Gathering wild berries is a traditional craft that has survived to this day. Cranberries, lingonberries, blueberries are not only delicious delicacy, but also rich in vitamins and rare trace elements. They have long been used in folk medicine... Their places of growth are remote from industrial enterprises, which makes them an environmentally friendly product. And the term "wild" itself implies the absence of fertilizer residues, and even more so GMOs.
Hand picking berries
Unfortunately, the remoteness of the berry stands significantly complicates their collection. Swampy terrain, forest jungle, mosquitoes and midges do not add to the fun either. But the main difficulty lies in the size of these berries, it rarely reaches 10 mm, and in northern regions and even less. Historically, picking wild berries is done by hand, so the fruits are less damaged, and fewer leaves and twigs. However, this method has very low efficiency, even for an experienced berry grower in good year it may take more than one hour to collect the coveted bucket. A less agile collector is unlikely to fill a bucket in a day.
Harvesters for picking wild berries
In order to somehow increase the efficiency of manual picking, special combines for picking berries or a rake are used. In a simplified form, this device is nothing more than a scoop with a comb at the end. The comb tooth pitch should be slightly less than the diameter of an average ripe berry. The principle of operation of the rake is simple: the teeth pass through the branches and foliage of the berry bush, and the stuck fruits roll into the scoop. If the pitch of the teeth is chosen correctly and the collector works accurately, then in an hour it is quite possible to collect a bucket. In this case, it is important not to rush, so as not to damage the branches of the berry tree tangled in the crest. Harvesters for picking berries are produced in series or made at home. Basically, these fixtures are made from sheet metal, wood or plastic. Which material is better, everyone determines for himself, the main thing is that the rake is light and fits comfortably in the hand. Then, according to the reviews, picking berries will not be so tedious.
Combine selection
Now it is enough to simply purchase a harvester for picking berries. Yekaterinburg - in almost every big city, where there is a plastic molding enterprise, these simple devices are produced. First of all, you should pay attention to the products of regional producers, since they take into account the peculiarities of the growth of berries and their sizes in your region. It is important to consider that plastic harvesters for picking berries have a number of advantages over metal and wooden ones: they are completely unaffected by moisture, do not change their appearance from the juice of berries, less damage to the berries due to the rounded shapes. A metal rake, with proper handling, will last almost forever (reviews confirm this). However, over time, water and berry juice can lead to metal oxidation.
By design, the rake can differ not only in shape and design, but also in the width of the comb and the capacity of the scoop. Large rakes are more effective on level ground with a homogeneous berry, while small rakes are more effective when picking on hummocks and variegated shrubs.
Pay attention to the presence of a curtain, it will not allow the rains of already collected berries from the container.
Imported harvesters
Separately, it is worth dwelling on imported devices. Our northern neighbors are renowned for their respect for nature. The Finnish berry harvester is designed to be as gentle as possible when picking berries. The comb of such products is made rounded and does not tear the leaves and branches of the berry. This rake is made of quality plastic and has an attractive design.
Homemade robber
Making a do-it-yourself berry harvester is quite simple. You must have a minimum set of plumbing tools, and, of course, the skill of working with it. Harvesters for picking berries at home are made either from sheet metal or from wood. You can also make a plastic device, but, as the reviews show, it is quite difficult to connect plastic parts.
Metal harvester
The best solution for a metal rake is sheet aluminum, which is very lightweight and does not corrode. But a regular galvanized sheet is also suitable. Drawings of a harvester for collecting berries can be found in specialized sources or use the one below. The template is carefully transferred to a sheet of metal, after having checked all the dimensions. Using scissors for metal, a reamer of the scoop body is cut out. Further, the reamer is bent in a vice, the ends of the workpiece are overlapped and connected with rivets. If there is no skill, the side walls and the top can be made in separate parts, also connecting them with rivets. The teeth of the comb are made of steel wire with a diameter of 1-3 mm (depending on the stiffness of the available material), which are also the bottom of our scoop. Their step is chosen slightly less than the diameter of the berries that are planned to be harvested. After installing the comb, it is necessary to pivotally fasten the curtain that overlaps the mouth of the scoop and prevents the collected berries from spontaneously pouring out. The robber is ready - all that remains is to attach the handle. The assembled device can be additionally painted with a metal helmet, after degreasing it.
