stalk.
The fruit cups can be removed immediately, or the berries can be sorted out later. The best time to pick strawberries is in the morning, when the dew dries up. The fruits must be collected in small containers of 2-3 kg. Pouring is not recommended, the berry is soft and easily damaged.
GARDENA Fruit Collector 03108-20
The GARDENA Fruit Collector 03108-20.000.00 is intended for harvesting fruits that are not high, but rather lying on the ground. The size of the fruits that this device will help to collect ranges from 4 to 9 cm. For this reason, it is used to collect not only fruits, but also walnuts.
The gadget is especially suitable for gardeners who experience back pain. To harvest from the ground, you don't even have to bend over: you push the collector in front of you, and apples lying on the ground "squeeze" through strips of flexible plastic and fall into the device. To remove them from there, you need to tilt the fruit collector to the side, and the apples themselves will fall from a special hole in the form of a scoop. By the way, the same "scoop" will help to collect fruits lying around the tree trunk.
The price of a fruit picker starts at 3100 rubles.
What accessories help you in harvesting?
How to choose
Choosing a picker is a rather serious task, especially when it comes to harvesting a large number of apples.
In order not to be mistaken, you should pay attention to several factors.
First of all, you need to focus on the type of fruit. If the apples are large, it is convenient to pick them with a tulip. For smaller yields, a collet design is suitable.
It is also worth considering the estimated height at which the work will take place. There are universal options with which you can not only remove fruits from the tree, but also pick up fallen
If the device has a telescopic handle, it can be used to harvest apple trees of different heights
It is also important to take into account that when working in the garden for a long time, it will be difficult to use an ordinary wooden handle, since it has a fairly large weight.
We must not forget about the possibilities of the budget. Different models differ in cost
The simplest pickers can have a low price
However, more expensive options can significantly simplify the work, moreover, they are very reliable and will be used for a long time.
The physical condition of the person who will work with the device also plays a role. Teenagers or seniors will find it easier to use the lighter models with an aluminum handle. They do not put as much stress on the hands as devices made by themselves and with wooden handles.
