Hello to all DIY lovers!
At present, summer is drawing to a close and many have a rich harvest of apples, pears, plums and other fruits in their gardens at summer cottages and household plots.
At the same time, the issue of collecting these fruits is often very acute, especially since for long-term storage, fruits that have fallen and hit the ground cannot be used, but it is necessary to carefully pluck them from the tree using some kind of device for picking fruits.
I must say that for many years (almost since the appearance of plastic bottles), home-made fruit pickers made from a long stick with the top of a plastic bottle cut off at its end have been very popular among the people. The plastic bottle puller in this case is attached to the stick, usually with a small screw or nail.
I myself have been using a similar homemade fruit picker for many years.
However, during operation, I noticed that such a device with a permanent non-replaceable fruit picker has some drawbacks.
So, for example, the fruits that have to be collected are of very different sizes. For example, plums (even large ones), as well as summer apples and pears, are quite small, while many varieties of autumn and winter apples are truly huge.
Of course, you can attach a puller cut from a plastic bottle of the largest size to a stick and collect all the fruits with it.
However, practice shows that this can be very inconvenient, since the trees on which many small fruits grow, say, plums, have a very dense crown, through which it is often very difficult to squeeze a large fruit picker.
In addition, replacing a fruit picker attached in this way to a stick in case of breakage, say, if cracks form in the plastic, will not be possible quickly and easily enough!
As a result, the idea came to me a long time ago to make such a stick or a fruit picker bar so that, depending on the size of the fruits being harvested, it would be possible to quickly change the pickers from plastic bottles on it.
However, in past years, hands somehow did not reach this point, especially since there were no harvests similar to what is expected this year.
However, this year, in the face of a literally unprecedented harvest (and this year we had a truly unprecedented harvest of apples, pears and plums), I nevertheless decided to make such a device.
So, for the manufacture of a fruit picker with quick-change nozzles, we need the following accessories:
Materials and fasteners:
Long wooden stick or barbell;
Plastic cork from a plastic bottle;
Several plastic bottles of different sizes;
Three small screws 3x15 mm;
Insulating tape.
Tools:
Scissors (possibly a clerical knife);
Small saw for wood;
Electric drill;
Drill for metal with a diameter of 3 mm;
Screwdriver with a PH1 tip, or a corresponding bit;
Manufacturing process
First we saw off with a saw, the tip is at our stick. And we try to do it in such a way that the saw cut is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stick.
Then we outline with an awl three holes in the cork from a plastic bottle. The centers of these holes should be 3-4 mm away from the side of the cork.
Now we drill the marked holes.
Then we screw the cork with screws to the end cut of our stick.
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After that, we firmly wrap the screwed cork and part of the stick under it with insulating tape. This is done to give additional strength and rigidity to both the cork and the top of the stick.
Now we cut out the fruit pullers from plastic bottles.
So far I have cut out two pullers (and I already had one), and they all turned out to be of different sizes, respectively, for collecting fruits of different sizes.
Now you can take any fruit picker and screw it into the cork. It only takes 2-3 seconds.
And now our device for collecting fruits is ready.
If necessary, we can quickly change the fruit picker to another. Again, this will only take a few seconds.
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Thus, our universal fruit picker with a set of nozzles is ready to go!
Now let's try it in action.
For example, let's use it to collect a basket of pears. To do this, I put on the middle nozzle.
And now the pear has already been plucked.
And now, in a very short time, I have narrated, in this way, almost half a basket of pears.
By the way, here I want to make a very important remark.
When working with such a fruit picker, you must remember that if you have to scroll it in order to pick the fruit (or cut off the fruit stem with the teeth of the nozzle from a plastic bottle), then you need to do this only clockwise, looking upwards. Otherwise, the plastic bottle nozzle may unscrew from the cork. However, after some practice, this is already done automatically.
In general, after several experiments on collecting different fruits with such a fruit picker, I was very pleased!
I must say that at the beginning I had fears that the cork from a plastic bottle, used as a fastener for various puller attachments, might be too flimsy. Still, during the harvesting of many fruits, rather large loads act on the puller nozzles (especially when you have to pick some fruits).
But nevertheless, as a result, the cork withstood everything very well, and without a single damage, which proved the practical suitability of such a fruit picker.
In addition, in the process of further operation, other advantages of this fruit picker were revealed.
For example, it turned out that a stick without a puller bottle is much more convenient and easier to store than with a screwed bottle.
