Is there a way to pick fruit off a tree without a ladder?

[texmati]

I guess the title says it all. We have a lot apples, peaches and pomegranates, but I'm afraid of heights!

[katelove]

You need a fruit picker. It is a long pole with blades on the end and strings which you pull to operate the blades. Some of them have a basket to catch the fruit as well. www.frostproof.com call theirs a Clip N Pick apparently

They require a bit of co-ordination but are actually pretty easy to use when you've done it a few times.

[cschick]

For pears at least, we used to use a home made fruit picker of a metal can secured to the end of a long pole (I remember heavy duty string and duct tape both being used to secure the can to the pole). Basically, you'd reach up with the pole, put the can over the piece of fruit you were interested in, and then give it a quick yank to the side to snap off the piece of fruit (which was now securely in the can).

But this will kill your arms after a short while.

[texmati]

ooh! might just be worth it. we buy lots of apples, even though we have an apple tree. then we go and rake up all the rotted fruit in a few weeks.

I wonder if I'd get a good response asking people to come and pick fruit (for free, they get to keep the fruit)?

[bluebirdiemama]

Originally Posted by texmati

ooh! might just be worth it. we buy lots of apples, even though we have an apple tree. then we go and rake up all the rotted fruit in a few weeks.

I wonder if I'd get a good response asking people to come and pick fruit (for free, they get to keep the fruit)?

oh yea. depends where you live, as to whether you will get a response. but around here I know it would get a good response

[texmati]

thanks! I might try to convince DH to get a fruit picker-- if not I"m going to at least offer the fruit up on CL. It's just too much good food wasted.

[lmonter]

Yeah, you can usually find a fruit picker at your local farm and home store. Ours has two 4-foot lengths of wooden pole and the basket one one. So I can use it with either a 4' extension or 8' extension. You get the hang of it. Cost us around $20-$25. Well worth it.