Wood rake
Wood is an excellent material to make a do-it-yourself berry harvester. Drawings of such a device are easy to draw on your own, since all the details have simple form... Thin boards up to 10 mm thick are suitable for the rake. The details are cut out with a jigsaw or a hacksaw with a fine tooth. It is convenient to cut the comb on circular saw making even cuts 4-5 mm wide. But you can also do with a jigsaw, making 2 saws for each groove and trying not to damage the previously sawn teeth. Finished parts are cleaned with sandpaper. The parts are connected with self-tapping screws, pre-drilled holes so as not to split thin-walled parts. Before installation, the joints of the parts can be coated with wood glue, for example PVA. A handle is attached to the finished structure, which can be made of wood, a strip of metal or use a ready-made furniture or doorknob... It is advisable to treat the finished rake with a protective impregnation for wood or varnish in order to extend its service life.
Wood is a traditional material for creativity. Wood carvers did not pass by these devices either, creating real carved works of art. There are also grabbers carved from solid pieces of wood and decorated with intricate carvings. Such a harvester can serve great gift an avid berry grower.
- Comb you can or buy in similar form or make it yourself from wood. In this case, the length of the teeth should be approximately 60mm, and the gap between the individual teeth should be 5mm. It is advised not to use metal cutting combs, as they are more likely to damage the bud of the plant and berries in next year not to be seen from this bush.
- In addition to the comb, it would be convenient if there was a small box / drive, where the collected berries will roll. Let the box be not very large, so that it is more convenient to wield it.
- Well, for complete convenience, you can attach a handle to the drive, holding on to which it will be more convenient to pick berries.
As it was rightly noted here, the principle of creating any harvester for picking berries, including blueberries, is one: a box with a small capacity (about a liter or two), the bottom of which is a comb or comb. A handle is welded to the box body - long, short, at your discretion. The distance between the teeth of the comb should be maintained optimally: so that the berries do not fall through, and so that the bushes do not rip out, do not spoil the plants.
By the way, experienced berry pickers say that with certain skills (holding the bushes with one hand, picking with the other) this method is no less gentle than, for example, manual picking.
blueberry harvester
A blueberry harvester is no different from a harvester for lingonberries and similar berries. Yes, it is believed that picking berries with such devices causes significant harm to the plant, injuring the stems and leaves, but picking berries with such a combine is quite quick.
I will not load you with the intricacies of the drawings and suggest that you familiarize yourself with the drawings of such combines here (you will also find here a drawing of a device for cleaning berries)
There is such a simple option - this is a ladle and rods welded to it.
But nevertheless, it will be better if the combine is made of plastic - this will do less harm and it is more convenient for them to work.
You can buy a berry picking harvester by ordering it in the online store or by purchasing it in the business department.
By the way, if you are still going to pick berries using a harvester, then read the rules on how best to capture bush, keep it, etc.
Acquainted with detailed instructions for making a blueberry harvester can be found here. It makes picking blueberries much easier and faster.
But I prefer picking berries by hand more, the result is less, but more interesting!
Attention, it is illegal to use the blueberry harvester!
Homemade harvester is not complicated in the device. The main part is a place for picking blueberries, the so-called body. you can use a tin box or something else. Attach a comfortable handle. You also need a comb, which you will pick off the bushes. It can be cut out of tin, or rigid wire can be used.
The harvester will certainly very well and quickly help to pick blueberries, but in the process of unity with nature and many pleasant moments, because picking blueberries with your hands is pleasant, the smell and feeling of berries in your hands bring a lot of pleasure. And to make a combine, you just need to take something like a plane and adapt a rake at the exit, it will turn out conveniently and not expensive.
