In part 2 of this article, the procedure to fabricate the catching prongs, fruit basket and how they are joined was discussed. This part discusses the creation of the apple fruit picker pole.
Because this apple fruit picker will be transported, the fruit picker pole was designed to be extendable and collapsible. Two poles of 6-foot and 5-foot lengths will be joined to create an 11-foot long apple fruit picker pole. A 2-foot long pipe will serve as a coupling to join the two poles end-to-end.
Best Homemade Apple Fruit Picker Tool - Part 2
In part 1 of this article, the design, materials and tools for a cheap apple fruit picker were discussed. I call it the best homemade apple fruit picker because this DIY project implemented an apple fruit picking tool with old discarded household items and scrap construction materials. The only materials that were purchased are small hardware items like nuts, bolts and washers.
The fruit picking tool can pick not only apples but many other fruits like oranges, grapefruits, mangoes, guavas and other similar-sized fruits. Here are the steps in the procedure to making an inexpensive yet functional and effective apple fruit picking tool.
The fruit picking tool can pick not only apples but many other fruits like oranges, grapefruits, mangoes, guavas and other similar-sized fruits. Here are the steps in the procedure to making an inexpensive yet functional and effective apple fruit picking tool.
Best Homemade Apple Fruit Picker Tool
But lengthening the pole by adding pvc pipes (which are easily available) or replacing it with a longer pole may not be the obvious solution. This is because one other thing I noticed is that the fruit picker tool was a bit heavy for the pole. The fruit picker pole would sometimes bend when lowering the fruit picker tool to get the fruits from the net. Now if I extended the pole with the same pvc material, then definitely the longer pole would bend or bow even further.
Detachable Fruit Picker and Basket - Improved
After initial success picking fruits with the homemade fruit picker, I felt that the fruit picking tool can further be improved by giving it an increased catching and gripping capability. Although the first version is adequate in most cases, something's amiss.
Fruits that have a very smooth surface have a tendency to slide out from the Catch part of the fruit picker. Fruits like canistels, apples, mangoes and the like have this tendency. An apple picker for instance, would find that when the pole and the apple picking tool are almost vertical, the the catch wouldn't grasp the apple at all.
Fruits that have a very smooth surface have a tendency to slide out from the Catch part of the fruit picker. Fruits like canistels, apples, mangoes and the like have this tendency. An apple picker for instance, would find that when the pole and the apple picking tool are almost vertical, the the catch wouldn't grasp the apple at all.
DIY Fruit Picking Tool and Pole Attachment - Part 2
In the first part of this article, the materials and tools for fabricating a homemade fruit picking tool were listed. Other than a power drill, there are no special tools required to assemble this fruit picker. But it takes some time and heft to bend and form the basic frame of the fruit picker.
From the specifications of the tool's measurements, the fruit picker is able to pick medium sized fruits like apples, mangoes, oranges and many more. The fruit picker's ring is large enough to hold a big basket or net that can contain as much as 10 medium sized fruits.
From the specifications of the tool's measurements, the fruit picker is able to pick medium sized fruits like apples, mangoes, oranges and many more. The fruit picker's ring is large enough to hold a big basket or net that can contain as much as 10 medium sized fruits.
Homemade Fruit Picker with Net and Pole
We don't have any trees in our yard that are yielding any fruits. Our neighbor at the back has a hugh Santol or Cottonfruit tree that bears plenty of fruits. Although many of its ripe fruits fall on our backyard and some are near enough for us to pick, I'm not too fond of this fruit to pick them.
In our early morning walks though, I found a liking to fruits from a couple of Canistel or Eggfruit trees in a nearby subdivision. One grows near the sidewalk while the other's owner doesn't bother getting them. Many of its branches are at the street. Many of its fruits just ripen on the tree and then fall on the ground. When cars run them over, they're squashed and then flies abound.
In our early morning walks though, I found a liking to fruits from a couple of Canistel or Eggfruit trees in a nearby subdivision. One grows near the sidewalk while the other's owner doesn't bother getting them. Many of its branches are at the street. Many of its fruits just ripen on the tree and then fall on the ground. When cars run them over, they're squashed and then flies abound.
Garden Plant Labels from Window Blinds - Part 3
In part 2 of this article, the procedure to make the garden plant labels out of old window blinds was discussed. The finished garden plant label is 2 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. I've chosen 2.5" as the length of these garden plant labels because I propagate many plant with seedlings in garden seedling trays or bags. The length is just right when staking them to label seedlings in these small containers. I also made garden plant labels that are 4" long for the bigger pots.
Garden Plant Labels from Window Blinds - Part 2
In part 1 of this article, I discussed briefly the possibility for reusing old window blinds for plant labels. The window blinds whose slats are made of pvc material are preferred because they can be easily cut with an ordinary pair of scissors. There are blinds whose slats are made of thin sheets of aluminum or metal and they may pose some challenge to your cutting tool.
Garden Plant Labels from Window Blinds
A gardener who's heavy into propagation practice cannot have enough of garden plant labels or tags or markers. I soon found this out for myself when all the improvised garden plant labels I made from old x-ray films were all used up. There were probably a couple of hundreds by my estimate. But even with much initial success on this DIY project of making plant labels, sadly they can no longer be reused.
I learned that the paint which essentially was the only writable area, broke down. The paint I used was latex paint because it was suitable as a writing surface. After some time though, after much sun and rain, the paint would crack and then chip off. Eventually, the entire area would flake off. With the paint removed, there is no surface on the plant label to write on.
I learned that the paint which essentially was the only writable area, broke down. The paint I used was latex paint because it was suitable as a writing surface. After some time though, after much sun and rain, the paint would crack and then chip off. Eventually, the entire area would flake off. With the paint removed, there is no surface on the plant label to write on.