Also nozzle-pullers, it is very convenient to store by inserting them one into the other like nesting dolls. So they take up very little space.
Moreover, I think in the future to make two more nozzle-pullers from plastic bottles, one smallest one - from a bottle of about half a liter and one large one - from a 2.5-3 liter bottle. Right now I don't have bottles of this size on hand yet, but in the future I will definitely do it. Then the set of nozzles will be complete.
It is really convenient and greatly facilitates and speeds up the work!
Well, that's all for now and a successful harvest!
On the eve of the autumn harvest, in addition to ideas for processing apples, an important task arises - how to harvest fruits in a quality manner. Someone out of habit picks up the fallen apples and gently shaking the tree continues simple manipulations. Such actions are relevant for the owners of a couple of small apple trees. Much more serious approach is required to collect a large amount of the crop. To do this, it will be useful to know what an apple picker is, types and tips on choosing a device.
Do not think that an apple picker is for lazy people. At a minimum, the use of fruit pickers saves a lot of time for summer residents, while maintaining the quality of apples at the highest level.
A device for collecting apple fruits can be made independently from improvised materials, or you can purchase a finished design in a specialized store. Before making any decision, it is worth considering all the pros and cons of the most popular types of fruit pickers.
Purchased apple pickers
The advantage of buying a fruit picker in a store is the availability and ability to choose the most convenient model and material.
Plastic "tulip"
The device is a tall glass with slots, made of dense plastic. Outwardly, the nozzle resembles an opened bud of a real tulip.
Principle of operation:
- the fruit is placed in a “tulip” so that the stalk falls between the “petals” of the nozzle;
- scroll the handle of the fruit picker around its axis;
- the plucked fruit is placed in a basket.
The design is simple and convenient. Difficulties arise only with unripe apples or too strong fruit cuttings.
Collet puller
A fruit picker with a telescopic handle is one of the most popular models. The design has the ability to adjust the length of the pole if necessary. The tip of the device itself can be made of metal, plastic, and even have a knife for cutting cuttings. The puller operates by analogy with the "tulip". The fruits are captured by the nozzle and are torn off by turning the pole of the device. Some models are additionally equipped with a special bag, thanks to which it becomes possible to collect several apples at once without interrupting the process.
Wire fruit picker
The design is made of wire strings assembled in the form of a bowl. After grasping the fetus with a wire, the apple is plucked by turning the device around its axis. Further, the fruit is safely brought to the basket.
Picker with grab
The principle of operation is similar to previous models. The device differs only in an improved bowl. The device is like a metal grip of three "fingers". This design is able to grab not only a large fruit, but also smaller fruits.
There are also types of pullers with an additional fishing line for capturing an apple cutting. The stores provide options for mechanisms with a fixed length of the pole of the device, as well as models with telescopic handles.
We do it ourselves
An overview of the most common options for fruit collectors allows you to understand the principle of operation of the mechanism. So, having determined the type of puller design that is best for yourself, you can begin to manufacture a home-made fruit picking device.
Collection of plastic bottles "tulip"
Necessary materials:
- Plastic bottle for 1.5-2 liters;
- A fishing line about three meters long;
- Leg for the collection bowl (pole, pipe, etc.).
First you need to prepare the puller bowl itself. To do this, cut the plastic bottle with scissors from the side of the bottom, creating a bowl of the desired height. We make cuts around the perimeter of the container so that the design looks like a tulip bud.
In each "petal" we make small holes with an awl. It is desirable to make them closer to the top of the bowl. Next, we thread the fishing line through the holes made, and draw its ends through the neck of the bottle.
In the pole we make a through hole in the place where the bowl will be attached. We fix the bowl with the invader on the basis of the handle of our device. If it is not possible to make a hole, then it is better to glue the bowl to the pole with glue.
Through the holes on the holder we pass the ends of the fishing line. We securely fasten the short end of the fishing line, and leave the long end of such a length that it is convenient for it to compress and unclench the “petals”.
Collection from the bottle "bowl"
This is the easiest model to make. To create a bowl, you need to cut off the bottom of a 1.5 liter plastic bottle. Along the perimeter of the "bowl" we make shallow cuts with scissors and decorate the edge with sharp teeth. We make a through hole in the neck of the bottle.
At the end of the "holder" of the puller we make a through hole. We put the neck of the bottle on the pole. Through the prepared holes, we fasten the bowl on the holder with a nail or self-tapping screw.
