Harvesting sea buckthorn begins immediately after the harvest is ripe. This should be done very quickly, as the fruits become softer and choke when picked.
When does sea buckthorn ripen?
Plant variety, growing region, climatic conditions - all this affects the timing of fruit collection. Special attention should be paid to these factors.
Variety
Correct determination of the period of fruit collection is important to facilitate work and preserve important nutrients in sea buckthorn. To understand when to start harvesting, it is important to decide on the nuances of the development and growth of various varieties:
- Early. Collected in early August. The exception is the Chuiskaya variety, its berries are picked after August 25th.
- Late. After September 15th, ready to harvest.
Read the article on the best sea buckthorn varieties.
Weather
Sea buckthorn fruits are cut on sunny days. The fruits hang on branches for a long period of time, so do everything carefully and without haste. Some summer residents do not specifically pick the berries until the first frost, then the fruits become juicier, tastier, and most importantly, it is much easier to remove them from the branches.
During this period, you can use a pruner - they are carefully cut off the branches (just in the fall, pruning should be carried out), and the fruits can be safely removed at home. At the time of the onset of severe cold weather, the crop is shaken off onto the laid material and harvested, in this case the branches remain intact.
Growing region
Due to the fact that the tree ripens at different times, there are no specific requirements for the region. It all depends more on the climate and variety. But based on the regions, the approximate dates look like this:
- The middle lane (Moscow region) - the last days of August and the first days of September.
- Ural and Siberia - the last week of September.
- South of Russia - after July 25th. Fruits in the area are cut as they ripen (some varieties bring berries already in early July).
How to pick berries correctly?
When working with sea buckthorn, do not forget to use gloves and clothes that you do not mind getting dirty. No one knows how the human dermis will behave when it comes into contact with juice, you may experience allergies or irritation. It's not worth the risk. As for clothes, it will no longer work to wash them - they will stain, even when washing with chemical stain removers.
Hand picking sea buckthorn
Want to pick the perfect berries? Then hand picking is what you need. It is better to remove the fruits on your own at the stage of ripeness, they are already ripe, but still dense, so that you do not suppress the harvest.
Methods to speed up manual collection:
- Removing ripe cobs. They are branches with berries at the age of 1 year with dried shoots. The cobs will not grow the next year and will not be harvested. Cut them off, freeze and wrap them.
- Reference point for the first frost. Place an oilcloth under the plant and shake the bush. Almost the entire crop will fall. You just have to pick and wash the berries.
- Collection of juice. If for some reason you did not have time to harvest before October 15th, then you can safely get the juice. Rinse the fruit directly on the plant. Strain the juice and boil.
Hand picking is a difficult and tedious process, but it will bring you many high-quality and whole fruits.
Can sea buckthorn be cut with branches?
Of course, you can harvest by cutting wood, but it should be kept to a minimum. Some summer residents remove those branches that they cannot reach.
For several seasons in a row such manipulation and the plant becomes like a torn tree that has no shape. The plant feels disgusting, as a result it will stop yielding and dry out altogether.
The destruction of entire branches greatly affects the health of the tree. The lost branches will not grow again, wounds heal for a long time. After such a procedure, the plant may not recover at all.
Harvesting equipment for sea buckthorn
Sea buckthorn juice spoils clothes, so it's best to wear a raincoat. The collection starts from the top and reaches the lower branches. For procedures to be carried out quickly and efficiently, various tools should be used.
Forceps
You can make them yourself. The tongs are ordinary thick wire. The rod is bent in the center into a ring, constructing a spring. You can fold the wire into a triangle shape, bend the edges. Tongs are carried along the branches, the harvest falls on the woven material.
"Cobra"
This device is famous among summer residents as the best invention for harvesting. To create it, you need to take a small branch of wood, a handle will be formed from it.
Steel wire is also needed. A loop similar to a candle wick is constructed from it. A thorn is used to connect the handle and the loop. From the outside, the instrument resembles a cobra. They can harvest by grabbing the stalks. The tool will help you get to the most difficult areas.
Slingshot
A slingshot can be made from wood or plastic. You can buy it ready-made or borrow it from a child. A strong fishing line is pulled over it. That's all - the slingshot is ready. She is carried along the branch and all the fruits fall on the material. The line breaks quickly, so you should always have a new one on hand. Buy fishing line in any sewing accessories store.
Sea buckthorn scraper
To create this tool, you need to take a steel wire about 0.5 m long.In the center, make a curl in the shape of a spring. Can be wrapped 1 time around the bottle. The tool tips are aligned and angled. With this method, the branch is pressed and the fruit is peeled by moving the scraper down.
The video below shows the collection of sea buckthorn with a scraper and cleaning the berries from the leaves:
A knapsack or harvester for collecting sea buckthorn
The tool is sold at a garden store. Made from any material. There are many options for the tool, but the principle of operation is the same. A knapsack is a special hand-held device with an area for picking berries. The crop is cut by the work surface.
Other tools to quickly harvest sea buckthorn
The summer resident can boast of his own method and tool for cutting sea buckthorn. A small amount of fruit can be removed with nail scissors, it takes a lot of time, but the result will be excellent.
There are several other devices to help harvest the fruit. For example, special gloves are purchased. They can be used as a scraper. The meaning of the device is in special caps. They will cut the crop.
How to make a device for collecting sea buckthorn yourself?
All the tools that were described earlier can be done independently. To do this, you need to find a wire and figure out how to twist it correctly. A quick way to create a device with your own hands is a slingshot. Each house has a fishing line, and a slingshot can be made from simple branches.
