Collecting wild berries is a traditional craft that has survived to this day. Cranberries, lingonberries, blueberries are not only a delicious delicacy, but also rich in vitamins and rare trace elements. They have long been used in folk medicine. Their places of growth are remote from industrial enterprises, which makes them an environmentally friendly product. And the term "wild" itself implies the absence of fertilizer residues and, moreover, GMOs.
Hand picking berries
Unfortunately, the remoteness of the berry-growers greatly complicates their collection. Marshy terrain, forest jungle, mosquitoes and midges also do not add pleasure to this process. But the main difficulty lies in the size of these berries, it rarely reaches 10 mm, and even less in the northern regions. Historically, picking wild berries is done by hand, so the fruits are less damaged, and fewer leaves and twigs fall into the baskets. However, this method has very low efficiency, even an experienced berry grower in a good year may take more than one hour to collect the treasured bucket. A less nimble picker is unlikely to pick up a bucket andday.
Wild berry harvesters
To somehow increase the efficiency of manual picking, use special harvesters to pick berries or rake. In a simplified form, this device is nothing more than a scoop with a comb at the end. The tooth pitch of the comb should be slightly smaller than the diameter of an average ripe berry. The principle of operation of the rake is simple: the teeth pass through the branches and foliage of the berry bush, and the stuck fruits roll into the scoop. If the tooth pitch is chosen correctly and the assembler works carefully, then in an hour it is quite possible to collect a bucket. At the same time, it is important not to rush, so as not to damage the berry branches entangled in the crest. Combines for picking berries are mass-produced or made at home. Basically, these devices are made from sheet metal, wood or plastic. What material is better, everyone determines for himself, the main thing is that the rake be light and sit comfortably in your hand. Then, according to the reviews, picking berries will not be so tiring.
Combine selection
Now it's enough just to buy a harvester for picking berries. Moscow, Vologda, Yekaterinburg - in almost every major city where there is a plastic injection molding enterprise, these simple devices are produced. First of all, you should pay attention to the products of regional producers, as they take into account the characteristics of the growth of berries and their size in your region. It is important to consider that plastic harvesters for picking berries have a number of advantages overmetal and wooden: they are completely unaffected by moisture, do not change their appearance from the juice of berries, damage the berries less due to rounded shapes. A metal rake, with proper handling, will last almost forever (reviews confirm this). However, over time, water and berry juice can oxidize the metal.
By design, rakers can differ not only in shape and design, but also in the width of the comb and the capacity of the scoop. Large rakes are more effective on flat areas with a uniform berry field, small ones are more effective when harvesting on hummocks and heterogeneous bushes.
Pay attention to the presence of a curtain, it will prevent the already collected berries from spilling out of the container.
Import harvesters
Separately, it is worth dwelling on imported devices. Our northern neighbors are famous for their respect for nature. The Finnish berry harvester is designed to harvest berries as carefully as possible. The comb of such products is rounded and does not tear the leaves and branches of the berry. These rakes are made of high quality plastic and have an attractive design.
Homemade rake
Making a harvester for picking berries with your own hands is quite simple. It is necessary to have a minimum set of locksmith tools, and, of course, the skill to work with it. Harvesters for picking berries at home are made either from sheet metal or wood. You can also make a plastic device, but howshow reviews, it is quite difficult to connect plastic parts.
Metal harvester
The best solution for a metal rake is aluminum sheet, this metal is very light and does not corrode. But a regular galvanized sheet will do. Drawings of a harvester for picking berries can be found in specialized sources or use the one below. The template is carefully transferred to a sheet of metal, after checking all dimensions. Using scissors for metal, a reamer of the body of the scoop is cut out. Next, the reamer is bent in a vice, the ends of the workpiece are overlapped and connected with rivets. If there is no metal bending skill, the side walls and top can be made in separate parts, also connecting them with rivets. Comb teeth are made from steel wire with a diameter of 1-3 mm (depending on the stiffness of the material available), which are also the bottom of our scoop. Their step is chosen a little less than the diameter of the berries that are planned to be harvested. After mounting the comb, it is necessary to hinge the curtain that overlaps the mouth of the scoop and prevents spontaneous spillage of the collected berries. The rake is ready - it remains only to attach the handle. The assembled device can be additionally painted with a helmet for metal, having previously degreased it.
Wooden rake
Wood is a great material to make a DIY berry harvester. It is not difficult to draw drawings of such a device on your own, sinceall details are simple. Thin boards up to 10 mm thick are suitable for a rake. Details are cut with a jigsaw or a hacksaw with a fine tooth. It is convenient to cut the comb on a circular saw, which makes even cuts 4-5 mm wide. But you can get by with a jigsaw, making 2 washed down for each groove and trying not to damage the previously sawn teeth. Finished parts are cleaned with sandpaper. The parts are connected with self-tapping screws, having previously drilled holes so as not to split thin-walled parts. Before installation, the joints of the parts can be smeared with wood glue, such as PVA. A handle is attached to the finished structure, which can be made of wood, strips of metal, or use a finished furniture or door handle. It is advisable to treat the finished rake with a protective impregnation for wood or varnish to extend its service life.
Wood is a traditional material for creativity. Wood carvers did not bypass these devices either, creating real carved works of art. There are rakes carved from solid pieces of wood and decorated with intricate carvings. Such a harvester can serve as an excellent gift for an avid berry picker.