Closed bottle extractor
Near the bottom of the plastic bottle, cut out a round side hole. From the side of the bottom we cut the cloves. Some summer residents recommend making a hole in the shape of a heart for convenience. Next, the bowl is put on the end of the pole and secured. This design allows you to shoot more than two fruits at a time.
With a can
This device is the strongest for removing fruits compared to plastic bottles.
We choose a large tin can, in the diameter of which a large apple can easily pass. On one side of the top, cut a shallow line with a knife. With the help of pliers, we push the slots in the shape of a wedge. On the opposite side, we make a couple of holes through which we fasten the jar to the pole with wire.
From a plastic pipe
To make the device, you need to take a pipe made of thin plastic with a wide diameter, which will allow you to skip a large apple. In the upper part of the pipe we make a hole in the form of the letter J. The tail of the letter should be directed upwards. We fasten the blade on the lower tail of the letter.
A hole is made in case the stem of the fruit is too hard.
We cut the lower end of the pipe in the form of teeth. We heat the teeth and bend, forming the bottom of the puller. We attach the structure to the pole using wire or self-tapping screws.
A fishing net will also serve as an excellent fruit picker. However, to remove apples with a hard handle, you will need to additionally equip the device with a blade or hook. For greater convenience, the net can be slightly bent at the base.
Experienced summer residents recommend using home-made pullers to collect fruits, as purchased models are short-lived. In addition, home-made designs are more durable and comfortable, as they are created with personal needs in mind.
The most popular fruit picker is a plastic bottle device. In this case, there is also a recommendation. Since the apple harvest is very unstable, the device sometimes has to be stored indoors. In disassembled form, it is much more convenient to do this.
To create a separate design of the fruit collector, it is recommended to screw the neck of the bottle to the cork, fixed to the pole with self-tapping screws or adhesive tape. However, you will have to “twist” the apples from the branch exclusively in a clockwise direction, otherwise the bowl will simply fall off.
The tin can remover can also be improved. To do this, cut out the bottom of the jar, and instead we fix a small linen bag. Thus, you can collect several apples at once. What is advantageous for closed structures is that they are also suitable for picking pears and plums.
How to make a fruit picker for apples with your own hands, see the next video.
With the onset of autumn, amateur gardeners are increasingly ordering a Garden fruit picker for fruits.
Without which it is simply not possible to harvest, so as not to damage it. This is when the garden is still young, then the fruit picker for apples with a telescopic handle, as if to nothing. After all, it is possible to harvest crops from not tall young trees without adaptations. The older the garden gets and the taller the trees, the harder the cleaning process every year. Ladders and climbing trees with a bucket in our modern time are no longer suitable for everyone. Especially if the gardener is of retirement age. To help them, these devices were developed. For many experienced gardeners, fruit pickers are not new. But beginners need to know.
What is a fruit picker or fruit picker for fruit
Whoever is used to it calls this device. Each summer resident calls him in his own way, who is a fruit picker, who is a fruit picker. These are synonyms, which have the same goal and task. And there is also a telescopic fruit picker for cherries and sweet cherries. What does telescopic mean, we will figure it out the same.
A fruit picker or fruit picker is:
- a device that is used for harvesting in the garden. When the height of the trees is large enough, there is a lot of fruit, then the crop must be harvested as soon as possible. So that they do not fall and are not damaged. After all, in this form they quickly deteriorate;
- the fruit collector will help to collect them without damage and quickly enough. It all depends on the size of the crop. We didn’t have time to collect it in time, the birds are already right there. They pecked everything, and not only ate it, but spoiled it;
- if there is a need to protect the fruits from birds, then you can use an inexpensive, but effective method. Nets for protecting the garden, not expensive and not difficult to use means of protection.
If a fruit picker for harvesting in an orchard is said to be telescopic, then this means that it has a rod. who is one with him. Such a rod can change its length.
A fruit picker with a telescopic handle is always needed
If we are talking about harvesting from trees, and they can be more than one meter high, then it is clear that the length of the fruit picker is not enough to reach the fruit. Therefore, a rod must be attached to it. Which can be sold separately or included in the kit. Rods are:
- wooden,
- plastic,
- telescopic.
