Tree collection devices
Apple picking net
Overripe fruits will never reach the ground and will not spoil if you use a plastic mesh with a fine mesh.
Important! The main thing is that the mesh itself is strong enough and large enough, otherwise it will tear under the weight of the fruit.
The operating principle of the device is as follows:
- A piece of mesh is secured around the tree using wire or twine.
- Along the perimeter of the edge, stakes are placed, to which the mesh is attached at an angle.
- Falling apples will roll from the center to the edge.
Telescopic stick
The handle (stick) itself has a retractable design that can extend up to 3 meters, allowing you to harvest from tall trees. Fruit picker attachments can be different:
- Mesh and pruning shears . Using pruning shears, the fruit is cut and placed into the attached net. The apple rolls down the net right into your hands.
- Collet devices . Metal petals grab the fruit, and you tear it off using circular movements of the device.
- Wire attachments. They are a device made of thick wire strings. The device is put on the apple, the wire wraps tightly around it and, with a familiar twist, breaks off the fruit. It remains inside the wire frame while you carry it to the container.
- A nozzle equipped with a lever or fishing line . The principle of operation is the same as that of the previous tool, but you do not need to scroll the device, just pull the lever or fishing line, and it will grab the fruit, you will only have to pull it towards you, tearing off the apple.
Stick with plastic bottle
The fruit collector consists of a plastic bottle with a side hole closer to the bottom and an attached aluminum or PVC stick. Operating principle:
- You need to catch the apple in the hole of the bottle and pull it towards you. In ripe apples, the fruit is easily detached from the stalk and falls into the bottle.
- Then release the bottle and continue harvesting.
You can pick 2-4 apples at a time, depending on their size.
Reference! If the holder is long enough, you can pick apples from a height of 2–3 meters.
Net
The device resembles a regular net in appearance. The only difference is that it is equipped with metal teeth around the perimeter. To capture the fruit, you need to place a net on a stick of the required length and grab the apple with the help of cloves, after which it will end up in a soft bag.
Tulip
People called the device “tulip” for its shape, because of the petals that resemble a flower. The device has a low price, which depends on the quality of the plastic and diameter. Operating principle:
- It is necessary to fix the plastic bowl on a wooden handle (the length of the handle can be selected depending on the height of the trees).
- The device is brought under the apple so that the stem falls into the slot between the petals and turns.
- The fruit comes off and remains in the bowl.
Important! The main disadvantages of the device: the diameter of the bowl does not allow picking large fruits; fruits can jump out of the bowl when lowered.
Features and purpose
Today, fruit pickers can be found in a wide variety on store shelves, but previously gardeners could only make them themselves. Now buyers are offered models of different types, for example, with a damper or a universal telescopic handle. Such devices are especially relevant for owners of tall fruit trees, harvesting from which becomes a real problem. Using a fruit picker you can also remove spoiled apples from the tree.
Some models require constant removal of fruit during operation. However, at this time they are practically not in demand due to the inconvenience of operation, so most models have a large bag or other container for fruit. The telescopic handle is also in demand; moreover, it is often universal, which means it can be combined with various garden tools.
Ground collection devices
Apple picking roll
The trolley (roll) allows you to collect fruits with a diameter of 5 to 12 cm. The device will help save time when collecting fallen crops and avoid a lot of bending and stress on the lower back.
It is a stick with an oval shaped tip, made of metal rods.
Operating principle:
- Using smooth movements, we move the gurney over the place where fruits accumulate on the ground.
- The apples penetrate deep into the roll through the metal bars and remain there.
- The fruits are unloaded using a special triangle, which can be attached to any container in which you want to collect your harvest.
Gardena
The Gardena fruit picker has practically no competitors in terms of quality of work performed and ease of use. It consists of an attachment in the form of a basket made of elastic rods and a handle, which can be purchased separately.
When the device rolls onto the apples, the fruits fall inside through the rods. Once there are a sufficient number of them, they are poured into the container through the side hole.
Reference! Gardena is similar in operating principle to a regular gurney, but, as the manufacturer claims, it differs in the quality of materials and durability of service. And also the price for the device is several times higher.
