My fig tree became very tall and very beautiful, but now I have a problem how to collect it's delicate and fragile fruits without damaging them. I have a special harvest tool which is mounted on an enlargeable stick, but which is meant for harvesting fruits like apples and pears and it doesn't really work for figs.
Does anybody has some advise or knowledge that could help me ?
How to harvest figs from a very tall fig tree ?
lol boniton, I need the same advice! Also a tool that will reach over a fence as mine is growing almost half over the fence! It is huge!
I already had a bumber crop off of it and now a second good crop is coming on, so I need to get ready! I had thought about taking a 10' pole and attaching a round heavy wire at the top that has mesh hanging from it and just nudging the fig into it. Is that what you tried and didn't like? They have a similar tool to get papayas off the stem-more oblong and heavier.
I don't know much about figs, but on a trip to Arkansas, once, I saw what I thought was a neat idea...
There was a small collection of fruit trees with netting(kinda looked like she'd strung a bunch of hammocks under her trees). The netting would catch the fruits before they reached the ground, and prevent bruising, (and other things like rotted fruit on the ground and encouraging moth larvae).
These weren't for figs, but I'll bet it would work. She DID have peaches, which when really ripe, can be pretty close to the same softness as a fig.
Just a thought...
-T
Sorry tigerlily, it seems that my reply on your comments have not come through.
The idea of the heavy wire with mesh hanging from it is a good one, it is similar to the tool I have for harvesting apples and pears, but it is very difficult to use it for figs, as these are attached very firmly on the branch even when ripe.
When they actually fall of naturally, they are overripe on the verge of rotting. I think it could be a similar tool but that has some kind of cutting blades attached to it
Thanks seedpicker for your kind response.
The method you suggest might work, but I have only a tiny town garden and it wouldn't be a very aesthetic sight to have a netting on the tree.
Quoting:
When they actually fall of naturally, they are overripe on the verge of rotting
...that is what I was afraid of, and why I stated I didn't know much about figs, and their habit of ripeness, lol...
Quoting:
but I have only a tiny town garden and it wouldn't be a very aesthetic sight to have a netting on the tree
I wasn't sure if your tree was in front or back of your house...the one I saw was in her back garden.
-T
Someone in our Rare Fruit Club brought an extended clip and hold pruner to one of our meetings. He uses it to pick mangoes and says it works great. The one he has is no longer available but below is a link to one very similar. This will extend your reach by about 4 feet. I am planning on buying one later in the season.
http://lawn-and-garden.hardwarestore.com/82-516-pole-pruners/long-reach-cut-n-hold-pruner--628018.aspx
DW
Dwallace, thanks for the link. I found the fruit picker, it looks similar to the one I have, but perhaps this one is better.
I would like to try it out, but they don't ship to countries outside the United States. I think I will have to construct one myself. Thanks anyway!