Wooden and plastic ones have a fixed length, while telescopic ones come in different lengths. The apricot fruit picker with a telescopic rod is very convenient, and it will not be difficult to harvest with it. Such a fruit picker with a telescopic handle is sure to come in handy for sweet cherries, which grow very high. When the standard length of a wooden rod is not enough, then you need a rod whose length can be adjusted.
Which trees can be harvested with a fruit picker
With it, you can remove fruits, as small sizes, such as cherries, without damage. And big ones, like apples.
The device of the device allows you to harvest from almost all types of trees:
- pears,
- cherries
- mandarin,
- quince,
- persimmons,
- plum,
- cherry plum,
- peaches,
- apricot,
- nuts,
- chestnut,
- apple trees,
- cherries,
- grapes,
- other.
Peach, like plums, is very tender, and will definitely break if dropped. Therefore, it must be removed from the tree with extreme care. Although the fruits of apple trees are harder, at the slightest impact on the ground a dent and a crack form on them. In which microbes will surely climb. And the life of such a fruit is doomed to decay, even if it belongs to a winter variety with a long shelf life. So that apples from a personal orchard can be tasted on New Year's holidays, you need a telescopic apple picker. And then some fruits will be able to lie until spring.
What is the fruit picker for apples and its principle of operation
The device for harvesting in the orchard is designed in such a way that the fruit, after detachment from the branch, falls into a special container. And he stayed there until he was put in a box or basket. Thus, a garden harvester can be of several types.
1. Collet:
- wire,
- with bag
- with capture.
2. Plastic, in the form of a glass:
- the walls of which are cut into strips with rounded edges at the top. Such devices for harvesting fruits are also called Tulip fruit picker. For in its appearance it resembles this flower;
- we pry the apple in such a way that its stalk gets between the petals. Next, turn the tulip in any convenient direction;
- the stalk comes off the branch, the apple remains in the tulip. And then migrates to the basket.
Collet wire
Wire are:
- devices resembling an unopened flower. At the ends of the petals of such a flower, curved edges of the wire are provided;
- in order to stretch a strong thread into these holes. It is needed to hold the fetus when the stalk is separated from the branch;
- when the pear falls into such an outlet, you must pull the thread. The socket will close and the fruit will safely fall into the basket.
Collet with bag
Collet devices with a bag, are:
- a ring to which a small pouch is attached. At the other end of the ring are the same petal blades. Which serve as a kind of grip or a kind of knife. They are also spoken fruit basket;
- the bag is provided for the simultaneous removal of several fruits. If physically the gardener is able to hold not one pear, but five or more, then why not. Such fruit collectors greatly speed up the harvesting process;
- in some designs of this type, a sharp metal blade is attached to the ring. The attachment point is chosen in such a way that its sharp side is the second part of the blade;
- falling into the hole with a knife sharp on one side, the stalk will be cut faster. For grapes in which the bunch is very firmly attached to the vine, this is a good suggestion.
Collet with grip
Each telescopic fruit picker with a grip works on the principle of preventing the fruit from falling off the moment it leaves the tree branch. Its task is also to:
- the pear, plum or cherries do not fall out of the tool on the way to the box. The largest and most delicious fruits ripen on the tops of trees, closer to the sun. And the capture in order to remove them is required. A fruit picker with a grip is the design of a fruit picker without which in some cases it is simply impossible to do;
- the modern design of some devices allows the grip to be triggered with a single light pressure. They are light in weight and can be handled with just one hand. Even a schoolboy will enjoy working in the garden with such a modern helper. Bright and modern design which will please any summer resident.
You can buy a fruit picker for apples with a telescopic handle in our online store at any time. Check out the range of this category of goods and place an order.
During the garden harvest period, the apple fruit picker with a telescopic handle is in greatest demand.
Although many gardeners prefer an apple picker with a regular wooden holder. In this article, we will look at the characteristics of fruit pickers. What are they and how to use them.
A fruit picker for fruits is a very convenient and necessary thing in the household. In any case, such garden tools are necessary if there is a fruit-bearing garden on the territory of the cottage. As a rule, fruit trees grow tall and branchy. And the largest fruits ripen at the top or at the ends of the crown. Such pears and apples are unlikely to be cut without using a fruit picker with a telescopic handle.
Garden fruit picker - classification
Tools designed for harvesting fruit on the market today are enough to make a good choice. All of them simplify the removal of fruits from trees, as well as protect them from damage as much as possible. These two points are very important. Since with large crops or areas, it takes a lot of time to harvest. And damage, even completely invisible, will not allow an apple or plum to withstand the most correct storage conditions.
