Fruit harvesting made easy

Every autumn, I have the same problem with my apple tree. By the time I get out into the garden in the morning, a dozen or more of the crop have fallen to the ground, got bruised, and the birds, squirrels and slugs have been nibbling away. So when, a couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to have a preview of some new garden products for 2020, this handy fruit catcher caught my eye. It’s a Finnish invention, suitable for all fruit trees and is designed to collect the windfalls safely and make harvesting easier.

The tarpaulin encircles the tree, catching fruit as it comes down, and because this is raised off the ground, bruising is avoided and hopefully the wildlife is kept away.  A plus point is that the polyester fabric lets the wind and rain through, so the grass or plants beneath should be safe if you leave it for any length of time. It can be used year after year - the metal parts are rust proof and the fabric is machine washable.  I’m looking forward to trying it out, and will be reporting back.

Right now the apple tree is budding and the plum tree is in full blossom.  So good to have something to look forward to in these difficult times.

The Original Fruit Collector is available by mail order in various sizes, from 38.90 euros.

 Details at https://fruitcollector.net/?lang=en#osa-2

info@fruitcollector.net

Where did all the apples go?



Totalling up the apple pick

In north London, we've finished our community fruit-picking for this year - harvesting neighbours' apples, pears and plums that would otherwise have been left to rot, and taking them to local charities. Our total was well down - less than half the 1000 kg we collected last year. It's been a similar story across the UK. The late frosts and wet summer played havoc with the crops, and much of the fruit that did ripen was devoured by hungry squirrels and birds. But it's a great scheme and the idea seems to be spreading. I've been following the progress of a network of pickers in NZ, who are doing exceptionally well. (Read about them at http://www.garden-nz.co.nz/latest-news/news/charities-enjoy-the-fruits-of-community-s-labour.html and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pickfruit )
We'll be out again in 2013 -  fingers crossed for better weather!

Speedy peeling..

In NW London we're up to our elbows in seasonal fruit - Mapesbury community fruit harvesters have so far picked more than 620 kg that would otherwise have gone to waste, with a similar amount gathered by our sister group in NW6. The best is going to good causes but we're also experimenting with chutney and pickling recipes for next year's local Open Gardens Day. So I was truly thankful to find this new peeler designed by twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph for their kitchenware company, Joseph Joseph. The curved blade (seen here with some of our windfalls) means it gets round the apple so much faster. Such a simple idea - why didn't someone think of it before???
http://www.josephjoseph.com/

Harvest time

Do you have a tree laden with fruit you can't reach or a lawn covered with windfalls you don't want?
It's a common problem in suburban gardens. But rather than see food go to waste, community fruit harvesting schemes are springing up around the country. It's all done on a very local level, usually through word of mouth or local residents' associations, with tree owners contacting the picking teams once their fruit is ready. The produce is shared between local charities, tree owners and volunteers. Our area in NW London has two schemes going. Last weekend Mapesbury Fruit Harvesters (pictured) tackled a huge old apple tree and ended up with 67.5 kg of Beauty of Bath (mostly given to a local charity for the homeless) plus a few windfall Bramleys. Later this week we'll be picking plums. A plus for tree owners is that a few of us went on a pruning course earlier in the year, and can now bring light and shape into some of the trees which have become too overgrown to produce well.

The umbrella name for the initiative is Abundance - it recently won an Observer ethical living award. Local groups are flourishing in parts of Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh and Sheffield as well as London, and it's hoped many more will spring up.



Last autumn the BBC website ran a feature on Abundance: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8280425.stm
For more information try the following links:
http://ttkensaltokilburn.ning.com/group/fruit?xg_source=activity
http://www.growsheffield.com/pages/groShefAbund.html
or for the Mapesbury area, email Mapesharvesters@hotmail.co.uk