Harvesting sea buckthorn using branch slices
Work on large plantations is carried out quickly and efficiently. There is no time for careful collection, as the fruits can overripe and crush when they are removed from the bush. Gathering with the help of slices is painless and harmless for the bush, if you do everything carefully and according to the rules.
Rules for cutting twigs with sea buckthorn berries
To prevent the plant from being injured, the branches are cut with a sharpened pruner. The choice is left only on thin shoots, which are subject to pruning in the fall. Young, healthy, fat - do not touch. You cannot break them, the cut is made so that a stump of about 50 mm is preserved at the base. In the spring, he will start new shoots.
Watch the following video about harvesting sea buckthorn by pruning branches:
The branches are sent for processing. You do not need to wash them, otherwise the fruits will crack. This event is carried out before the branches are cut - the plant is doused with water, and then the crop is harvested.
How to handle cut branches
When the twigs are brought home, you need to quickly remove all the berries from them. Sitting in one place, you can gently pick them off with your hands or use nail scissors. A scraper with a line is also allowed. The crop is also stored on branches, only a refrigerator or a room with a temperature of about 0 degrees Celsius is needed.
Collection of leaves for tea
In addition to berries, sea buckthorn is famous for the medicinal properties of the leaves. Of these, it is customary to brew infusions, herbs and teas:
- Dry the leaves in a standard manner by placing them on a tray.
- Feature - the trays are exposed in the shade, and not in the sun.
- In order for the leaves to retain their healing properties after harvest, they are plucked after June 15th.
- The product is stored in a room with a temperature of about +17 degrees Celsius.
How to clean the harvested berries from the leaves?
If during the collection of berries special devices were used, then soon the question will arise about the method of cleaning leaves that have fallen into the container. You can do everything yourself, it takes a very long time, but the result is notable for its quality. If there is no time for this, then you should turn to simpler options.
The most popular way to remove leaves from a crop is to use an oblong vegetable board or similar device. It is placed at an angle, the harvested crop is poured on top in small portions, as a result, the fruits roll off, and the garbage remains on the board.
Another option is a cabbage shredder. It is placed at an angle, the blades point up. A container or box is placed under the base of the device. The fruits are carefully poured onto the upper edge, they roll down, the branches are delayed by the shredder blade.
If you have already managed to freeze the berries and leaves together, then it is better to sort the crop at a cold temperature. In the warmth, the fruits crumple quickly.
How to keep sea buckthorn for the winter?
Sea buckthorn fruits are nutritious, they help the body fight viruses and ailments. Every gardener wants to save berries for the winter.
Consider the main methods of storing berries:
- Placing cut branches. They can be saved until the arrival of March. To do this, place the branches in a cool place where the temperature does not rise more than 0 degrees Celsius. Control the dryness indoors; in a humid environment, the crop begins to rot.
- Freezing. Put the washed and dried berries in bags or bowls and put in the freezer. This freezing will help preserve a large amount of nutrients.
- Fruits covered with sugar. Until early March, you can enjoy the fresh fruits of the sea buckthorn. Grind them and lay them on a woven material, after a while, mix the crop with sugar and put in sterilized jars. Sugar and berries are taken in equal amounts. You can store the mixture only in the refrigerator, the basement and cellar are not suitable for this case. Such a sweet preparation can be used to make stewed fruit and fruit drinks.
- Mashed harvest. Perfectly ripe berries are suitable. Go through the harvest and set aside the required amount of berries, rinse them and allow time to dry. Stir in granulated sugar and a wooden mortar. You can use a food processor. Put the mixture in sterilized glass jars and place in the refrigerator. This mixture can be lowered into a cellar or basement.
- Berries in water. The method has only recently appeared, so it is not very popular, however, in this form, sea buckthorn is stored for a long time and does not change its taste properties. Pour fresh fruits with boiled water at room temperature and place in the refrigerator, but not in the freezer.
- Sea buckthorn juice. It is not just a source of vitamins, but also a low-calorie product. Only 53 kcal per 100 g. It's very easy to prepare - pass the fruits through a juicer and pour into pre-prepared jars. Place the juice on the shelves in the basement, you can add sugar or honey to it.
- Conservation. Heat treatment is also a good option for preserving fruit for the winter. Compotes, jams, preserves, marmalade and butter are prepared from them. The high temperature is merciless, so it will destroy some of the useful elements, but natural sweets will always come in handy. And they are much better than commercial candy or cookies.
Sea buckthorn oil is another useful product, but it is used in cosmetology. Helps hair, eyelashes grow faster and become stronger.
Helpful tips for collection and recycling
Collecting, processing and storing berries is much easier and more efficient if you follow certain rules:
- Start collecting from the top, end with the lower branches, but not vice versa. For the branch, start at the base and end with the tip.
- Work with wood with thick gloves and special clothing. Sea buckthorn juice stains are not removed, and the branches can hurt you.
- As a material for collecting fruits, you can use a film or the most ordinary umbrella.
- Do not cut young and strong branches for harvesting, or the plant will die.
- Make convenient devices and you will not have to suffer and pick berries by hand. Don't throw away the leaves of the plant, they will also come in handy. Put part of the harvest for conservation, the berries make excellent nutritious compotes and jams.
Harvesting sea buckthorn is a tedious and time-consuming process. But the fruits are healthy and nutritious, in winter they will help cure the flu, get rid of the lack of vitamins in the body. Try to find effective harvesting techniques without spending a lot of time on it.