When to harvest sea buckthorn and how to do it quickly
Miscellaneous / / September 01, 2023
It is best to use special tools, but you can get by with a simple knife.
When to harvest sea buckthorn
First of all, decide what you need berries for. If you are planning prepare jam, compotes or just eat fresh sea buckthorn, it is better to collect it at the very beginning of ripening, while it is denser. At this time, the berries are painted in a pale orange color and are easily separated from the twigs. Usually the right time is mid-August - mid-September. Before picking, remove a few berries from the branch and make sure you are satisfied with their taste.
If you need a juicier and sweeter sea buckthorn, wait until about the second half of September - early November. The berries will become soft and turn a bright orange color. By the way, you can remove sea buckthorn from a tree until frost arrives. Under the influence of low temperatures, it only becomes sweeter.
What you need to remember when collecting sea buckthorn
The branches of the sea buckthorn tree are covered with multiple thorns. Therefore, pick berries in thick, tight gloves so as not to get hurt.
Sea buckthorn juice stains can be difficult to remove from fabrics. In order not to spoil clothes, harvest in dark-colored clothes or wear something that you donβt mind getting dirty.
How to quickly collect sea buckthorn with special tools
They allow you to collect sea buckthorn directly from the tree. Convenient fixtures can be found in stores or made by hand.
1. How to collect sea buckthorn with a scraper
What you need
- Strong and flexible steel wire (approximately 0.5 m);
- round jar with a diameter of about 4 cm;
- pliers;
- lace or rope;
- bucket or other container for berries.
How to do
Wind the wire around the can one turn to make a spring.
Bend the ends of the wire with pliers, making almost right angles.
For convenience, thread a rope or lace through the spring and tie its ends. Put this loop on your wrist so as not to lose the device when picking berries.
Substitute a bucket or other container under the branch so that the berries do not wake up on the ground. Clamp the branch near the trunk with the ends of the scraper and remove the sea buckthorn by moving the device towards you.
2. How to collect sea buckthorn "cobra"
This tool has a small loop, which is convenient to pry berries.
What you need
- Small round peg;
- thin long nail;
- hammer;
- a piece of flexible wire about 30 cm long;
- pliers;
- adhesive tape or electrical tape;
- container for picking berries.
How to do
The peg will act as a handle, so make sure you can comfortably hold it in your palm. Shorten the wood if necessary.
Step back from the edge of the peg and drive a nail into it so that the metal protrudes about 0.5 cm on both sides of the stick.
Bend the wire in half to make an arc. Bend its ends with pliers.
Attach the loops at the ends of the arc to the nail in the handle.
Bend the protruding edges of the nail with light hammer blows to secure the wire properly.
Wrap the attachment point with tape or tape. Give the edge of the arc a more pointed shape with pliers.
Hold the resulting "cobra" by the handle and remove the berries from tree, prying them with a loop of wire. First place a container from below where the sea buckthorn will fall.
How to collect sea buckthorn with a knife or scissors
If you are picking sea buckthorn directly from a tree, place a bucket or other container under the stems so that the berries do not fall to the ground. Also, for convenience, you can cut several branches with a crop and shoot it in a convenient place. But do not cut the plant completely, otherwise it can be seriously damaged.
What you need
- Knife or scissors;
- bucket or other container for picking berries.
How to do
Hold the stem with one hand, take a small sharp knife in the other and cut the sea buckthorn. Try to keep the blade as close to the stem as possible so as not to damage the berries.
Another option is to remove each berry with scissors. But in this case, the process will be longer.
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