It can be done, but this is an administrative violation for which they can be held accountable (in Belarus there are 20 basic units, which equals 2,000,000 Belarusian rubles).
for manufacturing you will need aluminum sheet, metal scissors, metal screws and steel wire section 2-3mm. Here's what you should get:
It is known that picking blueberries with a combine is illegal and is administrative offense... In this case, I completely agree with the authorities (at least in something, there is a concern for nature). Think for yourself, blueberry bushes (like lingonberries) grow for a very long time, and you can easily damage them with a combine.
At least be careful when picking berries with a combine so as not to spoil the blueberry bushes. Thanks to such a combine, you can even pick gooseberries.
The main element of this device is comb. In fact, all other details are already secondary.
In fact, there is nothing complicated in this device, and it can be made from improvised means - from plastic or wood. The most important thing is the distance between the teeth, and the rest is a matter of comfort / convenience.
You can see from the existing combines how all the nuances are implemented there. For example, you can look here or here too
Some berries take a very long time to pick by hand, including blueberries. So people came up with a special blueberry harvester.
For the manufacture of such a combine, plywood is used and not soft wire... The harvester is a kind of bucket, in the lower part of which the same wires are located at a certain distance from each other (so that the blueberries are caught and not slip through them). The point is that blueberries are captured between the wires, some effort is applied and the berry is torn from the bush and goes into the depths of this harvester.
You can see how to make and what proportions you need to observe in the video below:
Harvesters for picking berries help not only to significantly facilitate the process of picking blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries and other berries, but also make this process as efficient as possible, reducing losses and shortening the time of events.
Users can choose both a production model and design a hand-held berry harvester with their own hands. The configurations of such devices are quite simple, and following the instructions, drawings, it is quite easy to create them.
Features of blueberry harvesters
Collecting blueberries is a laborious process, and care must be taken as the berries, although dense, can be easily damaged. Plastic containers or baskets are used, and it is not necessary to frequently move the crop from one reservoir to another.
Factory-made berry harvesters
The most common design is the scoop-shaped hand blueberry harvester. Despite the fact that it is extremely simple, the device speeds up the process three, four times. The cost of a blueberry harvester is not high, but you can find it in the household department, or in garden tools. The equipment is known to users under several names:
- Berry.
- Fruit picker.
- Berry harvester.
Design
- The capacity of the device looks like a parallelepiped.
- On the underside there are elongated bent teeth for combing out berries.
- The gap between the teeth is five, six millimeters.
The leafy branches easily pass between the cloves without being damaged, and the berries are plucked and sent to the back of the equipment. Among different models The berry harvester made in Finland is very popular. The body of homemade and factory products can be metal, plastic or wood. As for the teeth, they are almost always made of their wire.
How to make a DIY blueberry harvester?
A do-it-yourself blueberry harvester is just enough to make, for this you will need:
- Patterns of parts made of paper - two side walls and one back, bottom, handle, part with teeth.
- Place the pattern on the surface of the material from which the body will be made, circle and cut.
- Fasten all the components according to the diagram.
Using the drawings, it is quite simple to create a blueberry harvester with your own hands. You can use a wire for the teeth. After making several long loops, attach them to the bottom of the device.
Cranberry harvester
One of the most popular harvesters for harvesting cranberries is the Toropushka device. Manual fixture damages plants, ensuring a gentle and fast harvest. The device is equipped with a capacious storage sleeve into which plucked berries are sent. One hand movement is enough to pour them into the reservoir. If you want to make a popular do-it-yourself harvester for harvesting cranberries Toropushka, consider the drawings.
Design features:
- The cranberry harvester has solid metal baffles to prevent tangling of the plant tufts. This allows the grass and moss to escape without any problems, leaving the berries in the container.
- The springiness of the plates does not tear off the leaves from the branches.
- Thanks to the rounded shape of the device, the berries can be removed even from the recesses.
- The sleeve is made of fabric, which shortens the time for extracting berries - you need to lower the edge of the sleeve into the container.
Lingonberry harvester
A convenient and efficient manual lingonberry harvester was previously produced by domestic producers. Its configuration is similar to other berry attachments:
- The case is equipped with a handle.