Rarely does a gardener do without auxiliary tools. Most of them work for more than one or two seasons. Therefore, some summer residents use such an acquisition for a very long time. Of course, this is not a mechanical combine, and these devices also need to be able to use. But the simplest design allows you to quickly adapt and figure out what and where to press or which way to turn. Of course, there are more or less complex designs, but they all do not complicate, but rather help in harvesting garden crops.
The material from which fruit pickers are made today is lightweight and durable. First of all it is:
- plastic,
- metal.
In addition to the main structures for such garden tools, additional auxiliary parts.
Additional details of fruit collectors
As an additional detail, various kinds of fabric materials are used to make bags, or as they are also called bags, for the accumulation of fruits. They are needed in order not to shoot a peach or some other fruit one by one. Very successfully for these cases, such additional bags are adapted to some fruit pickers.
Telescopic handles are made of durable plastic. Usually they are made in the form of a pipe. That is, their middle is hollow. In which a wire or other material cord is located to bring the gripping mechanism into operation.
On sale are available as the simplest time-tested designs of food collectors. And completely new - light, comfortable, with a long service life.
plastic tulip for fruit picking
Consider for starters the simplest, well-known:
The appearance of such garden tools corresponds to their common name - tulip. And it is absolutely impossible to confuse a telescopic fruit picker for cherries and sweet cherries with it. Because they are completely different designs.
Working with tulips is easy and simple. It is only necessary to grab the fruit so that it falls into the glass. And place its tail, that is, the branch that connects it to the tree, between the petals. Next, you need to turn the holder handle in the direction that is most convenient for you until the apricot or nut is completely detached from the tree. As soon as this happens, the fruit will be in the glass. With such devices, you can harvest from a wide variety of fruit trees.
Different types of collet fruit pickers
The material of manufacture and design of such garden tools allows them to be divided into three groups:
- made of durable wire material,
- the main mechanism of which consists of exciting elements,
- having a bag in addition to the main design of the bag.
All collet structures in their lower part have a place for attaching rods. They can be wooden or telescopic. It is only necessary to provide for the diameter of the rod. What would it fit in size to the mount.
Wire pickers for apricots and other fruits
The material of manufacture indicates the appearance of such a fruit collector. The principle of its operation is to capture the fetus and close the wire frame. What is done with a thick string or a small diameter strong wire threaded into the loops located at the ends of the wire arcs of the device. Then again turn right or left with effort. After separation, you can put the crop in baskets.
Fruit picker with gripper for small fruits
The principle of operation of such fruit pickers is adapted, of course, not only for cherries. They can also shoot large apples. The main part of the mechanism is made of plastic parts. Often this is a telescopic fruit picker with a grip. Since adjusting the length of the handle is quite an advantageous device. Having placed the fetus between the gripping parts, it is necessary to press the lever or pull the rope in order to close the cavities or parts. Such details may look like a three-fingered hand. When the mechanism is triggered, they are connected in the upper plane. And the fetus is captured, as it were. Now it needs to be torn off the branch. The method is the same - by the method of a spinning movement.
Collet pickers with bag
Devices of this type consist of the bag itself and the main part to which it is attached. The mount is pretty secure. Since it can withstand the weight of more than one heavy fruit. And as you understand, this design is designed to remove several fruits at the same time. The part to which the bag is attached is round. With tin petals all around. Which act as knives. If the petals are made of plastic material, then an additional metal knife can be attached to the rim. It makes the structure heavier, but it can be adapted for grapes. By clamping the tail of the bunch between the knife and the petal of the rim, a strong stalk can be cut. A handle holder is also attached to such devices. which is purchased additionally. And it can be installed both fixed length and telescopic.
Fruit picker with telescopic handle for fruit picking
This type of harvesting device in the garden must be singled out separately. The telescopic fruit picker for apples is one of the latest developments in gardening tools. In addition to the convenient main part, a basket for placing fruits, such a tool has a telescopic rod. This is a kind of handle extension, the length of which is adjustable. It can be adjusted to a certain height. And change each time when the fruits need to be removed below or above the previously recorded value.
The apple picker with telescopic handle can be used to harvest the orchard from the following trees:
- apple trees,
- pears,
- plums,
- apricots,
- hazel,
- peach,
- and others.
