How and when is harvesting oranges fun?
There are days when the temperature is spring-like. The sun is shining, and the songbirds on our quinta are chirping.
You're standing in front of a young orange tree, only 1.5 meters tall. Since the tree is still young, there are few fruits hanging, and those are on the outside of the tree. The fruit is wonderfully easy to reach and harvest.
Change of scene: there are other ways.
Peak season: Harvest oranges in winter.
It's cold. The temperature is 5 degrees Celsius in the morning. The fruit is cold. My hands are cold too. They get really icy after a short time.
The tree is 6 meters tall. Phew... so set up a ladder and harvest the oranges from the outside. To get the fruit growing inside, you have to climb into the tree. It's not comfortable. Your feet slip into the branches, and it's painful.
What many people don't know: orange trees are armed and have thorns .
These can't always be bred out. Wild oranges, for example, all have thorns, up to 4 cm long. Cultivated orange trees often still have thorns, too.
So reach in carefully. And carefully harvest the fruit using the long-learned picking grip to avoid tearing the skin.
Put it in the harvest bag, next fruit. Climb back out of the tree with the full harvest bag and empty it into the large harvest boxes.
The cold and rain are even more stressful. It's very unpleasant. Despite wearing rain gear, the rainwater runs down your sleeves. And the branches are slippery. Waiting for better weather isn't an option. Delivery deadlines must be met.
Change of scene: Harvesting oranges in summer.
Let's keep it short: summer, 38 degrees in the shade. Mind you, in the shade . No explanation necessary.
You certainly have enough imagination.
We find:
Harvesting good oranges is a challenge and a craft in itself!