- Bottom with a wire comb.
- A metal partition, located inside the manual berry harvester, overlapping the cross-section of the body, prevents accidental fall of the lingonberries.
- The partition is fixed in the side plates of the body in such a way that it can be easily rotated for access of berries directly into the harvester.
This design is often used to make do-it-yourself berry harvesters. Today, inexpensive models from durable plastic... Most often on the market you can find Finnish harvesters for picking berries, which have proven themselves to be excellent for working with various harvest volumes.
A lot has been invented to harvest the berry harvest special devices... They are produced in factories, and craftsmen make such devices to order on their own. To choose a model for a rosehip, you need to familiarize yourself with the types and photos of devices. For personal use, many of them can be made with your own hands.
Types of berry picking devices
Devices designed for picking berries in the garden, in the country or in the forest save time and optimize the whole process. There is no need to reach or bend over each individual berry, you can remove several pieces at once. Some devices, invented specifically for rose hips, do not speed up the collection, but only make it more comfortable. For example, some aim to protect their hands from thorny branches. A simple classification of devices that are used to collect a variety of berries looks like this:
Attention! On the forums, many gardeners speak out negatively against the use of fruit pickers. In their opinion, special scoops and rakes negatively affect the integrity of berry bushes and trees.
Simple tools for removing rose hips from branches
So that during the harvesting of a useful crop the branches do not prick your hands, you should stock up on a simple device that is made from an ordinary plastic bottle. It can be a container from under drinking water, shampoo or liquid soap... First of all, you need to wash and dry it well, and then:
- cut off the bottom, make 4 sharp cloves at the edges. The height of each of them is 4 cm;
- put the bottle with the neck on a stick;
- for reliability, fix it with a nail or screw.
Advice. This model is suitable for picking almost any berries that hang on the branches. For rose hips, you can increase the number of cloves, making them more frequent, and also use a container made of dense plastic. Then it will not deform during operation.
An even easier way to make a Rosehip Harvester is to simply trim plastic bottle... It should fit freely on your hand and have a slightly narrowed neck. It is cut off along with the bottom of the container. V finished structure the hand is pushed in so that the narrower part of the bottle is in the area of the fingers. The device protects against prickly rose hips, allowing you to comfortably pick each berry.
For the same purpose, you can make a tin bucket. It is suitable for collecting not only rose hips, but also gooseberries, which are also known for their "inhospitable" (sharp thorns). To do this, a blank is cut out of a sheet of tin, resembling a drawing of an unfolded scoop with sharp teeth on both sides. Approximate parameters:
- height - 40 cm;
- bottom width - 5 cm;
- the height of the denticles (2 on each side) - 2 cm. They are drawn outside the bottom contour;
- handle width at the top - 10 cm.
Rose hip
Having cut out the workpiece with scissors, it is bent: folded in width upper part handles, making it bulky for convenience. Then the bottom is tucked inward, both sides are connected with the cloves above it - they form the front part, which will remove the berries.
Devices that make berry picking faster
To fold the berries removed from the bush, usually use a basket, bag, bag, jar, etc. As an alternative to any of these containers, craftsmen have come up with several inventions to speed up the harvest. For example, a simple yet functional tray. It is made of slats, the bottom is made of a sheet of plywood or a piece of tarpaulin. The second option is even better if you plan to collect not rose hips, but currants or gooseberries. In this case, the berries will not break.
The structure is placed under a bush, and the berries that are cut off are dropped directly onto it. Approximate dimensions of the tray:
- length - 80 cm;
- the width of one side is 80 cm, the other is 45 cm.
The berry picker will help reduce harvest time
The narrower side of the tray is not made straight, but in the form of the letter V. This will allow the device to move close to the base of the bush. According to reviews, such a device speeds up the collection of berries by 1.5-2 times.
The same function is performed by the harvesting net. A cover in the form of a cap is sewn from fabric, but they do not put it on a stick, but on one side they make a slit. A hand is pushed into this hole, and, picking off the berries, they immediately drop them into a tissue bag. You can trim the top as well as the arm hole with a metal strip. It is also often used to make a small ring (retainer) for index finger which makes the device easier to use. With such devices, you do not need to be distracted by placing each fruit in a basket or jar.