Types of fruit pickers
A homemade fruit picking tool will allow you to remove ripe fruits from trees without loss and unnecessary hassle. At the same time, gardeners will save time and effort, and the crop will not be damaged.
What not to do when picking apples or any other crop in your garden:
- shake an apple tree with fruits - this way the fruits can break and be damaged on the ground, which will lead to rot;
- knocking ripe apples from the top of the tree with sticks.
All fruit pickers can be divided into several separate groups:
- Plastic;
- Made of metal;
- With damper;
- With a fabric basket at the end.
Fruit picker with iron handle
What requirements should a good fruit picker meet:
- reach high to the very top of the tree;
- be reliable and hold the collected fruit well;
- be functional and easy to maintain.
As a rule, the harvesting process consists of several separate stages: walking around the garden, picking fruit, sorting and storing fruits. It's no secret that the condition, appearance and shelf life of the entire harvest will depend on the accuracy of assembly. After all, apples with bruised sides will quickly rot and cannot be stored for a long time. This is why it is so important to have your own convenient fruit collector, and it is better to be able to make it yourself from available materials.
Let's look at several ways to make easy-to-use homemade harvesting devices from experienced gardeners and farmers.
Inventory
Devices for collecting fruits will greatly facilitate the work of any gardener, but no harvest can be done without standard equipment:
- Ladder. The maximum length of fruit collectors is 3 meters; in order to collect fruits on the upper branches, you will have to use a ladder. Pay attention to safety, choose only high-quality tools and securely fasten them.
- Tara. The choice of container depends on the size of the garden and the number of fruits. This could be a bag, bucket or basket.
- Platform. For large gardens, a self-propelled platform for picking apples will be a useful purchase for faster harvesting. It is a set of various containers for fruits and a cradle for pickers and is driven by a gasoline engine and transmission on wheels.
- Combine. The same platform, but larger and with greater capabilities, an indispensable technique for large gardens. By design, combine harvesters come with tongs, with different systems of platforms and cradles for pickers, special for collecting apples from trees and apples for processing.
Ready-made fruit collectors - pros and cons
Stores sell special nozzles for collecting fruits, made in the shape of a crown with teeth facing upward, to which a bag is attached at the bottom. They are quite reliable, but short-lived, since thin galvanized metal is usually used. In addition, the teeth can easily damage the fruit, so a large number of protruding parts on the fruit collector is undesirable. However, such devices are used in a small country house where there are no large harvests and you can work slowly.
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Crown attachment for fruit harvesting
If you don't feel like messing around, a net can be made to quickly collect apples from a regular (old) fishing net. At the point farthest from the handle, you need to make a bend so that you get the shape of a beak; it will replace the wedge-shaped slot in this device. Now all you have to do is catch the apple and pull it so that it lands right in the net. You can repeat until the grid is full.
DIY collection devices
From a plastic bottle
The most primitive model of a fruit collection. You will need:
- plastic containers;
- knife;
- stick.
It is necessary to cut the bottom off the bottle and shape it into cloves using a knife. The handle (stick) is attached to the neck using tape or nails.
You can build a closed fruit collector in the same way. In this case, we do not remove the bottom of the bottle, but simply make a small (so that the apple can pass through but not fall out) oval hole near the bottom. Next, the throat is attached to the handle, and the fruit collector is ready.
From a fishing net
If you have a fishing net lying around, then you already have a ready-made fruit collector for apples. A regular fishing net needs to be slightly bent at the base to make it easier to pick up the fruit.
To improve the device, you can additionally install blades or a hook to cut off the stalks. A homemade net can be built using available materials, but it will be no worse than a store-bought one.
Useful video
Check out this interesting video about apple harvesting:
If you understand the principle of operation of the fruit collector, you can try to make it from other available materials, all you need is the desire and ingenuity. And if there is no time for independent work, there is always the opportunity to purchase a ready-made device. Previous ApplesTop 9 best recipes for making apple marshmallow at home: step-by-step instructions with photos and videos Next
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