How to make a device for collecting gooseberries from a plastic bottle and use it correctly
Harvesting gooseberries is a labor-intensive and long process. However, there have always been folk craftsmen. With their inventions they significantly helped many summer residents. A device for picking berries greatly simplifies the work. From the article you will learn how to pick gooseberries with a plastic bottle.
Why is such a device needed?
A device for collecting gooseberries from a plastic bottle not only helps to harvest, but also protects your hands from thorns. The tool is suitable for picking almost any berries and fruits. It helps to reach hard-to-reach places to remove, for example, apples, plums, cherries from branches.
How to make a device for collecting gooseberries from a plastic bottle
To build a tool for picking gooseberries, you don’t need any special knowledge, skills or a lot of time. The fruit picker itself is lightweight and does not damage the berries when picked.
To create the device you need a plastic bottle and scissors with sharp ends or a knife.
The cap on the neck of the container is screwed on to make it easier to make an incision: this way the plastic will not be dented.
A hole in the shape of a drop is cut out in the bottle. Depending on the berries and fruits collected, it has a different diameter. For gooseberries - 5-7 cm. The volume of the bottle depends on the size of the fruit. For gooseberries, it is better to use a 0.5 liter container.
The nose of the drop is directed towards the bottom of the bottle and comes close to it. To improve the fruit picker, lengthen the spout using a 2 cm incision. This way the device fixes the branch with fruit better, and it does not interfere with the picking of berries.
How to use the device correctly
They take the bottle by the neck and pick up the berries with the droplet nose. The gooseberries fall into the fruit picker, and your hands are not scratched by the thorns.
If the device is used for other berries growing high on trees (a larger container volume is used for apples and other fruits), a stem is driven into the neck of the bottle. However, the wooden stick must be firmly secured, otherwise there is a risk of being left without a harvest and leaving the fruit picker on the branches.
Simple ways to protect your hands from thorns
There are several ways to help protect your hands from thorns when picking gooseberries.
Leather gloves and bottle
Leather gloves are a necessary item in the arsenal of any summer resident. Usually they also add clothes with long sleeves.
If it is inconvenient to pick berries while wearing gloves, there is always the option of trimming your fingertips. They also often collect fruits with an unprotected hand, while the other, gloved hand, holds the branches of the bushes.
The bottle will not only make a good fruit picker, but also excellent protection for your hands.
The neck of the container is cut off and put on the hand, inserting the limb into a special hole at the level of the hand. The device perfectly protects the skin from sharp thorns located on neighboring branches.
Cold water and shaking bush
In the morning, water the bush with cold water. In the evening, the thorns become soft and stop scratching your hands. This procedure will not take much time, and the result will surprise you.
The method is known to everyone, but many people forget about it.Usually they tilt the branches and shake them gently one by one.
It is also recommended to spread thick film or tarpaulin under the bush. Don't forget to clear any debris from fallen crops.
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Other methods of mechanized berry harvesting
When mechanized harvesting of gooseberries, tongs, a knife, a net, a combine, etc. are used.
Long tongs
Usually, wooden or plastic tongs are used so as not to damage the bush and the berries growing on it. Using the tool, the branches are securely fixed, and the harvest is harvested with the other hand.
Combine from the store
The unit is easy to find in specialized stores. There are a huge number of combines, they are of high quality and easy to use.
The most popular is a device in the form of a closed-top scoop with rods. When harvesting, use this device to hold the bush with one hand and collect the berries with a combine with the other.
The teeth of the device are curved for fragile berries; for strong fruits they are set forward. The rods are rounded: thanks to this feature, they retain the berries rather than pierce them. The minimum diameter of the teeth must be 3 mm, otherwise they will bend and break. The closer the harvester bars are to each other, the smaller the berries it is designed for.
After the teeth have captured the fruit, the berries fall into the body. The flap prevents the crop from falling out: it lowers when you hold the device parallel to the ground.
Important! When using a combine harvester, you cannot make sudden movements and comb the bush from the roots to the top. You will tear out leaves and break branches, and therefore harm the plant.
Tray under a bush
Ideal for gooseberries and currants. The tray is made of wooden slats, the bottom is made of plywood or tarpaulin: it softens the blow of the berries and does not crush them.
You will spend less time putting the crops in the basket. The tray speeds up the fruit picking process by 1.5-2 times.
Bucket with scissors
Take a ladle with a long handle and wrap the handle to your hand. Scissors are held in the free palm. The berries are cut with their help, and the fruits fall into the ladle.
The design is often improved. For example, instead of a bucket, a cloth bag with a ring and a wooden handle is attached.
Line and string
The fishing line is fixed on 2 sides of a wooden plate 2 mm thick, 10-12 mm wide and 100 mm long. Using a loop, they catch the berry and tear it off with a sharp jerk of the fishing line. After this, the fruit falls into a container placed below for harvesting.
The design with a metal string is similar to that described above, but in this case it is more difficult to perform a similar operation. To begin, make 2 shallow holes in the wooden handle using an awl. Then the ends of the string are inserted into them, which are wrapped with copper wire or strong threads. The top is wrapped with several layers of electrical tape. After this, the string is bent into a loop shape.
Attention! Securely fasten the string so that it does not break and cause injury to you.
Devices made from fishing line and wire are easy to make and do not damage the fruit.
Knife and razor
A device with a V-shaped knife fixed to the end of a wooden stick is popular in Hungary. The blades are fixed at an angle of 25°. Such knives are made from steel plates measuring 20x80 mm. The cutting sides of the blades are sharpened.
Also use a razor. It is broken into 2 halves along the longitudinal axis. Then clamp with 2 strips of tin. The plates are attached to each other with rivets.The razor attachment is easy to make. It is more used for cherries and sweet cherries.
Typically, a fabric bag is attached to such fruit pickers using a wire ring. Polyethylene film is often used. However, it is fragile, so it constantly breaks. True, thanks to it it is easy to determine how full the bag is.
Net
A hole is made in the fabric of the net for the hand. It must be covered. Otherwise, it may spread around the edges.
They pick a berry by hand and throw it into a bag.
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Conclusion
Thanks to various devices and ingenuity, harvesting berries, including gooseberries, becomes much easier. To speed up harvesting, there is no need for large time and material costs. Various methods of harvesting berries will make your work easier and protect your hands from scratches.