Do-it-yourself berry harvester: video
Since ancient times, people have earned their food by collecting edible wild fruits and berries. The method of picking berries from those times has remained the same - you squat or bend over to a bush, tear off a berry (or better a handful of berries) from a twig and put it in a basket. Of course, picking berries in this way is also possible, only you will beat your hands on the branches, or even some of the inhabitants of the forest or swamp will bite. It is not easy to bend behind each berry, and labor productivity is low. Although, what kind of work it is - this is the pleasure of communicating with nature, only bending down and unbending is still hard.
To increase its (productivity) and collect more berries in a certain time, you need some kind of adaptation.
When a lot of mushrooms are born in the forest, the people say: "At least a scythe mow!" And here a comparison naturally suggested itself: what, should you pick berries in a good year with a rake? It was then that the idea came to mind ...
Currently, I have made an original berry picking tool with which you can do this while standing without bending over. I consider my invention important for male collectors - for some reason it is more difficult for them to bend than women.
The device is, in general, simple in design. It looks like a combined combination of a small inverted horse rake (although you rarely find such a rake anywhere now) and a toy excavator bucket: it consists of a body and teeth, united by a plate. Well, since this instrument is hand-held, a tulle with a handle is also attached to the body.
The bucket body is cut from galvanized steel sheet 0.5 - 0.8 mm thick. I do not recommend using a thicker leaf due to the heavier structure: when picking berries, your hands will get tired. But replacing galvanized steel with stainless steel of the same thickness is not only possible, but also desirable. The wire for the teeth must be selected rigid, springy, so that it keeps the given initial shape, even if it bent arbitrarily during operation. It is best to bend the wire into teeth using a copier.
The device in question is designed for picking various berries with a diameter of 5 mm or more. These are such gifts of the forest as blueberries, lingonberries, blueberries, cranberries. You can pick currants and gooseberries. Who wants only more large berries, the pitch of the wire teeth can be increased accordingly. In this case, the distance between the cloves in the light should be equal or even slightly less than the harvested berry.
With a wire diameter of 2 mm, the pitch is 7 mm. For the described device of the same teeth, 18 pieces are needed. In the case and the plate with the same pitch of 7 mm, 18 holes with a diameter of 2 mm (along the thickness of the wire) are drilled (preferably together and simultaneously), into which the teeth are inserted. The plate is bent 180 degrees, crimping each wire. It is better to solder this place for the rigidity of the entire structure with any low-melting solder. The straight ends of the wires are inserted into the holes of the housing until they stop. After that, the lugs of the plate are riveted to the body, and the lugs of the body are bent and squeezed tighter around the extreme teeth.
1 - body (galvanized steel sheet s0.5);
2 - teeth (springy steel wire Ø2, 18 pcs.);
3 - plate (galvanized steel sheet s0.5);
4 - tulle (pipe Ø20-24);
5 - assembly connection of the device parts (steel rivet Ø3, 5 pcs.);
6 - handle (hardwood tree);
7 - fastening the handle in the tunic (screw Ø3).
Handle mounting bracket - the tulle is made from a piece of thin-walled pipe or bent from galvanized steel of a slightly thicker thickness (1 - 1.5 mm) than the body and plate. The handle is of round cross-section, made of light, but at the same time quite strong wood. Modern plastic materials but not fragile. The average length of the handle is about 500 mm (but this size may vary depending on the height of the picker), and its diameter is 18 - 22 mm. The lower end of the handle is trimmed slightly into a cone, or rather, into a wedge, and inserted into the tube of the tulle. In the wall of the tube there is a hole for a small screw with which the handle is attached there. The jacket itself is attached to the body with three rivets. A modern tool - riveting tool - allows you to beautifully, and most importantly - reliably fasten thin-walled parts. Anyone who does not have a rivet can perform this operation manually or screw the handle to the body with M4 bolts.