HARVESTING IN INTENSIVE AND TRADITIONAL CHERRY ORCHARDS
IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HARVESTING CHERRIES IN INTENSIVE ORCHARD
THE RIGHT MOMENT: the best cherries are those left to ripen completely before harvesting as they are better not only for their size but also and above all for their richness in sugars and flavor in general. It is therefore necessary to identify well, for each variety, the best time for harvesting, to be carried out when they have reached the size and color typical of the variety.
THE PLATFORMS: preventively review the platforms. Thanks to the special collection platforms it is possible to reach the highest branches and advance along the rows, collecting the cherries at the same time along two rows at a time.
ATTENTION TO THE PETIOLE: detach the petiole from the branch with one hand by performing a half turn on itself and rotating them upwards, holding the branch with the other hand: the petiole must not offer resistance and must remain attached to the fruit, which otherwise rots quickly; if, on the other hand, it resists detachment, do not insist: you could damage the tree.
BEWARE OF THE GEMS ON THE BRANCHES: be careful not to remove the bud at the base of the petioles from the branch, otherwise no cherries next year!
GENTLE HARVEST: gently place them in the harvest boxes. Do not overfill the crates to avoid fruit compression and bruising.
SELECTION IN THE FIELD: make a first selection of the fruits in the field, discarding the damaged cherries already. In this way the second sorting will focus on the caliber.
COOLING: cherries can have a short life, if you do not prevent them from heating up after removing them from the tree. Immediate transport to the warehouse is recommended. In the case of the cherries remains in the containers for even a few hours in the field, cover them with a coarse cloth wet with water, so that the evaporation of the water removes heat from the underlying mass.
PROCESSING: carry out the sorting and positioning in the baskets according to the caliber in a cool place.
If there is no storage refrigerator and hydrocooler passage, we recommend marketing within 48 hours after harvesting.
Watch the video of the Dolce Giardino case history in Uzbekistan and discover the differences and advantages of an intensive planting and a traditional cherry planting.
INTENSIVE CHERRY SYSTEM
Higher initial investment
More complex design: rootstock, plants, irrigation, support systems and protection from rain and hail
Planting schemes: 3,5 x 1 m
Plants: 2.857 per hectare
Entry into production in the 2nd year
Mechanized management and care
Cherry picking using platforms
Higher production
Higher fruit quality
TRADITIONAL CHERRY SYSTEM
Lower initial investment
Easier design: rootstock, plants and irrigation
Planting schemes: 4 x 4 m
Plants: 625 per hectare
Entry into production in the 5th year
Manual management and care
Cherry picking by ladder
Lower production
Fruits are more exposed to atmospheric factors, lower quality index