Yesterday was Avocado picking day for us. We began at 7.30 am ; R ( DH ) and me picking from the ground and 2 guys up in the tree tops using hydraladas ( elevated work cages ) to pick the high up fruit. The crop was off by just after 4.30pm with 12 field bins picked.
The photos show the long picker which grips the fruit and then cuts with a blade allowing the fruit to be carefully lowered and put in a picking bag, still being held by the grip.
The yellow hydraladas are similar to what some of you may have seen lifting someone to change high up light bulbs in the streets. (They are called cherry pickers in some places.) The guys up in the hydraladas maneuver around the tree tops trying not to damage next season's crop. Avocados are one of the only crops where the next years fruit has just set before this year's crop is picked.
One photo shows the tiny wee fruit just set which we hope we will be picking during summer next year. The photo showing the mature fruit that we were picking also shows the flower branch with some tiny fruit. You may also spot a strange small fruit not avocado shaped at all....They are called cucs ( short for cucumber ) and are fruit that have no stone and did not get properly pollinated last year ( they are useless ). If you thought kiwifruit were complicated wait till I tell you about how avocados behave ( another post will be needed to tell you about the sex life of an avo ! )
Life is certainly busy as we are still working with the newly set young kiwifruit -( have more photos to show you of their progress - next post )
So not much sewing getting done just a few more hex as I blob out at the end of the day. Still trying to finish Christmas Correspondence too and cooking...I'll get there I always do.
Suzi-k thanks for your helpful tip re blogger comments - it worked.
5 comments:
Oh yum! Send some spares down here! They're $2 each in the shops at the moment.
Well I am definateitly not a fan of avacado, but I can appreciate the way they grow and get harvested anyway. DIdn't know that you gre those too. Love the kiwi though and reading about the sparying!!
Good deal on almost completing the hexagons!
Hi Ali Honey!
I am an ex BOP girl, & have just been over there for a wonderful trip.
I have just found you from Finn's lovely blogsite.
I read of your fruit & vegies- I was born in Te Puke. The best tasting potatoes in the world come from NZ!
Geesh, between Tazzie and her apricot jam and you with the avocados and kiwi, you folks on that end of the globe are making me hungry every time I read your blogs!
Wish you could set up an internet fruit export business and ship some to me... I love avocadoes.
:)
intruiging, are all the fruit at the same degree of ripeness for picking on one day? It must be so hard to judge which day to go for it!! Glad the comments thing is working!
Post a Comment