Cherry picking is the most enjoyable part of gardening

You spent a lot of energy on caring for a cherry orchard - you fought pests, fed with fertilizers, watered, vaccinated. And all this with one goal - to get a good harvest of fruits. And then came this moment - the collection of cherries (and not only cherries). It, probably, can rightfully be considered the most pleasant and long-awaited procedure, a reward for the gardener for all his efforts. The article will tell you how to determine the optimal time for harvesting and do it with the least loss.

When to harvest

Depending on the variety, the region of growth, the cherry begins to ripen from the end of June and the process can last until the beginning of August (if the summer is cool). Early varieties ripen first, such as Pamyati Vavilov, Angliyskaya early, Podbelskaya, Chudo-cherry, Early 2, Vladimirskaya. The late varieties close the harvest season - Lyubskaya, Lotovaya, Nefris, Fertile Michurina, Meteor.

Note that if there are several cherry trees in your garden, then the first ones to be ready for harvest are those that get more sunlight during the day. At the same time, you should not wait until the berries ripen on other trees. It is better to start harvesting as soon as ripe fruits appear and gradually move between trees as they ripen, otherwise overripe berries will become prey for birds and you will lose part of the harvest.

If you plan to transport the harvested crop, then harvesting must be done 2-3 days before ripening, otherwise you can start harvesting on the first day. Please note that cherries, unlike most fruit cherries, do not ripen after being removed from the tree, so it is not recommended to pick them off earlier with the expectation that they will ripen in boxes (like, for example, pears or apples). It will taste unripe and sour.

It is advisable to start cleaning in dry weather, in the first half of the day, after the morning dew has evaporated, or in the afternoon, when the effect of the sun's rays weakened. If the harvest fell during the rainy season, this significantly reduces the quality of the crop: the taste of the berries may deteriorate, and they themselves, due to the high moisture content, will quickly deteriorate, as a result of which most of them will quickly rot if you do not take measures for processing or canning.

Also note that watering the trees should be stopped 2-3 weeks before harvesting, since the berries, as in the case of rains, will become saturated with moisture, their skin will begin to crack, and the flesh will deteriorate.

Harvesting methods

Depending on the type of farm, there are two technologies for harvesting cherries: manual and mechanical. Of course, mechanical is used in large horticultural enterprises to speed up the process due to the huge number of trees and the short time allotted for the process of harvesting ripe fruits.

Manual cleaning

This method is used by most gardeners due to the fact that there are not so many trees in the garden and you can cut them off in a calm atmosphere, slowly. Depending on what fate awaits the berries after being removed from the tree, there are several methods of manual harvesting:

• cutting berries with a part of the cutting with garden shears;
• picking fruits with whole cuttings;
• the method of "milking", in which the berries are picked without cuttings.

The first two are used when fruit is being prepared for transportation. A whole stalk contributes to a longer shelf life for cherries. The third method is used if the berry is being processed (at home, these are compotes, rolling). Such cherries are stored for no more than a day, after which they begin to rot.

When cutting cuttings with scissors, it is advisable to cut the cut at a distance of 1/3 from the fruit. It has been noticed that cherries are stored a little longer this way.

Harvesting usually starts from the lower branches and gradually moves up the green cone using ladders. It is not recommended to climb on the tree itself, since in this case the trunk shakes and part of the crop falls to the ground (if they climbed, then it is necessary to lay polyethylene or cloth around the trunk to collect fallen fruits). Those fruits that cannot be reached with hands are removed using special devices - fruit picking.

When harvesting manually, you must adhere to simple rules that will help preserve the crop:

• fruits are not recommended to be crushed or pressed with fingers;
• do not damage the skin of the fruit with nails;
• when picking, do not throw the berries into the baskets, but fold them carefully.

It is advisable to store the harvested crop at a temperature of 6-7 degrees. Under such conditions, the berries begin to deteriorate only after 2-3 weeks. Many people prefer to freeze cherries to preserve freshness - in this form they can be stored for a long time.

Mechanical assembly

This type is used by large horticultural farms that need to harvest a large number of trees in a short time. Various technologies are used: a shearing, in which the tree is passed between rotating drums with a soft plastic mustache, knocking berries, or mechanical shaking is used. For automated assembly, varieties with easy separation of the berry from the stalk are suitable, such as Vladimirskaya, Zhukovskaya, Lyubskaya, Melitopol dessert, Podbelskaya.

Timely and correct harvesting is a necessary measure, as harvest losses are an unacceptable generosity for gardeners who have spent so much effort to grow a tree. Therefore, it is so important to know how to collect cherries while maintaining maximum fruit.

Video "Mechanical harvesting of cherries"

This video will show you how to harvest cherries using machines.