Before you start harvesting with such a fruit collector, you need to determine the distance to plums or other fruits. Set the length of the handle and if it is determined correctly, then you can start working. If you didn’t guess a little with the distance, then you can always correct it. One of the most convenient ways - using it there is definitely no need to stand on a stool or climb onto a stepladder.
A rich harvest is happiness for a summer resident: everyone knows that by magic nothing will grow, you need to put your hands on everything. The more time and effort spent, the more gratifying to see the fruits of their labors: a strawberry plantation blushing with fragrant berries, tree branches wearily bent under the weight of apples and pears.
According to tradition, the harvest consists of three stages: first you need to go around the garden, vegetable garden, berry field, in order to enjoy the view of abundance and a well-deserved sense of pride. When the gardener's ego is satisfied, it's time to move on to the second part - the collection itself. And the final stage is sorting and storage. Let's skip the first stage - you don't need to teach anyone here, it happens automatically. But I propose to talk about the second in more detail, because it is no secret that the period of their preservation directly depends on how carefully the fruits (berries) are collected. I hope no one will argue that a carefully picked apple and something that burst to the ground from a height of several meters and bruised the barrel will be stored for the same long time ...
Let's agree right away: we will not talk about the timing of cleaning - this is a separate, very serious and important topic. Harvesting equipment - that's what our conversation will be about. Of course, if you have a small bed of strawberries or two or three young trees, you can do without them: after all, fragrant raspberries, fragrant plums, and ruddy apples are so nice to put in a wicker basket (bought especially for this purpose, by the way)) Well and if the berry-grower occupies more than a dozen meters and there are the same number of trees in the garden? Here, with all the desire, it will not work slowly and beautifully: in order to manage on time, you will have to hurry. And I emphasize again: the quality of the collection should not suffer in any way!
I will give an example of a disservice just related to quality: this year the apricots were born noble - the trees seemed to be doused with fruits. Their ripening is friendly and not everyone can take off several buckets at a time. Here is a pensioner neighbor's son, who, by the way, came from the city, hurried to help. At first, he conscientiously tried to remove them from the tree with his hands ... But patience did not last long: the “prickly” nature of the apricot completely discouraged the desire for close communication. Finding places free from thorns on the branches, he shook the tree so powerfully that ripe apricots fell to the ground like an avalanche. After such a collection, there was no point in even raising some - they simply flattened out from the blow, and the rest also got it: there was not a single whole apricot!
In order not to repeat the mistakes of others, remember firmly: harvesting is a delicate matter, the more carefully you handle ripe fruits, the better they will be stored. Of course, this is not the only condition for long-term preservation, but one of the most important. So, it's time to go directly to the topic of our conversation - harvesting devices.
The Right Harvest Bag
Those who picked apples or pears with their own hands know how important it is to choose the right container in which to put them. Metal and plastic buckets are good for picking only low-hanging fruits. If you have to climb a tree or a stepladder, they will be a serious hindrance: bulky, one hand will be constantly busy (besides, you should take into account the weight of a filled bucket - not everyone can hold it!). Fortunately, there is a worthy alternative to ordinary buckets -. From the point of view of practice, I can say that the accessory is many times more convenient and practical than buckets! I will not be unfounded, I will list the advantages point by point:
- capacious - volume 20 l;
- manufacturing material. Just in this case, the use of synthetics is welcome: the polyester from which it is sewn is very durable, easy to wash, and dries almost instantly;
- practical non-creasing top. Those who used homemade bags on strings know how important this quality is: when your hands are busy with apples or plums, it is almost impossible to open the bag to put them inside;
- I would like to say special thanks to the designer for the well-thought-out system of handles: the length of the shoulder strap is adjustable, so the container can be placed where it is more convenient for you - right in front of you, front-side or back-side and at a comfortable height, and this is also very important. An additional handle is convenient when carrying a filled bag when it is desirable to distribute the weight. The belts are wide (4 cm), so they don’t cut into the shoulders (remember, summer residents made the first containers for picking berries from 5-liter plastic bottles, they just kept on strings-laces. And even though the weight of a full container was not so big, but bruises from the ropes on the shoulders remained!);
- maybe for some this quality does not matter, but for me it is important - compactness during storage.
