Life hacks from experienced gardeners: how to pick gooseberries without getting pricked

Gooseberries are an unpretentious shrub that produces healthy and sweet berries that look like tiny watermelons. However, when harvesting, a serious problem arises for the gardener: the branches of the bush have sharp thorns, which are almost impossible not to get hurt. How to pick gooseberries without getting pricked - read the article.

Gooseberry harvest time

When to harvest depends on the growing region, varieties, climate of the current year, soil characteristics and age of the bush. The older the plant, the longer the berries take to ripen.

Reference. Ripe fruits are soft, sweet, without crunch when bitten.

Depending on the region

Ripening time vary significantly across regions. In the south due to the warm climate and a longer period of positive temperatures, the gooseberry crop reaches ripeness from mid-June.

In the European part of Russia, berries ripen later – the first harvest occurs in the first ten days and mid-July. In the northern regions, Siberia, in the Urals and the Far East, depending on weather conditions, the fruits ripen closer to the beginning of August.

Depending on the variety

There are both early and late varieties:

1. The first ones ripen 4-5 weeks after flowering. These include Rodnik, Yubileiny and Chernomor.
2. Mid-season varieties (Malachite, Firework, Kolobok) ripen 6-7 weeks after the formation of the ovary.
3. The latest varieties are considered Date fruit and Smena.The berries reach full maturity 8-10 weeks after the bushes flower and the ovary forms.

Collection methods

Gooseberry fruits can be collected manually using special clothing, or mechanically using various means or devices.

Manual

Manual harvesting of gooseberries is simple, but at the same time dangerous because of the sharp thorns on the branches of the bush. To protect your hands, use thick gloves and long sleeves.

When collecting in the depths of the bush, it is recommended to protect not only your hands, but also the face, eyes, neck from possible contact with thorns. The dust and dirt present on them can cause inflammation if they get into the wound. Damage to the skin also causes irritation.

Mechanical

The mechanical method is to use a vibrating device or combine, as well as in simple shaking of branches. First, the space under the gooseberries is covered with newspapers or cloth. The disadvantage of this method is the fall of unripe and spoiled berries, leaves and other debris from the bushes. After mechanical harvesting, the fruits are sorted and sorted.

How to pick gooseberries without getting pricked

Picking gooseberries without a single scratch is an art. Sometimes even the thickest gloves do not protect against prickly thorns. To avoid scratches when picking fruits, experienced gardeners recommend resorting to additional means.

In overalls

The easiest way to protect yourself from thorns – use thick suede or leather gloves, long sleeves, safety glasses or a shield when collecting deep in the bush.

Important! The downside of thick gloves is a significant decrease in sensitivity. There is a risk of crushing ripe or overripe berries.

Special comb

Semi-mechanical collection method using a thimble comb placed on the thumb. You can make such a device yourself or purchase it at a gardening store. The device is put on the thumb, the branch is lifted with your free hand, and a comb is drawn along it from the base to the top.

Reference. The disadvantage is that all the berries are collected regardless of their degree of ripeness.

Using a plastic bottle

You can make a homemade mini-harvester from a plastic bottle, which also serves as a small container for assembly. A cutout is made in a dry and clean plastic bottle in the form of a drop, the spout of which is directed towards its bottom. During picking, the device is taken by the neck, and the berry is picked up with the “drop” spout and picked. The method speeds up work and reduces the risk of injury from thorns.

Also, a plastic bottle is used to make hand protection when picking fruits deep in the bush.. The neck of the bottle is cut off and a hole is made in the side. However, when using such protection, there is a risk of scratching your fingers during direct harvesting.

Vibrating device for collecting berries

The vibrating berry picker speeds up the picking process by shaking the bush. As a result of vibration, ripe berries fall to the ground. The area under the bush must first be covered with cloth, plastic wrap or newspapers. This method produces a large amount of garbage.

How to harvest as quickly and safely as possible

Most A quick and safe way is to use a vibrating berry picker. The devices are powered from an outlet or through the cigarette lighter from a car battery.

Ripe fruits easily fall off under the influence of vibration, but berries at technical maturity are very difficult to collect in this way.

When harvesting manually, use a homemade mini-harvester from a plastic bottle.

Harvesting on an industrial scale using a combine

If there are a large number of bushes, it is almost impossible to pick them manually.

There is little data on fully mechanized gooseberry harvesting; such experience is usually used in European countries and the USA, where currant harvesters are used for harvesting.

Important! For mechanized harvesting of gooseberries using a combine, varieties with dense pulp and strong skin are suitable.

Is it possible to pick unripe gooseberries?

Green berries are removed from the bush to conserve the plant's strength and speed up the ripening of the remaining crop..

Fruits that have not reached technical maturity are collected for long-term transportation or processing. When harvesting an unripe harvest, the largest berries are selected.

Does it ripen after harvest?

When properly stored, unripe crops gradually reach maturity., the berries turn red and acquire a characteristic color and sweetness for the variety. To achieve this, they are placed in a cool place with low humidity. Under such conditions, maturity is achieved within 3-4 weeks from the moment of collection.

Storage and use of crops

Gooseberries are one of those berries that are practically impossible to store.. After harvesting, it is recommended to immediately process the crop. Fully ripe fruits are stored in conditions of low humidity and cold for no more than 5 days, frozen berries - up to 3 months.

Gooseberries are used to make marshmallows, preserves, confitures, sorbet, jelly, marmalade, jams, compotes are made from fresh and frozen berries. You can use the fruits as a filling for pies and dumplings. Freshly picked gooseberries are used to make wine, liqueurs, and sauces for meat and grilled sausages.Sometimes a small amount of berries is used for pickling cucumbers, tomatoes, and cabbage.

Conclusion

To safely harvest gooseberries, both improvised and specialized means are used. It is recommended to pick berries manually, protecting your hands with thick gloves or using a hand-held mini-harvester from a plastic bottle. The safest method is considered to be shaking the branches manually or using a vibrating berry picker.