Device for collecting apricots from a tall tree: varieties of devices

Harvesting is a pleasant but tedious task. Ripe fruits are usually at the top of the tree, and getting them is difficult and sometimes dangerous, especially when you need to pick apricots. 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 self-made.

Types of fruit collectors

The basis of any fruit collector is a long telescopic handle.Usually, its length is from 1.5 to 3 meters. Even if the fruit picker itself is made by yourself, from improvised materials, the handle is worth buying, because it is light, long, and allows you to reach the highest branches of the tree.

Tools for harvesting tall trees consist of such a handle, usually made of lightweight aluminum alloy, and fruit containers. The container can be made in the form of a bowl or bag for harvesting. The main thing is that tender 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 start to slightly twist the fruit collector in any direction. A small plastic bowl keeps the fruit from wrinkling.

The disadvantage is the tediousness of such collection, the need to collect each fruit separately, which is very inconvenient in the case of apricots.

LUXE fruit picker

Composed 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 easily cut off by the sharp edges of the petals.

Fruit picker with pruner

Consists of a funnel, a container for folding fruits and a reinforced pruner. The funnel is brought under the fruit, the stem is cut with a pruner, and the intact fruit is gently rolled into a net or bag for harvest. There are many home-made fruit pickers; long cuttings and plastic bottles came 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 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 the elders, and grandmothers are happy to sort and process ripe fruits.

1. Pick apricots 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 the branches of the tree are an unreliable support, and it is easy to get injured, even if you are a very careful person. A long ladder should be installed correctly and securely fastened.
2. 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.
3. 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 are easily detached from the branch and do not break. At the same time, harvesting takes very little time.
4. Often a container for fruits is tied to a pole and, tapping a stick on a branch, they carefully harvest. Fruit just falls from the branch into the fruit box.
5. You can wait until the apricots themselves begin to crumble and collect already fallen fruits, but there is a danger that then they will simply overripe.
6. The last way is to pick the fruits after rain or strong wind, but in this case, there is a high probability that the fruits will be badly beaten.

Combining all possible ways 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 climbing. If you are going to collect 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.

Apricot picking time

When to harvest apricots, each owner decides independently - the fruits vary greatly in terms of ripening, depending on the variety. Early apricots ripen in late June-early July.Of course, much depends on the region of growth and weather conditions. The more sun the apricot gets, the bigger and sweeter the fruit will be.

Mid-ripening fruits are harvested in mid-July. They are large, fragrant, great 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 flank and almost orange; it is almost impossible to determine maturity by color. Picking 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.

The best picking time is from morning to 11 am or after 3-4 pm when the afternoon heat subsides.

DIY apricot picker

Plastic bottles are great for fruit pickers, and they use both small, 1.5-2 liter bottles cut in half, and 5 liter water containers. The selected bottle is cut across in half, holes are drilled in the neck. The funnel obtained from the bottle is tightly planted on a pole and fixed with self-tapping screws. Of course, this design is not very strong, but it is easy to replace it by adapting a new bottle under the fruit collector. To make the fruits break off easily, you can cut small cloves around the perimeter of the container with scissors.

Sometimes a metal or plastic wastebasket is attached to the 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 the fruit from the stalks, ripe intact fruits fall into the basket.

Important: do not make a large fruit picker - it is inconvenient to harvest in such a container, apricots can wrinkle and lose their presentation, and it is not easy to hold heavy containers over your head.

Whatever method of harvesting apricots the gardener has to use, the main thing is to prevent loss of the crop. You can process apricots in many 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 are other ways to preserve the harvest and the opportunity to feel the aroma of a hot summer again in the cold winter, enjoying compote or filling for pies, or perhaps just sipping tea with delicious apricot jam.

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