The end of summer and autumn is the great moment on the plot when we canharvest the fruitfrom most fruit trees. Now you can finally enjoy the delicious fruit, which is the crowning achievement of our year-long work in the allotment orchard.
At first glance, it may seem thatharvesting fruitis a very simple, but certainly quite laborious activity. However, how much of the harvested fruit will be fit for consumption and further storage will depend on how we collect it. Therefore, it is worth knowing a few basic rules that will make harvesting easier, and the fruit tastier and free from damage caused during harvesting.
Fruit collection
When to harvest the fruit?
The basic thing is to choose the right oneharvest dateMost fruit for direct consumption is harvested when ripe. On the other hand, pick fruits intended for storage a little earlier, when they are still hard - about 1 to 2 weeks before reaching full maturity.
Remember that not all fruits on the tree will ripen at the same time. That is why we collect them gradually, starting with the largest and most mature.
A certain factor that determinesthe date of harvesting the fruitis the moment when the fruit begins to fall off the trees by itself. To check if apples or pears are ripe, grasp the fruit with your full hand from the bottom, slightly lift it and twist it. A ripe fruit should break easily. If not - we leave it on the tree for two to three days.
Apple and pear harvest date
Early apples are harvested before they are fully ripe, otherwise the flesh will quickly become mushy. We don't have to rush so much with late varieties. The harvest date is also important in late summer and early fall pears. If these pears are left on the trees for too long, they will also become floury and turn brown on the inside. The autumn varieties of apples and pears reach maturity for consumption about 2 to 3 weeks after harvesting.
Plum harvest date
Plums for immediate consumption are harvested when they are fully ripe. If they are intended for freezing or for preserves, harvesting should be carried out a little earlier - when the fruit is ripe but still firm.
Remember!It is best to choose a dry day for the harvest, when the weather is nice. Wet fruit placed in boxes will spoil faster. However, if it is still raining, harvesting should not be delayed too much. Then it is better to pick the fruit even when wet.
How to harvest the fruit?
Beforebegins the fruit harvest , get your crates ready. Fruit collection and storage boxes should be clean and free from foreign odors. It is worth buying a few cheap plastic boxes with a capacity of about 10 kg. If you use crates from previous years - wash and dry them. Fruit can also be collected in wicker baskets or wooden boxes (splinters can, however, injure the skin of the fruit, so in the case of a wooden box, its bottom should be covered with newspapers).
Be careful when harvestingso as not to damage the fruit. Fruit with bruises, broken skin or torn stalks will start to deteriorate very quickly. To avoid damage to the skin, it is advisable to cut your nails shortly before going to the garden.
The picked fruit should be gently grasped with the whole hand(grabbing with your fingertips alone causes crushing and faster deterioration of the fruit. just under the skin). Then pick the fruit by lifting and turning it at the same time.The stalk should remain with the fruit. If the fruit has a long stalk, hold the stalk with your finger when picking it so that it does not break.
Why do you need to be so careful about the stalks? must be eaten immediately or used for preserves). However, if the stalk breaks in half, it can easily pierce the skin of another fruit lying next to it in the box (broken stalks are especially sharp in pears).
We start harvesting fruits from the lowest branchesWe move from the outside of the tree's crown to the inside. Then we move on to the higher part of the branch - again picking the fruit from the outer part of the crown to the middle. And so on, until we reach the top of the tree.
If the tree is too tall, use a ladder. Branches should not be leaned on, and certainly not walked on. Otherwise, we risk breaking the branches or damaging the bark, which may favor the infiltration of the disease. The collected fruit should not be thrown directly into the boxes, because they can easily get bruised. We collect them in a bag slung over the shoulder. When the bag is full, gently pour the fruit into the box.
Preparing for storage
When harvesting fruityou need to have several boxes and sort the fruits at once. Those with symptoms of disease or pest feeding must be rejected. For storage, only put fruit in perfect condition in the box. On the other hand, those with a slightly damaged skin, bruised or with torn peduncles, should be placed in separate boxes. You have to eat them quickly or use them for preserves. Otherwise they will quickly deteriorate and infect other fruits.See also:
