Got Fruit? Get Help!
Our Picking season is usually from July to Mid November
YOU ARE PROTECTED
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-good-samaritan-faqs.pdf
We will be accepting requests for service from June 15 to September 15. That gives us 2 months to complete the apples.
If you miss the date, you can still pick and sort your own apples and call us for collection and delivery. We have trucks standing by just for this service!
Pick-up service is available anytime and you can write off the fair market value of your donation. Usually 2.99/lb!
We are looking for unblemished fruit and we can commit 4 person-hours to each property.
This usually results in at least 100 lbs of fruit being removed and donated. We CANNOT remove all of your fruit. We do not have the resources or equipment to take excessive amounts of damaged overripe or windfall fruit.
We have hundreds of growers requesting service each year and we work diligently to support as many as possible. If your fruit is not easily accessible, we will be able to get significantly less in the 4 hour work period.
Improve your harvest
Water:
Give your tree a Drink!
Watering your tree through winter reduces fruit drop and significantly reduces the amount of yard cleanup you will have to do before we come to pick.
For Optimal Tree health, Reduced Limb Breakage and minimized Fruit Drop:
-Pull your hose to the canopy edge
-water 15 minutes a month when your sprinklers are turned off
This is extremely helpful in retaining your root ball which supports the fruit through the hot summer months.
Prune:
Give your tree a haircut!
Our maximum picking height is 25 feet. Dwarf trees are preferred and recommended if you plan to plant for donation. We will pick larger trees but can rarely reach above 20ft. The tree should have significant fruit left to warrant a visit. If you have picked all the fruit below 20 feet, we cannot offer you any additional support. If your tree is large or leggy, prune aggressively. This will improve fruit quality and fruit retention. It will also prevent "self pruning" which is when trees break from too much fruit on the limbs.
Thin:
Give your tree a sweep!
If you have a tree that fruits heavy with many small pieces of fruit, you can thin in the summer. Once fruit has set, usually by June 15, take a broom and gently sweep the branches to remove about half the tiny pieces. This will drastically improve your harvest and prevent breakage and even reduce pests.
Control Pests:
Give your tree a beauty treatment!
Clean all fallen fruit and leaves and place codling moth traps for apples and pears in the spring. These are the most economical way to reduces codling moth or wormholes and will cut your infestation in half for as little as $10 dollars.
You can also do dormant oil or Kaolin Clay spraying. We recommend organic spraying and recommend using a local tree service. This should happen pre bloom so plan for next year if you want more complete protection for your lovely fruit!
It is best to hire professionals to do this if you have the means and are serious about harvesting and donating premium fruit and don't have the time or ability yourself. Read more here on the lifecycle of the codling moth and how to disrupt these little fruit pirates
https://extension.usu.edu/boxelder/ou-files/CodlingMothCydiapomonella.pdf
Clean the picking area:
We do request that the tree area is relatively clean and free of debris, fallen fruit, animal waste and thorn bushes. If the ground is treacherous, we cannot pick. Pickers often come directly from their day jobs and are dressed accordingly. If you have had pest problems in the past, we recommend thoroughly cleaning under your tree and hanging codling moth pheromone traps near your tree at first blossom. Hanging the trap in a neighboring tree will draw the moths away from your fruit!