North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lee Sharp" <leesharp@cableone.net>]

Betsy, You are on the right track when thinking about using a sheet or large 
sheet of plastic to catch the berries. You can purchase a piece of plastic 
at most builder supply stores. Place it on the ground as close to the plant 
root system as possible with the opposite side extended about 4 feet out 
from the plant. Reach up into the plant and bend the fruiting limbs over the 
plastic and give the limb a gentile shake or bump it with your hand , 
fingers extended. Maybe a pair of gloves would help. The ripe fruit will 
fall from the plant. This is the same principle the commercial pickers 
employ but they use rotating paddles to bump the branches and the machine 
has a platform to catch berries. You would need to put something under and 
close to the outside edge of sheet or plastic like the handle of a hoe, 
rake, or anything to elevate the outside edge to keep berries from rolling 
off. After you pick one side you can move whatever used to catch fruit on 
around the plant. Might be best to scoop berries from sheet before 
relocating to new position around the plant.
Lee Sharp
9A,Ms


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Hilborn.E@epamail.epa.gov>
To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 11:00 AM
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] When should I pick blueberries?


> "Jim, picking blueberries one-by-one may seem tedious, but really it
> only takes a few minutes to pick a couple of gallons. The ripe berries
> practically fall off in your hand. Once you learn the correct pressure
> to apply, you can basically "strip" a branch with your hand and come
> away with only the ripe berries."
>
> Kevin, I think that I need a picking tutorial.
>
> It takes me about 1 hour per gallon.  It seems that all I do in July is
> pick blueberries!
>
> The rabbiteye berries in zone 7 do not all ripen at once, but the
> fruit-bearing twigs are long and heavily laden with both ripe and green
> fruit. As I gently lift them to strip the large, ripe berries, about 20%
> fall to the ground - some from the movement of the twig, some fall out
> of my hand as they overflow my hands capacity to retain all the berries.
>
> I have not had luck with a bucket or bag under the twigs, as the leaves
> below the twig deflect the berries in unpredictable directions.  I am
> considering a sheet to spread under my work area during picking.
>
> Hints/tips would be welcomed. As I pick I dream of some labor-saving
> catchment device, but I do not have an engineer's talent for product
> innovation.
>
> Betsy Hilborn
> 7a NC
>
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