Convenient fruit picker
How many nerves he saved me - you can’t count: I always need the harvest from the tree to be clean - I can’t stand picking up rotting carrion, and it’s undesirable to leave a potential breeding ground for diseases and pests on a tree. Previously, trying to get hard-to-reach cherries or apples, I performed unthinkable gymnastic somersaults, after which my muscles hurt for more than one day. I was also lucky that the exercises at a decent height never ended with a high-speed (not on the stairs) landing. Since I categorically refused to leave fruit on the tree, and my husband did not want to risk my or his health, he bought it. The product, to be honest, at first glance did not inspire confidence in me. But how good the fruit picker turned out to be in business! I will list the advantages that impressed me personally:
- the cutting is easy to insert or remove: I have several of them, the longest one will not be needed very often, it is inconvenient to work on lower trees;
- cotton fabric basket: soft, which is especially important when picking fruits with delicate skins, for example, apricots;
- teeth are frequent - convenient: just bring the bag under the apple (for example) and take the fruit picker in any direction - the stalk will definitely be between the teeth. I picked cherries and sweet cherries - wonderful! How I managed without such an assistant is now hard to remember, because you get used to good things quickly.
Spacious garden cart
But while in the plans for the acquisition, but the most immediate! My friend has been using such a cart for more than a season, so she was able to appreciate the positive qualities in practice:
- unlike metal wheelbarrows, such a cart is very light - it weighs only 2.7 kg, but the plastic is of high quality: it endured both direct sunlight and frost without damage;
- very comfortable design! I loaded it, took it by the handle and rolled along - no load on my arms and shoulders! I tried to transport the soil with such a cart and understood the meaning of the expression work effortlessly, although its carrying capacity is decent - up to 30 kg (volume 50 l);
- due to its compact dimensions (width 36 cm), the trolley has good maneuverability (it will easily pass through narrow aisles without damaging the crops planted in the beds).
Bicycle combine for comfortable work
But what kind of bike combine summer residents came up with to facilitate the collection of garden strawberries. There are many variations on the theme, but the idea is clear, right?
You can make fun of homemade as much as you like, but it made life easier for those who have significant land allotted for berry plantations. Will you earn a lot by squatting? Or bent over in three deaths? Do not forget about the sun and the need to rearrange the box, which becomes more and more heavy with each handful of berries. It’s hard for young people, let alone people of age ... Whether it’s a matter of picking berries, sitting under an umbrella, on a comfortable seat! Here you can attach a bottle of water and put a radio receiver - in general, equip your workplace with comfort) I don’t know who the author of the idea is, but he did a great job!
Nice apron for summer fashionistas
You can’t definitely classify the idea as innovative, but it still deserves our attention. Mainly because the apron is easy to sew in half an hour: no special skill or fine fabrics are needed - everything can be chosen to your liking. How good is an apron? The fact that the shoulders and back are spared the weight of the collected fruits or vegetables. The photo shows a nice sample, but you can collect either a few fruits in it, or voluminous, but light ones (bell peppers, salads, herbs).
If the product is intended for a heavier burden, the upper edge of the pocket can be strengthened and fixed in the center on the belt (yes, even with a button) so that the collected stuff does not spill out to the ground at the most inopportune moment.
A simple device for collecting gooseberries
Although it has small thorns, it can hurt to the point of blood, especially when it is necessary to pick a hard-to-reach berry. The simplest device can be made by any summer resident (even a weak woman, even a teenager), and the gooseberries will have to give up the berries without a fight)) I think it’s not worth explaining the principle of work - everything is clear without words.
And again I mentally thank the inventor: you can pick berries slowly, carefully (and not even in one day) from one or two gooseberry bushes. And if there are dozens, or even hundreds? There is no time to cool off here: the berry will fall off, and picking from the ground is not the same anymore.
Roll for a record-breaking collection of nuts
Oh, what a pity I didn't have such a roll when we hit the walnut plantation a few years ago. The main harvest of hazelnuts has already passed, and the owners have removed the guards. But the nuts were still visible, invisible! Looking at the wealth lying under my feet, I regretted only one thing - that I only had two hands. Having fallen on all fours, scaring away the hazelnut voles (then they were not cute hungry animals for me, but voracious competitors!) I probably set a record for the speed of collecting nuts, realizing that time is limited. In general, they pushed me into the car almost by force, and even then only when it began to get dark - earlier I didn’t even want to hear about the departure! We manually collected about a bag of nuts, and if only I had such a roll!
By the way, depending on the distance between the spokes, they can collect both walnuts and apples.
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