A rich harvest is a happiness for a summer resident: everyone knows that nothing will grow with a wave of a magic wand, you need to put your hands to everything. The more time and effort spent, the more gratifying to see the fruits of their labors: reddening fragrant berries plantation of strawberries, tired bent under the weight of apples and pears tree branches.
Traditionally, the harvest consists of three stages: first you need to go around the garden, vegetable garden, berry to enjoy plenty of abundance and a well-deserved sense of pride. When the ego of the gardener is satisfied, it is time to move on to the second part – the collection itself. And the final stage is the sorting and laying on storage. The first stage will skip – there is no need to teach anyone, it turns out automatically. But about the second offer to talk more, it’s no secret that how carefully collected fruits (berries), depends on the term of their preservation. I hope no one will argue that carefully plucked Apple and what struck the ground from a height of several meters and hurt the barrel, will be stored equally long…
Let’s agree at once: we will not talk about the terms of cleaning – this is a separate, very serious and important topic. Harvest gear is what we’re going to talk about. Of course, if you have a small bed of strawberries or two or three young trees, you can do it without them: after all, fragrant raspberries, and fragrant plums, and rosy apples are so nice to put in a wicker basket (specially bought for this purpose, by the way. Well, if the berry takes more than a dozen meters in the garden and the same number of trees? Then when all desire nice and slow will not work: to be controlled in time, will have to hurry. And again I emphasize: the quality of the collection in no way should suffer!
To give an example, just about the quality of this year’s apricots are born noble trees as if doused with fruit. Maturation they friendly and remove a few buckets at a time, not everyone can do. Here to the neighbor pensioner to the aid the son who by the way arrived from the city hurried. At first, he conscientiously tried to remove them from the tree with his hands… But patience was not enough for long: the “prickly” nature of the apricot completely discouraged close communication. Finding the branches free of thorns, he shook the tree so powerfully that ripe apricots avalanche fell to the ground. Some after such a charge even to raise there was no point – they just got smashed from the impact, and the rest also got: one whole apricot was not!
In order not to repeat other people’s mistakes, remember: harvesting is a delicate matter, the more careful you handle ripe fruits, the better they will be stored. Of course, this is not the only condition for long-term safety, but one of the most important. So, it’s time to move directly to the topic of our conversation – devices for harvesting.
The right bag for the harvest
Who personally collected apples or pears, knows how important it is to choose the right container in which to put them. Metal and plastic buckets are convenient for collecting only low-hanging fruit. If you have to climb a tree or ladder – they will be a serious hindrance: bulky, one hand will be constantly busy (besides, it is necessary to take into account the weight of the filled bucket – not everyone can hold it!). Fortunately, ordinary buckets have a decent alternative – a universal bag for harvesting. From the point of view of practice I can say – accessory at times more convenient and practical buckets! I will not unfounded, list the advantages of the items:
- roomy – the volume of 20 l;
- material of manufacture. Just in this case, the use of synthetics is welcome: polyester, from which it is sewn, very durable, easy to erase, almost instantly dries;
- practical permanent top. Who used homemade bags on ropes, know how important this quality is: when the hands are busy with apples or plums, open the bag to put them inside, it is almost impossible;
- special thanks I would like to say to the designer for a well-designed system of handles: the length of the shoulder strap is adjustable, so the capacity can be placed where you prefer – right in front of you, front-side or rear-side and at a comfortable height, and this is also very important. Additional handle is convenient when carrying a filled bag, when the weight is desirable to distribute. Belts are wide (4 cm), so do not cut into the shoulders (remember, the first containers for collecting berries summer residents made of 5-liter plastic bottles, they just kept on the strings-laces. And let the weight of the full container was not so big, but the bruises from the ropes on his shoulders remained!);
- maybe for someone this quality does not matter, but for me it is important – compact storage.
But even with ladders or step-ladders cannot reach all of the fruits, and the ripest (and it will confirm any vacationer!) flaunt on the top of a tree, on thin twigs… of Course, you can try to reach them at the risk of life, but is it worth it? It is unlikely that a few apples or apricots will seem to you such a tempting prey, if, trying to get them, you find yourself in a hospital bed with a hand or leg plastered. But leave it inaccessible (and therefore especially desirable) the fruits on the tree too, beyond your strength? Just in this case, the help of the fruit picker – what the doctor ordered!
Easy harvest collecting device
How many nerves it I have saved are countless: I always want the crop had been cleared clean – can’t stand to pick up rotting fruit drops, and the tree to leave a potential breeding ground for disease and pests is undesirable. Earlier, trying to get hard-to-reach cherries or apples, I performed unthinkable gymnastic somersaults, after which the muscles hurt more than one day. I was lucky that the exercises at a decent height never ended with a high-speed (not on the stairs) landing. As leaving fruits on the tree I flatly refused to risk my health or my husband never wanted it bought harvest collecting device. The product, frankly, at first glance, confidence I have not caused. But just how good harvest collecting device was in business! I will list the advantages that impressed me personally:
- the stalk is easy to insert or remove: I have several of them, the longest one will not need very often, it is inconvenient to work on lower trees;
- basket of cotton fabric: soft, which is especially important when collecting fruit with soft skin, apricots for example;
- cloves frequent – convenient: just bring the bag under the Apple (for example) and take the fruit in any direction – the stalk is sure to be between the teeth. I collected cherries and cherries – wonderful! How I did without such an assistant, now it is difficult to remember, because you get used to good quickly.